 By Leon Chaitow, ND, DO
Examples of how structural and functional features strongly influence each other. We all know that poor posture is damaging to our physical structures, but are we as aware of the wider implications of postural distress on the total economy of the body, and even on organ function? To explore that topic deeply would take a book − or two − so the best I can offer in this brief review are some hopefully thought-provoking snippets of information. One of the best discussions of the influences of postural/biomechanical misalignment on the economy of the body and on organ function was provided by the orthopaedic surgeon Joel E.Goldthwaite in the 1930s, in his classic bookEssentials of Body Mechanics. (Search for this via Web sites that specialize in secondhand books. It's a marvellous text.)1 The concepts described by Goldthwaite, and subsequently developed by others (see below), are extremely relevant to all health care professionals. They demonstrate the inevitable progression to which poor posture leads as tissues adapt to postural imbalance, with the influences of aging and gravity adding to the picture. For a dramatic and graphic account of the process of decompensation, I am quoting directly from Goldthwaite, who observed: "The main factors which determine the maintenance of the abdominal viscera in position are the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles, both of which are relaxed and cease to support in faulty posture. The disturbances of circulation resulting from a low diaphragm and ptosis ['sagging'], may give rise to chronic passive congestion in one or all of the organs of the abdomen and pelvis, since the local, as well as general venous drainage, may be impeded by the failure of the diaphragmatic pump to do its full work in the drooped body. Furthermore, the drag of these congested organs on their nerve supply, as well as the pressure on the sympathetic ganglia and plexuses, probably causes many irregularities in their function, varying from partial paralysis to overstimulation. All these organs receive fibers from both the vagus and sympathetic systems, either one of which may be disturbed. It is probable that one or all of these factors are active at various times in both the stocky and the slender anatomic types, and are responsible for many functional digestive disturbances. These disturbances, if continued long enough, may lead to diseases later in life. Faulty body mechanics in early life, then, becomes a vital factor in the production of the vicious cycle of chronic diseases and presents a chief point of attack in its prevention ... In this upright position, as one becomes older, the tendency is for the abdomen to relax and sag more and more, allowing a ptosic condition of the abdominal and pelvic organs unless the supporting lower abdominal muscles are taught to contract properly. As the abdomen relaxes, there is a great tendency towards a drooped chest, with narrow rib angle, forward shoulders, prominent shoulder blades, a forward position of the head, and probably pronated feet. When the human machine is out of balance, physiological function cannot be perfect; muscles and ligaments are in an abnormal state of tension and strain. A well-poised body means a machine working perfectly, with the least amount of muscular effort, and therefore better health and strength for daily life." Because it is so graphic, I have added italics to the description Goldthwaite offers of the slumped posture that is so apparent in many of our patients − you could draw the picture of this person, I am sure! Obviously, a huge amount of study and research has continued into the widespread influences of poor posture on health in the 70 years since Goldthwaite published these words. One of the most interesting perspectives comes from Professor Wolf Schamberger, who sets out in his book The Malalignment Syndrome2 a current, clinical and research-based view that totally supports the earlier Goldthwaite observations. Schamberger describes some of the inevitable changes that are associated with common asymmetries, as follows: "Malalignment of the pelvis, spine and extremities remains one of the frontiers of medicine ... the associated biomechanical changes - especially the shift in weight-bearing and asymmetries of muscle tension, strength, joint ranges of motion − affect soft tissues, joints and organ systems throughout the body and therefore, have implications for general practice and most medical sub-speciality areas."(Italics added) Schamberger offers examples of visceral problems emerging from malalignment of the pelvis, resulting, for example, in pelvic floor dysfunction: "Typical visceral problems that have been attributed to pelvic floor dysfunction include:
Kuchera adds a perspective that highlights some of the other key influences on what they term postural decay: "Posture is distribution of body mass in relation to gravity over a base of support. The efficiency with which weight is distributed over the base of support depends on the levels of energy needed to maintain equilibrium (homeostasis), as well as on the status of the musculo-ligamentous structures of the body. These factors − weight distribution, energy availability and musculo-ligamentous condition − interact with the (usually) multiple adaptations and compensations which take place below the base of the skull, all of which can influence the visual and balance functions of the body." Over time, adaptational changes, as listed by Goldthwaite, Kuchera and Schamberger, are likely to progress from the production of dysfunction (such as low back pain) to the evolution of actual pathological changes. These examples show how structural and functional features strongly influence each other, and how other factors, ranging from age to available energy, musculo-ligamentous status and gravity, all help determine the changes that evolve. One more example highlights how patterns of use − in this example, changes created by poor breathing function − can have marked influences on structures and organ function, on top of those imposed by the influences of poor posture. Garland has summarized a series of changes that follow from unbalanced breathing habits, including: "visceral stasis/pelvic floor weakness, abdominal and erector spinae muscle imbalance, fascial restrictions from the central tendon via the pericardial fascia to the basi-occiput, upper rib elevation with increased costal cartilage tension, thoracic spine dysfunction and possible sympathetic disturbance, accessory breathing muscle hypertonia and fibrosis, promotion of rigidity in the cervical spine with promotion of fixed lordosis, reduction in mobility of the 2nd cervical segment and disturbance of vagal outflow ... and more." In order to evaluate posture, observation and palpation, specific assessments are needed. The basic requirements include:
 "Unhappiness or negativity is a disease on our planet. What pollution is on the outer level is negativity on the inner. It is everywhere, not just in places where people don't have enough, but even more so where they have more than enough. Is that surprising? No. The affluent world is even more deeply identified with form, more lost in content, more trapped in ego.
