Are you worried about your poor posture?
Many people opt to consult a CPEP® Posture Specialist, especially when their posture check shows they aren’t aligned as well as they should be, or when posture problems are aggravating back pain or other issues. Certified Posture Exercise Professionals (CPEP) are specialists trained to observe posture as a window to assessing the mechanics of how your body is moving, and correlating function with your symptoms.
Professional Posture Analysis
A trained eye looking at a posture picture of someone with back or neck pain, and just about any kind of muscle or joint pain, will observe asymmetry, compensations and adaptations tied to the cause of the problem by looking at:
• Posture Alignment. Whole-body posture picture photos are taken from the front, back and side, often in front of a PostureZone assessment grid. The vertical and horizontal lines make it easy to pinpoint alignment problems, such as one shoulder that is higher than the other… one arm that is held closer to the body… a head that juts too far forward… or feet that turn in too much.
• Body Balance. To assess this, the CPEP practitioner will often ask you to perform a couple of balance tests. For instance, you may need to stand on one foot with the other foot held off the ground, thigh parallel to the floor. This is an important part of your professional posture analysis as poor balance suggests weakness in the core, the band of muscles that encircle your midsection to connect and support the upper and lower halves of your body. This creates an environment for ever worsening “poor posture” – what we call weak posture.
• Movement & Gait. During your analysis the posture specialist often will observe how you walk. He or she will note how each foot strikes the ground… how the knees flex… and whether the head, torso or pelvis shifts to the side, or moves with symmetry.
A posture assessment typically takes about 15 to 30 minutes. Often your image is analyzed using a posture assessment program like PostureZone. Based on the results, your Certified Posture Exercise Professional can then suggest an individualized posture improvement program – so you can look and feel your best, and live an active, pain-free life.
Find a Posture Specialist to help with your posture check >>>
