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This information is educational in nature and is not intended as medical advice. Anyone wishing to actively use this educational material for personal health improvement, is advised to consult with the qualified health care provider of their choice before attempting to use the information.

Total Postural Rehabilitation
through
Normalizing the Cervical Lordotic Curve
AND
Countering the Health Negative Impact of RFS* on Human Posture

Note: whenever you see a word colored Green & Bracketed in this type of {Red colored bracket} -- you are looking at a link that will take you to more information about (or at least a definition of) that term.

Re: {RFS* } (Rothbart's Foot Structure). RFS is an anatomical foot deformity that is present in approximately 80% of our population. (14) RFS causes hyper-pronation of the ankle joint and thus eventually leads to the development of what is known as a {"Startle Pattern"} of postural distortion A basic postural feature of the Startle Pattern is forward head posture (FHP) [carriage of the head in a position forward of the center line of the lateral shoulderline](4). Breakdown of posture into a Startle pattern is associated with many health problems and conditions.

This article either discusses all the above -- or leads to parallel articles where greater detail can be found. Both the concepts of:
1. Correction of RFD using Posture Control Inserts (PCIs) -- &
2. Correction of Abnormal Spinal Curves through the use of Postural Molding Techniques
will be addressed in this article.

Introduction

Your having a strong, pain free body and being able to move easily and gracefully is largely dependent upon your having as close to an ideal structural/postural relationship as possible. Abnormal posture leads to abnormal function, pain and even to mental and emotiobnal distress. Both structurally caused postural distortion (such as that brought about by RFS) -- and -- functional problems, abnormal action patterns that are repeated often enough, ultimately lead to abnormal posture. The Somatics Plus postural correction process uses both structural and functional control techniques to help you to truly change your posture to a healthier ansd more comfortable state.

Remember -- as you read this -- the answer to the Big Question -- What's in it for ME? -- Is:
Less Pain & Distress along with an improvement in your total Health & Wellbeing.

In this paper --you will learn about a variety of structural problems and the use of certain specific processes to correct the problems created by these structural deficits. The starting point for the discussion is with the twin concepts of the:
1). 'Startle Pattern' (aka "Red Light Pattern") of Postural distortion(4,5)
vs. the
2). "Green Light ( 'Landau reaction' type pattern)(5,6)

Note: If you are not absolutely sure that you are well versed in understanding what is meant by my reference to either of these two basic postural pattern distortions -- PLEASE -- use the following link to read about the:

{Startle (& 2 etc.) Basic Pattern(s)} of Postural Distortion

Some of the major postural features you will see when observing someone who has developed a Startle Pattern of posture include:

Note: For a detailed discussion of the health-negative impacts of FHP and the loss of the normal lordotic cervical curve, please see the article{ "Posture, Pain, and Proprioceptors"}.

Techniques You Will Use

To truly correct your posture from the ground up -- it is best that you use the following processes/products:

1. Posture Control Inserts (PCIs) for compensation for RFS
2. Postural Molding Fulcrum Exercises and Stretches
& in some instances
3. Repetitive Cervical Traction using a special self-traction device

AND: More Likely Than Not, the use of one or more of the following under the direction of your chosen health care supervisor.

DISCUSSION of ELEMENTS INVOLVED in POSTURAL CORRECTION

The correction of total posture involves a systematic approach which deals with three major areas of possible interference with normal function:
1. Problems with physical structural elements such as bone, ligaments and tendons, etc.;

2. Functional control issues (brain & nervous system control processes. Improving basic control of body function through improving your brain's control of motor activity is described in the following article --
{"Recharging Your Brain's Battery"}

3. And, metabolic issues such as nutrition, diet, and the status of the basic metabolic control systems which regulate all cellular and organ function in your body.

The metabolic control aspect is discussed in the sections of the website which deal with Metabolic Typing, Nutrition and Diet. You may reach that information by using the following link:{Metabolic Typing & Nutrition}

The following discussion covers specific structural and nervous system-control processes which are basic to truly improving posture in a way that can lead you to not only look and feel better, but to actually experience total health improvement.

The Major Players -- Muscles, Bones, Ligaments, & Nerves

Muscles, Bones, Ligaments and Nerves are involved in the maintenance of any ongoing postural distortion. Their interplay is involved therefor in the creation and maintenance of normal posture.

About Bones:
In general, it can be said that your bones are only passively involved in creating your posture. The bones do serve as structural support members, but that support is non-selective, the bone holds in either an architecturally ideal or less than ideal position as is dictated by the pull of muscles and the configuration of ligaments (3).

Bones even change their shape (over time) to accommodate the postural relationship in which they are being held. If a bone's position relative to its partner is improper, the bone may either thin out and weaken or build up calcium deposits to buttress and strengthen itself. (12) Aside from that, however, as far as posture is concerned, the bones go where muscles pull them and/ or joint freedom of mechanical movement allows them to go.

