Does Posture Play a Part - Persistent & Complex Pain Part 6
The postures and positions that we are exposed to on a daily basis, will influence the adaptations that our bodies undergo. Those who are exposed to overhead loading will be better able to lift objects overhead more effectively than those who complete regular activity in a bent over position. Conversely, the people who pick up loads from the floor are better suited to that activity than the overhead worker.
This correlates with our SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demand) that has been spoken about in previous blog posts. The key to remember is that too much of a good thing can still be too much. If our overhead worker were to move a load that is beyond what they are capable of at the time, either by fatigue or with a larger weight than what they are used to, they would potentially put themselves at risk.
If they were to work in a particular posture that they weren’t used to, it may mean they are not as capable of performing that overhead movement with as much load. However it may not necessarily mean that they would be exposed to more risk of injury; particularly if they were only in that posture for a short amount of time. ‘The dose makes the poison,’ can explain how loads and postures can influence how our body copes with activity.
In the end, posture can play a part in how effective we perform an activity; however there is no ‘good, bad or perfect’ posture. As mentioned above, too much of a good thing is still too much; however not enough of a good thing is still not good enough. We need to move in a variety of postures and positions throughout the day. ‘The best posture is the next posture’, as we like to say!
