Postural Correction?

[Guest guest]

Nigel Biggs:

Dr Siff - in a posting a couple of days ago, you described posture as " a

result of neuromuscular events orchestrated by neural control " , and

suggested that correction is best addressed by progressive refinement of

postures which need correction or optimisation. I would be grateful if you

could perhaps elaborate a little, particularly on the latter point. What

kind of exercises or movements would you recommend? As an example, I see

patients with knee pain on going upstairs. They often have poor alignment as

they step up-internal rotation at the hip so that the patella faces well

inside the line of the foot. By correcting this repeatedly, their symptoms

often improve. Is this the refinement you are referring to?

*** I am simply referring to natural, uncontrived exercises, such as those

found abundantly in daily life, sport and in the gym environment being

executed in a progressively more stressful manner starting from the least

stressful and most limited conditions.

After all, when we talk about so-called " functionality " , we are referring to

the individual being able to efficiently, safely and painlessly carry out

all of those types of activity, so why not use those activities in a very

controlled and progressive manner to provide the most " functional training "

of all?

You commented that patients who experience knee pain on going upstairs often

have poor alignment as they step up, while displaying " internal rotation at

the hip so that the patella faces well inside the line of the foot. " You

then ask: " By correcting this repeatedly, their symptoms often improve. Is

this the refinement you are referring to? "

Yes, this " refinement " is nothing more sophisticated than yet another

application of classical Pavlovian conditioning or learning theory. One has

to remember that proprioceptive feedback elicited by motor action plays a

vital role in programming the nervous system to retain the neural codes which

underlie all efficient human movement. Repeat a given movement in the

optimal manner which best suits your individuality and you will eventually

imprint the necessary neuromuscular patterns that will determine great motor

efficiency.

Possibly some adjunct isolated balancing or postural drills may play some

role in the return of injured athletes to normal activity, but one still has

to rely heavily on later sport specific activity to return the athlete to

much more demanding sport. Why not use the actual " functional " exercises as

soon as possible, beginning, as I have stressed, from the least demanding

level and progressing gradually to the highest possible sporting levels? Of

course, this progression should be as pain-free as possible and be carried

out so that no deterioration in technical skill takes place as the conditions

become more demanding.

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/

[Guest guest]

Wayne,

The success of your YBDrT<tm> does not surprize me. I had a

similar bout of MPRT<tm> [mulch pile relocation therapy <tm>] to

which I credit my quickest lower back strain recovery to date.

Jen Armstrong

Portsmouth NH

----------

" Wayne Hill " <wshill@w...> wrote:

> ......When I hurt my back DLing a year and a half ago, the activities that

> got it back in working order included (gingerly) digging up an

> enormous yew bush, rolling a huge rock uphill into one of my wife's

> gardens, and back extensions with gradually increasing loads.

>

> The success of YBDrT<tm> (Yew Bush De-rootment Therapy<tm>) was the

> biggest surprise: my back was really hurting at the time, and I

> started off very slowly, wincing with occasional spasmodic pain.

> After a half hour or so, I was properly warmed up and well into it.

> When it was all over (about 2 hours: it was a big bush, I'm tellin'

> ya), my back felt tired but much better than it had previously.

> Plus, that stinkin' yew bush was gone!

* Don't forget to sign all letters with full name and city of residence if you

wish them to be published!