People believe themselves to be dependent on what happens for their happiness, dependent on form. They don't realize that what happens is the most unstable thing in the universe. It changes constantly. They look upon the present moment as either marred by something that has happened or shouldn't have or as deficient because of something that has not happened but should have. And so they miss the deeper perfection that is inherent in life itself, a perfection that is always already here, that lies beyond what is happening or not happening, beyond form."
Workshop: Tension: A System-wide Issue
at the San Francisco Sivananda Vedanta Center Taught by Flora D.H. Ojanen, Tuesday, May 26, 2015 6:30 –8:00 pm Member: $20.00 Non-member: $25.00 Tension, stiffness and slouching are not local physical problems, but always system-wide issues. Basic and long-lived patterns of habit often interfere with enjoyment and progress. Explore the relationship between everyday habits of movement and habits on the mat. Deepen your knowledge of sustainable and intelligent alignment according to our innate human design, on and off the mat. This will help you avoid injuries and pains connected with habitual mis-use of the body. This is a very practical, hands-on workshop. Experience your body in a new light. Registration required 24 hours in advance. http://www.sivanandasf.org/course/4600 This is an in depth look at what is happening in our body when we slouch over the computer. http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/the-health-hazards-of-sitting/750/
The rise of 'iPad neck': Tablets put three times as much strain on our muscles as desktop computers3/20/2015
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2997339/The-rise-iPad-neck-Tablets-three-times-strain-muscles-desktop-computers.html
This article highlights the negative physical effects of prolonged use of tablets, computers and phones. What they are not mentioning is that there is an intelligent and sustainable solution: You can learn specific cognitive processes related to the use of the body which will help you to avoid any further deterioration of your spine and posture. This is the specialty of the Alexander Technique. +++Funny comment to article above: "One day humans will evolve to have a doughnut shaped spine, no neck, and thumbs the size of feet. Mouths will become unnecessary, as will ears. As a species we'll be taken over by chihuahuas, but we won't notice this..." "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays." Ralph Waldo Emerson How to Calm Your Mind and Invite Inspiration to Strike
by WITOLD FITZ-SIMON How many times in your life have you been under the gun to come up with something new and inspiration just isn’t coming? Maybe you have to write a proposal at work, or come up with an idea for a fun outing with the family. Maybe you’ve been hammering away at a problem for an hour and the solution is still beyond your reach. It’s a situation most of us have found ourselves in. Why is it that inspiration can be so elusive in moments of pressure? The answer is something called the startle response. As stress levels rise, our body’s fight or flight response kicks in, creating all sorts of problems that can get in the way of clear and creative thinking:
7 Steps to Calm Your Mind and Arouse Inspiration 1. Find a quiet space and lie down on the floor. You don’t need a lot of space to do this, just enough to be on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You can let your arms rest by your side or have your elbows bent and rest your hands on your trunk. 2. Put something firm under your head to allow your neck to lengthen and release. A couple of books are ideal for this, just an inch or two of height should be enough. 3. Soften your gaze and look up at the ceiling. After you have yourself situated, allow yourself to settle. Keep your eyes open and really see the room above you. If you close your eyes or glaze over, you will be getting lost in your own thoughts and won’t be able to achieve the state of calm you will need. 4. Allow any mental chatter to calm down. This can be very challenging. You might find you have to keep reminding yourself and bringing your awareness back to the present and to what you are seeing above you many times. 5. Let go of anything you don’t need. Once you start to get yourself centered, you might notice muscles working that don’t need to be, given that you are resting on the floor. Gently encourage them to relax. You may find that they don’t cooperate straight away. Don’t worry if they don’t. Just keep sending the suggestion to your body that it can soften and do less. Allow your neck to be a little softer and a little freer. Allow your whole head to ease away from your body and your back to lengthen and widen across the floor. 6. Don’t keep looking for the solution. You’ve been searching for the solution for however long at this point and it hasn’t come to you, so we’re going to change your approach. Let yourself be present and notice when your mind starts to leap around. When it does, as it inevitably will, simply remind yourself to not look for a solution. This way your conscious mind, which has been failing up to now to come up with the idea you’ve been looking for, will no longer be overriding your unconscious mind. Your unconscious mind is infinitely more vast and complex than your conscious mind and has a lot more resources available to it. Give it a chance to do its work. 7. Have a little faith and stick with it. Your unconscious mind is infinitely more vast and complex than your conscious mind and has a lot more resources available to it. Give it a chance to do its work. Hang out here for five to ten minutes: keep calming your mental chatter; keep allowing your head, neck and back to expand; keep coming back to the present matter and letting go of a need to find your inspiration. Perhaps your inspiration will come while you’re lying down, perhaps it will come after you get back up and reassess your situation. At the very least, going through these seven steps will give you a different perspective. Using this process, called “Constructive Rest” or a “Lie-Down” in the Alexander Technique, you will have calmed your nervous system, dispelling the unwanted effects of stress and giving your body and mind a chance to decompress. WITOLD FITZ-SIMON has been a student of the Alexander Technique since 2007. He is certified to teach the Technique as a graduate of the American Center for the Alexander Technique’s 1,600-hour, three year training program. A student of yoga since 1993 and a teacher of yoga since 2000, Witold combines his extensive knowledge of the body and its use into intelligent and practical instruction designed to help his students free themselves of ineffective and damaging habits of body, mind and being. |
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