What is a Postural Assessment?

Feb 20, 2020 | Exercise, Posture, Stretching

Good practitioners will always assess their clients before working with them. Why? “Because if we’re not assessing – we’re guessing.” With the New Year ahead of us I am sure that you are thinking about what you will do to keep fit and healthy through 2015. If you are like most, you have had some level of discomfort, pain or a recurring injury within your body over time. Why not make a physical health plan to correct your posture, muscle imbalance, and structure so that instead of just working out – you are working smart towards specific long-term goals of having a great, solid, pain-free body. Posture is one of the most un-revealed, best kept secrets. Poor posture leads to many dysfunctions within the body from back pain, knee, shoulder, hip, ankle, torn hamstrings, calves, painful Achilles and more. This can cause general aches and pains through to debilitating pain. If people corrected their posture we would have much less orthopedic problems – and hence less surgeries. So many people are told they need surgery due to long-term postural issues – and it’s not always the only solution! Good posture makes you look ten years younger, creating optimal shape, curves, flatness and joint position in all the right places. It also gives you the look of confidence.

About the Postural Assessment

In this assessment I use a postural grid to look at the distortions within the body that could be causing pain and discomfort. This is followed Michelle Owen Postural Assessment 2by a series of muscle length/tension tests, which will identify what muscles are too weak and need strengthening; what muscles are too tight and need stretching, what joints need mobilizing, etc. Spinal curves and pelvic angles are measured to understand holding patterns in static posture. Movement patterns are also assessed in varying degrees depending on your needs. This detailed assessment provides the information necessary to move forward and develop a highly-skilled, individual programme to correct your postural imbalance. This postural assessment takes 2 hours. We discuss your pain and discomfort and what you have previously done about it. Most of my clients have tried a lot of other methods but have not had the long-term results that they desire. We consider what you are currently doing exercise-wise, your sporting requirements, your goals, time and commitment levels, your overall health and abilities, and anything else that is needed. We then go through a full measure up of the body to find imbalances. It is this high-calibre and unique postural assessment that gives me the ability to look at the ‘whole’ picture. This is what sets it apart from many other modalities. These assessments are both proven and comprehensive – to identify the cause – not treat the effect – for you to achieve your true potential.

How do I know if I need a Postural Assessment?

Michelle Owen Postural Assessment 3Perfect posture is essential for everyone but even more for athletes – the more athletic that you are the more you need good alignment. You should consider going through a postural assessment if you can say ‘YES!’ to any of the following: – You might feel like you have tried everything possible without relief. – You have pain, discomfort, weakness, tight muscles, or feel twisted somehow. You have re-occuring injuries. – You’re aware of your slouched position. You want to be functional, strong and pain free for life and sport. – You’ve been told you need surgery or have had surgery. – You’re an athlete wanting to improve your sport performance. – You have pain and can’t play your sport. – You’re a mum, dad or grandparent wanting to play with your children or grandkids as they get older – You’re a busy corporate and want to train intelligently – You want to be functional, pain free and improve with age.

What happens after the assessment?

The training begins! Creating new neural pathways is key. Simple things like learning to hold body position in sitting and standing is essential. This is followed by learning highly-skilled exercises that are unique to your own imbalances. The correct exercises are determined from your assessment. A various mixture of myofascial stretching, spinal decompressions, spinal stability and functional movement patterns are taught and evolved over time to make you flexible, mobile, strong and connected to do the things you love without pain and dysfunction. A postural assessment and correction deals with the underlying issues of structural imbalance and is a long term approach to being great. If you’re interested in a postural assessment, contact me for more information.

Michelle Owen

Michelle Owen

Michelle Owen is New Zealand’s most knowledgeable structural and postural health expert. She is highly trained in identifying and correcting dysfunctions in your body that may be causing pain, injury, or reduced physical performance. Michelle has refined a highly specialised approach to postural correction that blends extensive skills as a C.H.E.K Practitioner, corrective high-performance exercise kinesiologist, postural specialist, and strength coach. This methodology incorporates ELDOA and myofascial stretching, global postural stretching, functional range conditioning, kin stretch, and soma training. With this approach, she has helped hundreds of people find freedom in their body and relief from pain.

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