Body Mechanics Question

I have the same thing, on 'bad' days I feel the pressure but only when I am standing up.
I think the counterpressure from the seat when sitting has something to do with it.
been trying to figure out if the mechanics are so different that maybe there *is* no pressure, but I've got brain fog these days and can't see it clearly.

maybe someone else can shed some light?

Hi Ladies

Me too. I've been doing some study lately on all those little muscles that connect the femur to the pelvis, sacrum and coccyx. I have borrowed a book called Atlas of the Skeletal Muscles by Robert J Stone and Judith A Stone, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, 1997.

It has very clear hand drawn illustrations of each of the muscles in the body with one muscle and the bones it is attached to in each illustration, with separate similar illustrations of the muscle groups. It also lists all the origin and insertion points, the location of where the nerve supply comes from, and the action of the muscle, ie what it does.

When the femur shifts from vertical to horizontal relative to the torso, a lot of pressure comes off the pelvic bones so that you don't have to actively lift the tailbone with your multifidus (back) muscles. The pelvis tilts easily forwards, so the pelvic floor tilts upwards to diagonal and becomes taut, and the pelvic organs flop forwards over the pelvic bone and land on the front abdominal wall. Does anyone hold their tummy in when they are sitting down? It's pretty hard. Do your trousers ever feel tight across your belly when you sit? That's why. All your organs are sitting further forwards on a relaxed belly.

That's why I think it is easier to stay in posture when sitting, as long as you are not leaning your back on anything.

Cheers

Louise

Louise,
What you said about the sitting posture was very helpful.

You also asked, 'Does anyone hold their tummy in when they are sitting down?' I do. I've been doing that since I was 13 or so, and self-conscious of my tummy. So I've unknowingly been storing up trouble for myself over years, and assuming everyone else tries to hold their tummy in. Even in the posture I have to really concentrate on not tensing my tummy. I have a lot of re-learning to do. Along with not tensing my shoulders so they're up by my ears... Does anyone else have that problem, or am I just odd :)

Beejay

mine have always been up by my ears until I started going to a chiro (not for the shoulders, but to help with my headaches). after a month of treatments, my shoulders dropped. ahhhh so much more comfortable!

Hi Beejay

Actually I would have to be honest and say that back in the days when I used to wear jeans and other tight trousers the garment determined what I did with my tummy. I guess maybe I did hold my tummy in, especially wearing bikinis. That's what you do when you are young and want to look your "very best". Oh, the narcissism of it all, makes me cringe now!

Re the shoulders, I wonder if this is something to do with trying to lift everything up? A bit like halfway to big arm swings. I think one of the things that implementing Wholewoman posture does is to make us very aware of all sorts of things about our posture that we would never have otherwise given a thought to. Yes, I sometimes still notice my shoulders being up, even after nearly 3 years of Posture. I think the reason is that we all have to think about a million other things each day on top of how we are carrying ourselves. Some of these things are enough to make anybody's shoulders seize up!! LOL So we always need to be mindful of it. Live in the moment.

Cheers

Louise

back in the day, I used to get a fellow PT friend of mine to mobilize my cervical ribs (I think that's what it was called, its the rib that's up near your clavicle, or collarbone). she'd mobilize it a bit and voila! my shoulder would literally drop a few inches. after years of holding yourself that way, sometimes it takes more than thinking about it to change.
just a thought...