In a medical or dental practice we rarely get to sit in an ergonomically sound or comfortable chair. Reclining in a chair is not something we do very often either. We are way too busy! We slouch on stools or over a laptop. Here are some key things that you can do to improve your posture immediately in the clinic.

While sitting on a stool or upright on a chair sit forward and drop one knee down. This will orient your pelvis so that you are sitting on the pubic bones. This provides a greater base of support that is more stable. Drop a knee.

“Posture is your attitude towards life.”

Stanley Paris, PT PhD

There is something to the statement that “posture is your attitude towards life.” An upright posture while facing our clients will set a much different tone than slouching. Our history taking will retrieve more detailed and relevant information with an attentive, more upright posture. Don’t believe it? Test it out. Try these two tips and get some feedback from clients that you respect and that will give you good feedback.

Tips for better posture

• Face your patient while they talk and then turn and let them know that you are writing down their information for future reference. Repeat the highlights back while you type to show that you have listened.
• Drop a knee. Tilting your pelvis puts your spine automatically into a more upright posture.

A brief note on breathing

Breathe into your back. This reduces back tension and seats the pelvis in a neutral posture or position. Make sure your breast bone and shoulders are not moving during a normal breath. Upper chest breathing is similar to a breathing pattern of someone with COPD. It requires 2-3 times more energy to breathe this way and it creates neck and back tension affecting posture negatively.

Breathe Efficiently

upper chest breathing is much more work and creates bad posture

The take home is this, setting our pelvis in a more stable position aligns the spine into more normal curves reducing muscle tension and effort for an upright posture. Drop a knee while on a stool, or adjust your seat to angle downward, to create a more stable pelvic position.

Drop a knee

Want to know about your core, how to evaluate if it is working and best practices for strengthening your core? Check this link out!