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Body Mechanics

It is very important to teach proper body mechanics and posture to our clients to prevent injuries. If a person does not have good posture or body mechanics, it can be harmful to their body and cause future injuries. The human spine is designed to be flexible, but also needs to stay in alignment. For people who perform repetitive motions on a daily basis, we must see how they perform the task and determine if there would be a more efficient and optimal way for their body to move. For a person with exaggerated spinal curves, muscles on one side would be stretched and weakened, while the muscles on the opposite side would be shortened and tightened. For a person who stays in a flexed position of their spine will cause the intervertebral dies material to glide backwards, possibly causing a herniation. Posterior herniations are most common because humans generally flex their spine repetitively. It is good to teach a proper lifting techniques and to keep a flat back to avoid getting hurt. Faulty posture and body mechanics puts additional unnecessary stress on our bodies. 
When teaching a client how to properly lift heavy boxes for his job, he must bend at the knees and hips in order to lift with his legs instead of his back. He needs to bring the box close to his body before lifting it and keep it close the entire time. Additionally, he needs to keep good alignment of his back and never twist while holding the boxes. 
For a woman who works at a desk all day, she must maintain the normal spinal curves to prevent discomfort or problems in the future. Slouching and rounding her back over time are two postures that would cause her back muscles to be stretched and weakened, and her chest and abdominal muscles to be shortened and tightened. If she feels her body becoming tense, encourage her to take several walks around the office each day. Finally, she needs to keep her head in line with her body. By having her head just two inches forward, it more than doubles the weight of her head that is placed on the spine.

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Logan and I on our first day of OT school.

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