About Muscles:
Muscles are "actively" involved in your postural state because their shortening and lengthening actually creates movement of the body, as well as dictating where your bones will be held in space relative to each other(3). This latter process is a function of the muscles' tonus. "Tonus" refers to the resting lengths of the muscles, and if any muscles are overly contracted while at rest (have increased tonus), your posture will be negatively affected, and pain will probably be felt.

Muscle movement patterning and muscle tonus are controlled by the brain. Therefor the brain indirectly dictates where your bones will be held in space relative to each other because of its control of muscular contractions (7,8). The brain's control of these factors is governed by the quality of the information coming to the brain from special nerve endings which are located in the joint capsules, ligaments and muscles of your body.

These special nerve endings are called are part of the {Proprioceptive System.} If there is disturbance in the quality of the information the brain receives from the proprioceptive system -- you will eventually suffer from a loss of the ideal balance between the muscle groups which are responsible for maintaining normal upright posture (9,10).

Wyke and Davis (11) are adamant regarding the fact that muscles are the primary stabilizers of all joints. Therefore, muscles maintain the integrity of the upright spine, its alignment, strength and endurance. So, creating a postural condition in which the muscles are not called upon to counterbalance the abnormal pull of gravity which is caused by postural imbalance is very important.

In your Somatics Plus postural correction plan, you will be using techniques that eventually restore normalcy to your body's ability to use it's "righting reflexes" to alter postural muscular balance. This works because your brain's control of muscular contraction will improve and that in turn leads to your body reflexively changing its basic postural relationship to the gravity field. (1) This then leads to true postural improvement and even to an improved total health picture.

The righting reflexes are very powerful tools because their major function is to keep the head upright and level, front to back and side to side, relative to gravity (1). Remember -- the Startle Pattern of muscular contraction drives the Head forward of where it belongs and creates a distorted neck-bone posture(4,12,13). The alteration of neck posture has to happen because the function of keeping the eyes on the level and the head up and balanced is part of our very earliest and most basic survival mechanisms. If the head tucks forward -- the eyes would face down too much -- so the reflexes re-arrange muscular contractions in the neck andshoulder region in order to bring the eyes forward. Unfortunately this buckles the curves of the neck bones from their normal alignment and leads to the problems discussed elsewhere in the article dealing with the Effects of FHP on Health.

So: what do you do in order to improve muscular balance and harmony???

Thespecifics of how to do these procedures are discussed in separate articles. A link to these descriptions is found at the end of this explanatory article.

About Nerves:
Nerves are usually "passive" in the sense that it takes a stimulus to make them act, and then, once they've acted and sent their "message", they go back to rest and wait for another stimulus. They are, however, used very actively within the Somatics Plus process of postural molding.

Their function within that process is to direct the postural realignment of the spinal units such that they are properly aligned to as close as possible to the ideal/optimal human posture.(12) If the spinal segments are not properly'stacked' -- they are subject to distortion by the effects of gravity as the weight of different sections creates muscular imbalances when your body attempts to pull itself back into an upright posture. (1, 596-607)

Once the body's reflexes are activated in particular ways, the signals generated from the proprioceptive system receptors (especially in the upper cervical spine) -- are carried to the brain by the spinal nerves. Over time this will lead to re-harmonizing of muscle contraction, posture and indeed, to total health improvement.

In order to improve overall nervous system functional balance, using the Somatics Plus system: You can use Metabolic Typing and Individualized Nutrition; PBST and PBT processes; and Somatics Plus Stretches and Movement Patterning along with PCIs and postural molding procedures.

About Ligaments:
Ligaments are 'basket-like' structures that serve to hold the separate parts of joints together. Unlike muscles which adapt their lengths readily when prompted to do so by instructions from the brain -- ligaments are not under the immediate control of the nervous system and are slow to change their architectural shape. The main function of ligaments is hold things in place while still allowing a certain ability for motion and flexibility.

This ability to restrain large motion while still allowing some movement potential is possible because of what is referred to as the 'visco-elastic' nature of ligamentous tissues. Visco-elasticity refers to the 'taffy-like' ability of ligaments to be somewhat 'stiff' and fixed in shape and length, but, under certain conditions -- to allow lengthening and change of shape. The special condition needed to allow changes of ligamentous form is the application of a sustained load (stretch or compression) to the ligament -- sustained load meaning application of the load for about 15 to 20 minutes in order for the maximal change to occur for any one application.

In fact, applying a sudden load to a joint-- if the force of that load is kept within the level of strength of that joint -- will not permanently change the structure of the joint's ligaments. After the load is removed, the joint (vertebrae and/or bones) will simply go back to where they were. There will be no permanent postural correction.(2)

So, what needs to be understood is that because of the stiffness factor (viscous property), ligaments can be injured by sudden over-forceful stretching. However, because of the stretchability factor (elastic property) -- a properly directed "constant" load, operating over a proper period of time, repeated often enough -- can change the ligament's form -- producing measureable and permanent correction of joint relations and posture.(2)

In order to deform, and then reform a ligament into a more desireable length and form, the applied "constant" load must reach over 40% of that particular ligament's "ultimate load". A ligament's ultimate load is defined as "the final load reached by a structure before failure". (2) So, the force needed to create new ligamentous form is well below the safety limit for loading that ligament, but must be high enough to stretch the ligament such that it only undergoes a partial rebound towards its original length and shape. It is like pulling a spring out far enough that it doesn't quite go back to its original length -- while being careful not to pull it so far that it breaks.

