Posture at the workplace, taking action
After Taking Control and Listening to our Body, our 5th article on posture covers Taking Action to Improve Posture.
Past articles are listed at the end of this one.
Poor posture - taking action
The first two steps to improving posture are taking control and listening to your body. The third step is taking action. There is nothing to be gained from inaction. Grinning and bearing it brings nothing, it is much better to grin and change it!
It is sensible to have ergonomically well-designed equipment, but anyone can habitually slump in even the best chair in the world. Having developed an intention to have better posture, we need to learn it.
How?
We do this by learning to understanding the principles and outlines of human bio-mechanics. Properly learned, this knowledge, combined with movement training and exercises, will provide an effective and long-lasting form of prevention against pain, discomfort and damage. And although some people have to show a degree of application, many pick up the skills very quickly.
And in many cases, a simple, well-structured introduction followed by personal tuition at the workplace is all that is required. However, if a person has more deep-seated postural difficulties, a longer view may be necessary, taking postural re-education.
Changing posture is a more mental than physical challenge. We all have our own posture engrained in our brains as being ‘correct’ either by habit or by upbringing. However, where posture is incorrect, the brain needs to be re-programmed to accept the correct messages. This is done by training with constant reminders and repetitions in the early stages. This need not be particularly time consuming. Complete postural re-education for people who have problems should, with weekly professional help, be achieved in no more than 4-6 weeks; the effects can last a lifetime.
What else?
This training helps people correct their posture before doing damage. It also helps them spot conditions that can be changed. In the workplace, while the employer has a duty of care towards employees, they in turn have a legal duty to report problems. Even if not in direct control of their discomfort – for instance, their equipment is ill-designed – the very least they can do is to talk to someone with authority to ensure that something can be done.
The training will help you understand symptoms. In particular, it is essential that if you have tingling, pins or needles, numbness or discomfort in the fingers, wrists and/or hands, ask for expert medical opinion to be sought immediately.
It is not enough to rely on the opinion of someone who does not have this training. Even some GPs do not yet recognise the importance of immediate intervention. The best contact is a member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics (ACPOHE) - such as an Etcom physiotherapist.
In the next article, we start looking at the importance of all this to the employer.
Past articles
Part 1: the importance of correct alignment of joints
Part 2: the relationship of muscles, balance and nerves.
Part 3: poor posture - what happens if posture is poor and why do we have it?
Part 4: poor posture - taking control
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