Posture Power At Your PC

Posture alignment has a direct link to our ability to perform – from simple tasks to more complex. Our bodies are a unique structure of masterful engineering. However, our bodies respond to our environment; this is the good news and the bad news. If our world includes vast amounts of sitting, instead of a wide range of motion like our ancestors were accustomed, our bodies will adapt. Muscles will become shortened and weak. Our joints will become less stable, and we will become prone to injury and chronic pain. Our spines are designed to be in an S-curve. These curves assist the spine to withstand great amounts of stress by providing a more even distribution of body weight. When we spend hours, days, weeks, and months at a computer, our spine moves from an S curve to a C-curve (first segment of picture below). The C-curve applies more pressure to the vertebral disks, inhibits the lungs from expanding fully, pulls the head and shoulders forward, and alters the load on the lower joints.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, neck, hip, and back pain are all a result of postural misalignment. The point of pain is rarely where the problem exists; the pain is where compensation is taking place. Muscular weakness, skeletal misalignment, and structural imbalances generally precede the onset of pain and discomfort. Our bodies want to help us, so when there are postural dysfunctions our bodies will figure out another way to move. Likewise, it is not a piece of equipment that is causing our problems, our pains – IT IS THE BODY WE ARE BRINGING TO THE EQUIPMENT/COMPUTER. Getting a new chair, desk, or computer screen may offer some relief…but it will only be temporary; these are band aids that do not address your postural deviations and compensations. The lower load joints (hips, knees, & ankles) cannot be separated from the workings of fingers, hands and wrists. The body works as a unit. When one link is dysfunctional, it affects the rest of the chain. Remember, the primary culprits are lack of motion and limited motion. There is a solution!!

The Egoscue Method has designed specialized menus to provide stimulation to specific muscle groups, joints and, most importantly, to their function. Along with using the menus, I cannot emphasize enough to MOVE. Even if the movement is just getting up from your desk every hour and taking a 5 minute walk around your office or building, that is progress!

Following is an example of a menu (ecises) to help restore you to your functional design; it will only require 15-20 minutes of your time. Do the ecises daily and in the order in which they are given. Please pay attention to details. If you are not experiencing any relief or if you have questions, please DO NOT HESITATE to call or email me (703-298-8198/cpavell@cox.net). Pain free is how we are meant to be!!

1. Gravity Drop – Hold for 3 minutes

How to Perform this E-cise™: Wearing rubber soled shoes for traction (tennis shoes, etc.) stand on a step or stairway as though you were climbing upward. Knees are straight and feet are parallel and hip-width apart (hip width is not much larger than a fist). With one hand or both, hold onto railing or other object for support, and edge your feet backward until the heels are off the stairs and you are hanging onto the stair with the balls of your feet. Make sure feet remain pointed straight ahead. Let the weight of your body drop your heels off the stair. You will feel a great stretch in your low leg musculature. The key is to keep your hips over your heels and your shoulders in line with them also. Do not let your hips float forward.

What this E-cise™ does: This exercise forces proper loading of all the load joints of the body by physically stacking them one atop the other.

2. Sitting Knee Pillow Squeezes – Do 1 set of 40 repetitions. Split into 2 sets of 20 repetitions if 40 is too many.

How to Perform this E-cise™: Sit in a chair with a pillow between your knees and your pelvis rolled forward to place an arch in your lower back. Keep your feet pointed straight ahead and your upper body relaxed. Ankles are lined up right under your knees. Squeeze and release the pillow between your knees and remember to keep the arch in your low back. Remember to keep your feet pointed straight ahead.

What this E-cise™ does: This ecise promotes bilateral pelvic extension and encourages pelvic stability.


3. Static Wall – Hold for 3-5 minutes

How to Perform this E-cise™: Lie on your back with your feet up the wall. As your get more functional, your hips will sit closer to the wall and be flat on the floor at the same time. To start, you probably should keep your hips away from the wall and move in as you can. When you get your legs up the wall, tighten your thighs and pull your toes back toward your knees and hold. Your feet must be pointed straight behind you for your hips to be doing the work needed to stabilize your spine.

What this E-cise™ does: This exercise promotes thoracic extension while limiting the rotation ability of the lower load joints.

4. Sitting Floor – Hold for 4-6 minutes.

How to Perform this E-cise™: Sit against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you. Your buttocks and upper back should be against the wall the entire time. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold. Remember, to not lift the shoulders but only squeeze them back and down. Tighten the thighs and flex the feet back so that your toes are pointing back toward you. The keys are to keep your blades pulled together, your thighs contracted, and your feet flexed back and pointed straight up.

What this E-cise™ does: This exercise promotes thoracic extension while limiting the rotation ability of the lower load joints.

5. Pelvic Tilts – Do 1 set of 10 repetitions (1 repetition is the hips rolling back and forward one time)

How to Perform this E-cise™: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Make sure your hips, knees and feet are aligned. Your feet are a fist distance apart (same as hip width). Roll your hips backward to flatten your back to the floor and then roll them forward to arch your low back. Do not lift your hips off the floor. Remember to relax your upper back. Keep rolling from one to the other in a continuous movement.

What this E-cise™ does: This exercise takes the lumbar spine through flexion and extension through the pelvic movement.

6. Hip Crossover Stretch - Hold for 1 minute on each side.

How to Perform this E-cise™: Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor pointed straight ahead. Place your arms out to the side at shoulder level, palms up. Cross your right ankle over the left knee and rotate the ankle/knee junction in that same direction to the floor. Look the opposite direction and relax your shoulders and arms. Press the right knee away from your body with the right hip musculature. Repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

What this E-cise™ does: This ecise promotes hip and spinal rotation.

7. 3 Position Toe Raises – Do 1 set of 10 repetitions in each position.

How to Perform this E-cise™: The 1st set the toes are pointed straight ahead, the 2nd set the toes are pointed outward (about 45 degrees) and the 3rd set the toes are pointed in. It is very, very important to keep your body aligned straight up and down so that your hip remains directly over your heels. Raise up onto the balls of your feet and over all five toes and then lower your heels back to the floor. Don’t let your weight fall to the outside of your feet. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

What this E-cise™ does: This exercise works the muscles of the lower leg to reposition the four load joints vertically.

8. Sitting Cats & Dogs – Do 1 set of 10 in each direction.

How to Perform this E-cise™: Sit in a chair with your feet pointed straight ahead, ankles in line with your knees. For the CAT position, roll your hips backward to take the arch out of the back and drop your head. For the DOG position, roll your hips forward to place the arch into your low back and look up. Keep motion fluid throughout the 10 repetitions.

What this E-cise™ does: This exercise promotes flexion and extension of the entire spine by initiating pelvic flexors and extensors.


Please call or email me with any questions (703-298-8198 /cpavell@cox.net)