The safety factor for doing this process is increased by doing repetitive loading and unloading cycles before engaging in the traction of the ligaments. These repeated loading/unloading cycles create just enough increased elasticity to reduce the joint's elastic resistance factor -- thus reducing the chances of injury to the joint's connective tissues (ligaments). (2) The use of Somatics movements, wobble chairs, exercises done on foam wedges, etc. should be used to provide the 'warm-up' factor of loading-unloading cycles before doing sustained postural molding processes.

Repeating this process over time will lead to permanent and positive postural changes with a resulting overall improvement in comfort, freedom of movement, and overall health. Your Somatics Plus system uses Home Fulcrum and other Exercises and Repetitive traction to achieve these ends.

Correcting Forward Head Posture & Normalizing Spinal Curves

Analysis of a computer data-base of over 25,000 X-ray studies over an 8 year research period led to the following findings. The study involved a non-selected cohort of average people walking into chiropractic offices for care.
1). 87.3 % of patients had skull-atlas joint totally "locked" out of normal flexion. The skull being "locked out" of flexion means that the action of being able to nod the chin to the chest was severely restricted. (Extension of the skull refers to the action of rocking the head backwards on the neck as though to look up skyward.

Another 10.6 % of the patients had lost some flexion ability -- leaving less than 3 % with normal flexion and extension of the skull on atlas!

As mentioned above -- FHP causes the skull to be locked in a rocked back position on the neck -- this restricts the ability to Nod (flex) the chin to the chest. Various chiropractic and other manipulative processes can be used to restore more motion at this site -- however -- here -- where we are talking about self-care processes -- a major tool you can use is the "Posture Pulley".

The Posture Pulley is an isometric strengthening device which allows you to strengthen the weaker anterior neck flexors as you are retracting the skull. Balancing these muscles helps to maintain the newly gained freedom of neck motion and the restoration of the normal cervical spinal curve.

Fulcrum exercises are also useful and should also be domne. Some people may benefit froma nd choose to use repetitive Cervical Traction as well

To Movement Posture & Exercise Main Menu

To Article on: Technical Processes Used in Postural Molding

To supporting processes such as: PBT, PBST, and Somatic Movement & Exercise Processes See:
Other Self-Care Processes

The preceding information has been presented for educational purposes only. There is no intent to diagnose or treat any condition or disease. Anyone wishing to use any of this information for health improvement purposes is advised to do so under the supervision of the health care provider of their choice.

REFERENCES:

1) Kandel E.R., Schwartz J.H., Jessell T.M., 1991, "Principles of Neural Science", 3rd edition; Elsevier, NY, 1991

2) White A.A. , Panjabi M.M. ,"Clinical Biomechanics of the Spine". J.B. Lippincot Co. Philadelphia, Toronto 1978, pgs. 490-508.

3). Calais-Gemaine B., "Anatomy of Movement", Eastland Press, Seattle WA, 1991.

4) Tomkins, S. (1991). Affect imagery and consciousness. New York: Springer Publishing.

5) Hanna T. (1988). Somatics. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley.

6) Clinical somatic education: A new discipline in the field of health care. Somatics:Magazine-Journal of the Bodily Arts and Sciences, 8(l), 4-10. Hanna T. (1991).

7. Bernstein, N. (1967). The coordination and regulation of movements. New York: Pergamon Press.

8. Brooks, V. B. (1986). The neural basis of motor control. New York: Oxford University Press

9. David R. Seaman D.C., (Web-article) "Subluxation and the Nervous System"; url: http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/13/15/15.html

10. Dysafferentation: a Novel Term to Describe the Neuropathophysiological Effects of Joint Complex Dysfunction. A Look at the Likely Mechanisms of Symptom Generation., J of Manipulation & Physiological Therapeutics, vol 21, No. 4, May, 1998; 267-280

11. G.J. Davis, B. Wyke, "A Compendium of Isokinetics in Clinical Usage", Lacross S and S Publishers, 1984.

12. Harrison DD, D.C.; Harrison DD, Ph.D. D.C. MSE; Hass JW, D.C., Spinal Biomechanics For Clinicials, Vol. 1; CBP Seminars, PO 1590 Evanston WY 82931

13 Pettibon B., D.C., "Introduction to Spinal Bio-Mechanics". Pettibon BioMechanics Institute, Inc. 89 Raft Island Dr. Gig Harbor, WA 98335.

14. RFS: The following url will take you to a page that has links to articles articles authored by Dr. Rothbart http://www.posturedyn.com/references.html