WHAT IS POSTUROLOGY?
Originally developed by occupational physicians in France around the 1920s, it is much more an approach, a way of understanding the functioning of the human body than a treatment technique.
In simplified terms, posturology is the study of standing posture in humans and its disorders. When the postural system is disrupted, the individual can develop a postural syndrome which can manifest itself in various ways (muscular or joint pain – e.g. osteoarthritis, migraines, loss of mobility, tendinitis, numbness in a limb, etc.) and often in the form of MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders).
The postural system is managed automatically and involuntarily by the nervous system. The eyes, feet, vestibule, and jaw are all organs that influence the body's postural control.
One of the advantages of this approach is the long-term effectiveness of the treatment. Postural asymmetry is often a primary, underlying cause of chronic pain, and addressing it usually corrects the problem at its source.
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Here are two common examples of past events that will affect posture:
Whiplash sustained in a car accident will affect the jaw and peripheral vision, and consequently, posture. The resulting postural problems will lead to chronic muscle and joint pain (usually headaches, neck, and shoulder pain) long after the initial event.
2. Even a mild concussion will impact the postural control area of the brain. This generally results in balance problems, fatigue from standing for long periods, back pain, etc.
For more information on posture, please consult the following sources: