Posture and Body Mechanics

It is important to teach proper posture and body mechanics to a client who has faulty posture for several reasons. Most back pain is a result of faulty posture and poor body mechanics. By teaching proper posture and body mechanics, the therapist is educating the client on preventing back pain. Clients need to understand proper posture and body mechanics to avoid possible injury, thus, hindering their careers, increasing the time that the client is away from work, and pain. In 2016, the back was reported as being the most frequent injury. Therefore, work related injuries can be costly, leading to expensive medical and lawyers bills. If the client understands proper posture and body mechanics, they are less likely to face injury, miss work, and face expensive medical costs. Back pain could also be from lack of exercise, poor nutrition, stressful situations, smoking, and lack of proper rest. Thus, it is important for occupational therapists to teach their clients on proper posture and body mechanics before injury occurs. An example of a way that I might teach proper posture and body mechanics in an intervention would be teaching my client the slouch-overcorrect technique. This technique is used to improve someone’s posture while sitting. After learning the procedure, the client can practice the slouch-overcorrect technique in the comfort of their own home. Another way that I would teach my client would be instructing them on the golfer’s lift. The golfer’s lift reduces strain on the back and allows the spine to stay straight. The golfer’s lift is used to pick up light objects off of the floor, while still maintaining correct posture and preventing injury.