+91 8050335777 HO: #293, 3rd Floor, 12th Cross, Ideal Homes, RR Nagar, Bangalore 560098. KA.
Menu
Prev Next
Online Courses > Diploma in Sports Massage > Posture Assessment

Posture Assessment

The most important thing to look for in a postural evaluation is equality and balance. It is not about diagnosing their discomfort. There are so many ways to look at the human body and make sense of dysfunction. If one leg is more externally rotated than the other, logic would make us look at the external hip rotator muscles.

[dt_sc_titled_box type=”titled-box” title=”Following are the steps of a visual postural assessment:” bgcolor=”#1e73be” variation=”skyblue”]

  • Ask your client to remove his clothing with exception of his underwear, including socks. In all postural evaluations, you must be able to see and feel as much of the skin as possible. If the client is not comfortable standing in his underwear, shorts, or swimwear (a two-piece bathing suit for women) is acceptable.
  • If your client has long hair, ask her to tie it up so you can see and feel around her neck and skull. I have a bag of spare hair bands in a drawer in my treatment room for clients who do not have them.
  • Ask the client to stand in a natural standing position. Many clients try to adopt their best posture—tall and upright. Unfortunately, this forces the body into an unnatural posture. Suggest that the client relax and stand in the most normal position possible.
  • Look first for balance and symmetry from the front, back and both sides, writing down what you see.

[/dt_sc_titled_box]

[dt_sc_titled_box type=”titled-box” title=”Following are four positions from which to view the body:” bgcolor=”#1e73be” variation=”skyblue”]

  • Front (anterior) view
  • Back (posterior) view
  • Right side (lateral) view
  • Left side (lateral) view

[/dt_sc_titled_box]

[dt_sc_tabs_horizontal]
[dt_sc_tab title=”Front (anterior) view”]

Anterior View Posture Questions

  • Are the big toes equal, rolling in or out or shifting?
  • Are the feet falling or rolling in or out?
  • Are the ankles and feet externally or internally rotated?
  • Are the kneecaps pointing forwards or to the side?
  • Are the legs knock-kneed, bow legged or straight?
  • Is the muscle tone the same on both legs?
  • Are the anterior superior iliac spines (ASIS) and pelvic rims level?
  • Does the thorax sit level on top of the pelvis?
  • Is the belly button in the middle of the abdomen or pulled to the side?
  • Are the arches or angles of the ribs level?
  • Is the pectoralis, or breast area, level?
  • Are the sternoclavicular (SC) joints level?
  • Is the distance from the cervical spine to the acromion process the same on the right and left sides?
  • Does the shoulder girdle sit level on top of the thorax and pelvis?
  • Are the ears level?
  • Is the head tilted or side bent or rotated on the cervical spine?
  • Are the arms level by the sides of the body?
  • Do the arms rotate in or out?
  • Is the space between the arm and the body the same on both sides?
  • Are the eyes level?
  • Is the jaw level?
  • Is the nose central or pulled to the side?

[/dt_sc_tab]
[dt_sc_tab title=”Back (posterior) view”]

Posterior View Posture Questions

  • Are the feet falling or rolling in or out?
  • Are the ankles and feet externally or internally rotated?
  • Are the Achilles tendons level?
  • Are the calf muscles equal?
  • Are the creases at the back of the knees equal?
  • Are the legs knock-kneed, bow legged or straight?
  • Are the legs equal underneath the pelvis or over the feet?
  • Are the gluteal folds equal?
  • Are the posterior superior iliac spines (PSIS) and pelvic rims equal?
  • Does the thorax sit level on top of the pelvis?
  • Are the folds of skin in the back (or legs) equal?
  • Are the scapula equal or winged?
  • Is the space between the body and arm equal on both sides?
  • Do the arms rotate in or out?
  • Are the arms level by the sides of the body?
  • Is the distance from the cervical spine to the acromion process the same on the right and left sides?
  • Does the shoulder girdle sit level on top of the thorax and pelvis?
  • Are the ears level?
  • Is the head tilted or side bent or rotated on the cervical spine?

[/dt_sc_tab]
[dt_sc_tab title=”Side (lateral) view”]

Lateral View Posture Questions

  • Do some parts of the body lie more in front or behind the plumb line in general?
  • Do the knees hyperextend or stay more flexed?
  • Do the hips fall in front of the plumb line or behind?
  • Are the PSIS and ASIS level on the same horizontal plane? (In women the ASIS is usually slightly lower than the PSIS.)
  • Which parts of the spine are more in front or behind the plumb line?
  • Is the head protracted or retracted?
  • Is the cervical spine flat or curved?
  • Is the head tilted backwards?
  • Are both sides the same?

[/dt_sc_tab]
[/dt_sc_tabs_horizontal]