Posture
Sitting Posture
Monday Jan 31, 2011
I
cannot emphasize how important a sitting posture is. Most of us sit
through the majority of the day when we are awake, whether at the
computer or while eating or reading. Good posture doesn't mean that
we are straight as a board. It means that we are able to relax and
stay aligned at the same time.
For many of us, it is an effort to be aligned. And now I am saying
to actually relax?! Yes, that is one of the features of good
posture. When your bones line up, the spine and the sitbones take
all the weight of the upper body. At that point, you are just
subtly balancing by engaging the tonic postural muscles. On the
other hand, if we ‘work’ at being upright, whether pulling the
shoulders back as we were told as children or actively arching or
'slouching' our backs, we are creating tension through the whole
body. If you multiply this by 8 hours a day, that's A LOT of
tension.
So how can we achieve this ease I am talking about? By allowing
yourself to 'stack' your bones. For some of us, it is easy and all
we need is an occasional reminder to find the sitbones. For others,
it may involve letting go of some of the areas that 'hold' us back.
Literally. I find that the ribcage position and the length of the
hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh can be instrumental in
finding the place of alignment and ease in the sitting position. If
you feel that the breath can get easily through your whole body,
you are in the right ‘place’!
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Monday Jul 19, 2010
Over
the years, I have been working with a lot of people with carpal
tunnel syndrome. It is mostly people who work on a computer,
craft-makers and bodyworkers like myself. Since I opened my office
in Albuquerque in June 2009, I have noticed that there are many
more people who seek my help with the carpal tunnel syndrome in
Albuquerque than in my other locations.
My theory is that Albuquerque has a lot of small businesses. It is still not a common practice to pay attention to ergonomics in smaller or mid-size companies whereas it seems that the large corporations or institutions have learned from their medical departments that ergonomics can save a lot of money on healthcare in the long run.
It is now well known that ergonomic equipment such as a keyboard at the correct height or adjustable chairs can prevent repetitive stress injuries. There are many opinions out there about what is the best ergonomic equipment. I have found that what works for my body may differ from what works for someone else. My body structure is unique to me and I cannot generalize my preference. Some people have a natural preference for anterior tilt in their pelvis and some people tilt posteriorly. Some people are 5ft tall and some are 6ft tall. Why would we expect us all to use the same equipment and have it work for our bodies?
You know you found the right fit when it feels light to be sitting or standing at your workstation. You feel "stacked up," supported, at ease and relaxed when you are aligned. Sometimes, you may feel you are fighting gravity and that may be the time when something needs to lengthen so that your body can return to alignment. At that moment, you may start a stretching or yoga practice. Or, you may get a "facilitated stretching" session, which is what Rolfing is all about.
My theory is that Albuquerque has a lot of small businesses. It is still not a common practice to pay attention to ergonomics in smaller or mid-size companies whereas it seems that the large corporations or institutions have learned from their medical departments that ergonomics can save a lot of money on healthcare in the long run.
It is now well known that ergonomic equipment such as a keyboard at the correct height or adjustable chairs can prevent repetitive stress injuries. There are many opinions out there about what is the best ergonomic equipment. I have found that what works for my body may differ from what works for someone else. My body structure is unique to me and I cannot generalize my preference. Some people have a natural preference for anterior tilt in their pelvis and some people tilt posteriorly. Some people are 5ft tall and some are 6ft tall. Why would we expect us all to use the same equipment and have it work for our bodies?
You know you found the right fit when it feels light to be sitting or standing at your workstation. You feel "stacked up," supported, at ease and relaxed when you are aligned. Sometimes, you may feel you are fighting gravity and that may be the time when something needs to lengthen so that your body can return to alignment. At that moment, you may start a stretching or yoga practice. Or, you may get a "facilitated stretching" session, which is what Rolfing is all about.
Clavicle
Monday Jul 12, 2010
Clavicle
is a bone that connects the shoulder to the sternum and ultimately
to the first rib. Therefore, the clavicle is an important junction
that gets pulled out of alignment.
Injuries to the neck and shoulder or even "sleeping wrong" can result in the whole area going havoc. There are many muscles that play a role in stabilizing the bones. The relationships between the humerus, shoulder blade, clavicle, ribs and spine are all inter-related. If one bone is out of alignment, they all get influenced.
I've discovered that working with the clavicle is a great way to start taking apart the tensional pattern of the upper back, neck and shoulder problems. When the clavicle moves better with breathing, the shoulder becomes freer and relates better to the shoulder blade and ribs. There is suddenly more space for the neck to emerge and move with turning of the head.
Some people get sore after working with the clavicle and some don't. I have been working with my own clavicles and discovered that my arm is just the right length to reach it! What a great body engineering of the human body! I bet I have discovered why our arm’s and leg’s lengths match Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. So that we can rolf the clavicles as much as we please!
Injuries to the neck and shoulder or even "sleeping wrong" can result in the whole area going havoc. There are many muscles that play a role in stabilizing the bones. The relationships between the humerus, shoulder blade, clavicle, ribs and spine are all inter-related. If one bone is out of alignment, they all get influenced.
I've discovered that working with the clavicle is a great way to start taking apart the tensional pattern of the upper back, neck and shoulder problems. When the clavicle moves better with breathing, the shoulder becomes freer and relates better to the shoulder blade and ribs. There is suddenly more space for the neck to emerge and move with turning of the head.
