Proper Posture and Body Mechanics
It is important to teach proper posture and body mechanics to a client who has faulty posture and poor body mechanics because it will improve their health and prevent injuries. First, proper posture and body mechanics can prevent injury to the spinal column. With correct alignment of the spinal column, there is a decreased risk of compression and injury to the intervertebral discs and impingement of the spinal nerves because the vertebrae are lined up correctly on top of each other. The use of proper body mechanics can also improve a client’s stability. If the client can learn to increase their base of support, they will be at a decreased risk of falling. Also, correct posture can increase a client’s ability to breathe. We have learned that as a person ages, sometimes an excessive thoracic kyphosis occurs that decreases the area in the thoracic cavity which means the lungs have less room to expand when breathing. This occurrence results in a decreased ability to take a breath and a ...