All Articles are From The Body Mechanics and Posture Class I Offer

Charles Hamby
Body mechanics refers to the way we move our body during every day activities and is something everyone should know, understand and put into use. Good body mechanics involve moving and positioning our body in such a way as to promote healing and to prevent back or neck injuries. To work properly, good body mechanics need to be practiced everyday during all activities including working, resting, and exercise. By using body mechanics and practicing good posture we can reduce the stress and strain we subject our bodies to. The use of body mechanics may help us to prevent or correct problems with posture (the way we stand, sit, or lie) and may also protect our body, especially the back, from pain and injury.
Body mechanics protect us from injury by aligning body segments to each other. By standing straight, the main parts of our body (head, chest, and pelvis) are properly aligned one over the other to maintain good balance. Using good body mechanics reduces fatigue which helps to prevent strain on the spine which in turn enables us to maximize our body strength and make lifting, transferring, and moving objects easier.
No matter what we are doing we should always practice good body mechanics and we should also be aware of which activities are high-risk and eliminate or alter them. For example: if your back hurts because have been standing or sitting too long you should stretch your legs or change how you are sitting. Keeping your back straight will help with in achieving and maintaining a good posture. When you are lifting things do not use your back to bend over. Instead, keep your back straight, knees bent, lower your body and lift with your legs.
An important component of body mechanics is posture. Posture can be defined as “the position in which we hold our body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down”. To put it another way: Correct posture is the position in which minimal stress is applied to the muscles, ligaments and joints in our body.
Good posture involves training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on the supporting muscles and ligaments. Poor posture is caused by too much compression on certain muscles and ligaments and may result in the inability to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time, stiffness when rising from a chair or a feeling of physical exhaustion at the end of the day. Poor posture does not need to be the end result for people. A decline in good posture can be prevented by being aware of proper body mechanics and by doing exercise programs that emphasize strengthening and flexibility activities.

Rose Chaplin
If everyone had good posture there would be no need for message therapists.  Unfortunately about a third of people generally suffer from chronic body pain symptoms at some time and massage therapy is the favorite treatment for muscular pain.  The cause of this pain (which is normally myofascial i.e. soft tissue) is numerous (mostly work related).  One of the causes of pain is strain of body tissue being pushed beyond it’s limit – either over a long period of time, or quickly.  The other most common cause of pain is stress.
Stress can be described as a physical force or pressure put on the body.  For example, a nurse having to lift patients on a daily basis, or a mother carrying her baby on one hip for a few hours every day.  Once the force or pressure is removed the body returns to normal. The body is extremely adaptable and continuously repairs itself.  However, if the pressure is applied over and over again, the stress can cause us significant physical (and emotional) problems.  Everything in the body is connected.  For example, should someone have a fallen arch, this can have an effect all the way up their body to their neck.  It is important to evaluate the client’s posture from the front, sideways and back. 
 
