Physiotherapist perceptions of optimal sitting and standing posture. 2019

Vasileios Korakakis, and Kieran O'Sullivan, and Peter B O'Sullivan, and Vasiliki Evagelinou, and Yiannis Sotiralis, and Alexandros Sideris, and Konstantinos Sakellariou, and Stefanos Karanasios, and Giannis Giakas
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece; Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar; Hellenic Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy Diploma (HOMTD), Athens, Greece. Electronic address: vkorakakis@hotmail.com.

Assessment of, and advice about, spinal posture is common when people with spinal pain present to physiotherapists. Most descriptions regarding optimal spinal posture have been qualitative in nature. To determine the beliefs of physiotherapists regarding optimal sitting and standing posture. Online survey. 544 Greek physiotherapists selected an optimal sitting (choice of seven) and standing (choice of five) posture, while providing justification for their choice. Education regarding optimal sitting and standing posture was considered "considerably" or "very" important by 93.9% of participants. Three different sitting postures, and two different standing postures, were selected as the optimal posture by 97.5% and 98.2% of physiotherapists respectively. While this reflects a lack of complete consensus on optimal posture, the most commonly selected postures were all some variation of upright lordotic sitting, in contrast slouched spinal curves (sitting) or forward head posture (sitting and standing) almost never being selected as optimal. Interestingly, participants used similar arguments (e.g. natural curves, muscle activation) to justify their selection regardless of the spinal configuration of each selected posture. These results reinforce previous data suggesting that upright lordotic sitting postures are considered optimal, despite a lack of strong evidence that any specific posture is linked to better health outcomes. While postural re-education may play a role in the management of spinal pain for some patients, awareness of such widespread and stereotypical beliefs regarding optimal posture may be useful in clinical assessment and management.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011187 Posture The position or physical attitude of the body. Postures
D012016 Reference Values The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality. Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000077708 Sitting Position Seated Position,Sitting,Position, Seated,Position, Sitting,Positions, Seated,Seated Positions,Sitting Positions
D000078783 Standing Position Human position in which the body is held in an upright orthostatic position and supported only by the feet. Position, Standing,Standing Positions
D001291 Attitude of Health Personnel Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc. Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes
D059825 Physical Therapists Persons trained in PHYSICAL THERAPY SPECIALTY to make use of PHYSICAL THERAPY MODALITIES to prevent, correct, and alleviate movement dysfunction. Physiotherapists,Physical Therapist,Physiotherapist,Therapist, Physical,Therapists, Physical
D018482 Muscle, Skeletal A subtype of striated muscle, attached by TENDONS to the SKELETON. Skeletal muscles are innervated and their movement can be consciously controlled. They are also called voluntary muscles. Anterior Tibial Muscle,Gastrocnemius Muscle,Muscle, Voluntary,Plantaris Muscle,Skeletal Muscle,Soleus Muscle,Muscle, Anterior Tibial,Muscle, Gastrocnemius,Muscle, Plantaris,Muscle, Soleus,Muscles, Skeletal,Muscles, Voluntary,Skeletal Muscles,Tibial Muscle, Anterior,Voluntary Muscle,Voluntary Muscles

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