He felt so abashed that Tuesday morning when he walked up to a lady to engage her in a conversation, and hopefully to get her contact. He looked so cute with his well ironed shirts and felt so confident within himself. He was just about to express himself when she interrupted him rudely and said in a very demeaning way – “Sorry, you’re not my type”. He felt so hurt and demanded to know what exactly she meant by that, and she explained by saying – “I have no business with someone that stands like a crayfish”.
To make matters worse, her friends burst out laughing and pointed at His legs affirming that it indeed looked like a crayfish with the way it was bent and curved inward. That day He felt so embarrassed and so He vowed to watch out for hi kids to prevent any of them from developing postural deformities.
You too can prevent postural deformities especially in growing children by:
- Taking note of their nutritional requirements – Deformities like Rickets can arise due to Vitamin D deficiency. Adequate nutrition is essential for good structural and functional development of the body which will give rise to good postural development.
- Watching out for defects, diseases and disabilities that may give rise to postural deformities – Some defects such as club foot, dislocation of the hip, or brachial plexus injury can lead to postural deformities. When these defects are noted earlier and an appropriate intervention is made, it will help prevent development of postural deformities.
- Noting environmental factors that could make them susceptible to postural deformities – It is very important to take note of the environmental factors such as chairs, desks, and beds. The structure of these can affect the sitting or lying positions. After Children start school, the amount of time they spend in the sitting position increases considerably. The school seat is an important factor affecting posture. Both the chair and desk should be adjusted to fit the child. The child should be able to sit with both feet flat on the floor and with the knees bent to about a right angle. If the chair is too high, there will be a lack of support for the feet. If the chair is too low, the hips and knees will bend in too much flexion. The seat of the chair should be deep enough from front to back to support the thighs adequately, but the depth should not interfere with bending of the knees. The back of the chair should support the child’s back. It should incline backward to a few degrees so that the child can relax against it. The top of the desk should be at about elbow level when the child is sitting in a good position, and it may be slightly inclined. the desk should be close enough that the arms can rest on it without the need to lean too far forward on the seat of the chair.
- Observing developmental factors – During development of the child, the parents should be very observant to recognize marked or persistent postural deviations. These postural deformities should be treated as early as possible by a specialist to avoid growing with such deformities into adulthood.
As an adult, you can improve your posture by:
- Exercising: Exercises help to improve posture, especially Yoga and other form of exercises that strengthens the core (muscles around your back, abdomen, and pelvis).
- Watching your weight: Being overweight can weaken the abdominal muscles leading to problems in the spine and pelvis which can cause low back pain.
- Adjusting your work surfaces: Ensure that your work surfaces are adjusted to a comfortable height, whether you’re sitting in front of a computer, making lunch or eating.
I hope these tips will be of much benefit to you. Have a beautiful day and keep in mind, a life of probity is worth living!