I have a new client standing in front of me.  I have asked her extensive questions and now I am going to evaluate her posture.  My client is facing me in her underwear.  This is so I can assess her body posture clearly.  I start my client’s physical assessment – I have an order in which I assess. 
It is: Feet.  Ankles.  Knees.  Hips.  Waistline. Shoulders. Arms hanging. Hands. Head. Plumbline. Touch toes.  March in place.   I start with her feet first.  Are they flat or arches falling?  Do her toes clench?  Are her feet pointed in or out?  Is the weight distributed evenly or on the inside or outside of the foot?  Check the ankles.  Are one or both ankles falling in?  And are the knees closer together than the hips or are they directly in line underneath the hips?  Does one point in or out at all?   I ask the client to stand with their feet hip width apart. Then ask her to move her knees forward as if she were going to sit.  I check whether her knees move inwards or outwards or stay at the same level.  I move up to her hips.  Are they even or is one hipbone jutting more forward or one higher than the other?  Is the waistline straight or uneven?  Check whether the naval is midline or not.  Then to the shoulders.  Again, are they even?  If not, is one higher than the other? Or more forward than the other?  Check the arms hanging. Are the hands even or is one shorter than the other?  How far from the client’s body do the arms hang and are they hanging evenly or is one closer to the body?  As the client stands, does their head tilt to either side or does their head tilt one way and their neck the other?  Can I draw a straight line from the top of the client’s head through the nose, chin and navel to the mid point between their legs?  If not, what is out of line?  My client is standing feet hip width apart.  I ask her to slowly roll forward to touch her toes, letting her arms hang.  I check whether her hand lengths vary as she rolls forward. My client marches in place.  I check where her feet fall naturally (in or out – which side).  I then compare muscle size on in and outside, is one side larger than the other? 
I then ask my client to turn sideways.  I check how the weight looks on her feet – is she rocking back on her heels or forward on the balls of her feet?  Are her knees straight and are they locked or bent?  Are her hips forward or behind her feet?  Is her pelvis tilted at all or even?  Is her lower back straight or swaying forward?  Are her shoulder blades pulled back or is her upper back rounded forward?  Is her head forward or back over the shoulders? 
I then evaluate the back view of my client.  Are her feet splayed (heels together, toes pointing out)?  Are her Achilles tendons straight?  If not, curved in or outward?  Are her arches high or falling?  Are her calf muscles the same size?  Are her knees locked or slightly bent?  Are the iliac crests (where hip and pelvis muscles attach) even or is one higher than the other?  How does her muscle tone on her back look – is she standing evenly or is one side lower than the other?  Do her shoulder blades (scapula) stick out or are they close to the back?  Do her arms hang close to her side and do the elbows point in or out?  Are her shoulders even or one higher?  Is the head straight or to one side?  I then compare muscle size on both sides to see if there’s any unevenness. 
My client has one fallen arch. Her body is out of alignment, the left side being lower than the right.  She had pain in her lower back and left shoulder.  My client is an office worker.  Through questioning I find out she wears high shoes. Her chair is incorrect and her desk is too high – she is continuously looking up at her computer and her arms are raised up onto her desk instead of sitting evenly onto the desk. 
My client needs to change her footwear to flat shoes that will support her arches.  She needs a proper “adaptable” office chair with a hard back instead of the soft chair she is using.  This will allow her to raise her sitting level to one more comfortable and less strenuous on her back, shoulders, neck and arms.  She is sitting for long periods so she needs to walk around to increase circulation.  My client needs to correct her posture while sitting as she is slumping in her chair, which is causing her spine to compress causing back pain.  My client needs to make a habit of correct posture and breathing from her abdomen.
I massage my client then show her how to improve her posture when standing and sitting.

Channette Coetzee
Unluckily about one third of all humans on earth have some kind of chronic body pain. And need massage therapy for muscular pain and most of a therapists work involves this.  Due to soft tissue damage/abuse due to work related repetitive injuries. The other causes of pain are due to the body being pushed beyond its limits either over an extended period or by the weekend sports person doing things that are not part of the natural or daily routine. The other most common cause of pain and injury is stress.  The description of stress id the external physical force or pressure put on the body by daily living. E.g. example, a nurse having to lift patients on a daily basis, or a mother carrying the baby on one hip for a few hours every day. When the force or pressure is removed the body restores the balance back to normal.  The body regularly repairs itself and adapt to new situations. But is the pressure is an ongoing occurrence then there are changes in the physical and thus emotional problems occur. Everything in the body is connected. For example, if one part of your body is not functioning properly then the rest is put under stress.

Jewell Streeter
What are good body mechanics? Good body mechanics refers to the way we are able to move our body to prevent injury during daily actives such as: standing, sitting, bending, or sleeping. Having good body mechanics may protect your body from pain and injury, especially your back.
Poor posture is often the cause of back problems and when we don't move correctly and safely, our spine is subjected to abnormal stress which can lead to injury and unnecessary wear and tear.
Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright while standing, sitting, or lying down. good posture involves training your body to where the least strain is placed on the supporting muscles and ligaments. A person should not remain in one position for too long by standing up and stretching often. Always stand close to the job that you are doing. Keep your head high, chin tucked in, and your back straight when walking. Good posture is the correct use of the body at all times.
Anytime your body is not in a fairly straight line (alignment), you are putting a strain on your back as well as other parts of the body. By keeping your body in good alignment and by using good body mechanics in daily living situations, you can help decrease the stress on your body. since massage therapist work is largely based on application of pressure, they can use their body weight, rather that muscle force to apply pressure.
Learning the proper way of moving and positioning our body can help heal and prevent injuries. The use of weight applies a smoother pressure and lowered tension, than the use of muscle force. Correct posture can reduce the stress on the ligaments and may prevent muscle and joint strain and fatigue.
Posture is maintained largely subconsciously, but it can be improved by training. You can improve posture by exercising to improve muscle tone, muscle strength, and endurance, and flexibility. If you have bad posture, you will need to make a conscious effort to establish correct body positioning.

Heather Trahan
Body mechanics are how our body moves. This is our walking, standing, laying and etc. We don't always know how our muscles are when we do our everyday activities. Not knowing all this we keep doing our normal activities and that makes it harder for our bodies to change their ways.
There are ways of changing our normal stances. Working everyday to changes these could help strengthen our muscles and joints. This could also help with our daily activities so that we perform better.
Office jobs and those of people on their feet all day should offer their workers a way to learn proper body mechanics to keep their workers from getting sick as often and have a better production.