Some people get sore after working with the clavicle and some don't. I have been working with my own clavicles and discovered that my arm is just the right length to reach it! What a great body engineering of the human body! I bet I have discovered why our arm’s and leg’s lengths match Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. So that we can rolf the clavicles as much as we please!
Posture
Tuesday Jul 06, 2010
In
today's sitting culture, repetitive strain injuries thrive. We work
on a computer for hours at a time without a break. Over the years
of such activity, we develop a pattern of tension in certain parts
of the body. The extent of the tension depends largely on our
posture and awareness during such activities.
Recently, I've been blessed with friends who have a toddler. While hanging out with them, I've observed little Alex evolving from crawling to walking to running. His spine started as perfectly "straight." As he started to climb onto his feet, his spine started transforming. Within a few months, his spine developed the curves required for proper spinal movement: lordosis and kyphosis.
Beside his spine, I have also been watching Alex's feet. The difference is less dramatic, nevertheless significant. As he was using his feet walking and eventually running, he developed a medial arch that engages when pushing into his toes. We were all amazed when Alex started to stand on one foot while bending the toes of the other. It was a new movement for him and it seemed like he was doing that "on purpose."
There are many reasons that lead someone to have a poor posture. It usually starts in childhood. We grown up running and playing and one day we arrive in the first grade. From then on, we are told to sit still. At this age, the child's body is mostly bones and to sit on hard chairs for 6 hours a day is a challenge. I believe that this may lead some children to "slouch." For some, it hurts too much to sit on those bony sitbones, and for others, their legs may not be able to reach the floor. So, we learn to sit on our sacrums instead.
Perhaps this theory is too simplistic. I, myself, don't remember if my sitbones hurt in the first grade but I do remember the shyness associated with developing my breasts at the age of 12. I can see the transformation in the photographs from an erect child to a hunched adolescent. This is not just my experience; I've heard it from enough clients by now to see the pattern.
When the child "slouches," restrictions form in the ribcage. With each breath (there are about 17,000 a day), the restrictions get reinforced. The more time we spend in a misaligned position, the deeper the distortion of the ribcage becomes. We take on the shape of the activity we spend the most time doing. I always think of the story of the Three Spinners: Thumbsey, Footsey and Lippy. Each one develops the feature that gets used the most.
The best advice I can give myself and my clients is to sit on the sitbones. Actually, the vector of your sitbones should be slightly behind you. It is hard to describe but it feels as if you are leaning slightly forward. You want the widest base of contact with the seat possible.
The simplest, most inexpensive chairs are often the best. The ideal chair has adjustable height so that your hips are slightly over your knees (imagine a marble slowly rolling down your thigh). The cushion is not too cushiony because you want to always be able to feel your sitbones contacting the chair. Keep your feet on the ground and allow your spine to self-support.
Alignment while sitting feels as if you can just rest into your sitbones and not having to work at all. The only muscles that keep engaging are postural muscles called erector spinae. They always have some tone in them but don't feel like they are "working." Look for ease and you shall find it.
Recently, I've been blessed with friends who have a toddler. While hanging out with them, I've observed little Alex evolving from crawling to walking to running. His spine started as perfectly "straight." As he started to climb onto his feet, his spine started transforming. Within a few months, his spine developed the curves required for proper spinal movement: lordosis and kyphosis.
Beside his spine, I have also been watching Alex's feet. The difference is less dramatic, nevertheless significant. As he was using his feet walking and eventually running, he developed a medial arch that engages when pushing into his toes. We were all amazed when Alex started to stand on one foot while bending the toes of the other. It was a new movement for him and it seemed like he was doing that "on purpose."
There are many reasons that lead someone to have a poor posture. It usually starts in childhood. We grown up running and playing and one day we arrive in the first grade. From then on, we are told to sit still. At this age, the child's body is mostly bones and to sit on hard chairs for 6 hours a day is a challenge. I believe that this may lead some children to "slouch." For some, it hurts too much to sit on those bony sitbones, and for others, their legs may not be able to reach the floor. So, we learn to sit on our sacrums instead.
Perhaps this theory is too simplistic. I, myself, don't remember if my sitbones hurt in the first grade but I do remember the shyness associated with developing my breasts at the age of 12. I can see the transformation in the photographs from an erect child to a hunched adolescent. This is not just my experience; I've heard it from enough clients by now to see the pattern.
When the child "slouches," restrictions form in the ribcage. With each breath (there are about 17,000 a day), the restrictions get reinforced. The more time we spend in a misaligned position, the deeper the distortion of the ribcage becomes. We take on the shape of the activity we spend the most time doing. I always think of the story of the Three Spinners: Thumbsey, Footsey and Lippy. Each one develops the feature that gets used the most.
The best advice I can give myself and my clients is to sit on the sitbones. Actually, the vector of your sitbones should be slightly behind you. It is hard to describe but it feels as if you are leaning slightly forward. You want the widest base of contact with the seat possible.
The simplest, most inexpensive chairs are often the best. The ideal chair has adjustable height so that your hips are slightly over your knees (imagine a marble slowly rolling down your thigh). The cushion is not too cushiony because you want to always be able to feel your sitbones contacting the chair. Keep your feet on the ground and allow your spine to self-support.
Alignment while sitting feels as if you can just rest into your sitbones and not having to work at all. The only muscles that keep engaging are postural muscles called erector spinae. They always have some tone in them but don't feel like they are "working." Look for ease and you shall find it.