Some therapists hold the view there is no such thing as bad posture and it is not our job as therapists to help our clients improve it. My response to one such comment...

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That's a novel concept...no such thing as good or bad posture...it really never came up as a thought in my mind. In my clinical practice it is rare I see a client with good/perfect posture...could almost count them on one hand. The rest of us "normal" specimens are dragging our carcasses through life hampered by some postural issue or another that results in less than ideal function and may cause pain or injury.

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To start with most have tight chests restricting breath and medially rotating the Humerus >>> slightly impinging the Supraspinatus & Longhead Biceps tendons making them vulnerable to injury/degradation, it also exaggerates upper back curvature (kyphosis) and contributes to undue loading from Forward Head Carriage >>> blocking energetic Qi flow up the backline of the neck >>> tight occipital region >>> headaches plus even more sinister long term effects according to TCM.

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The effects of too much sitting and/or sleeping in foetal position on hips >>> tightens hip flexors >>> generating forward hip rotation >>> excessive lower back curvature (lordosis) >>> SIJ, Sacral and Lumbar stain >>> low back pain and a flow through effect on upper back and neck.

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The majority of clients assessed in my practice prove to have a structurally short right leg, accompanied by hip rotation and pelvic tilt anomalies leading to mild scoliosis and all that goes with it. Anterior rotation of the left hip binds the Sacro Iliac Joint >>> energetic blocking down the back of the left leg >>> tightness, thickening in the fascia >>> restriction, pain and/or injury through glute, hami, calf, achilles and/or plantar fascia. Similar right sided lower limb issues result from lumbro-sacral dysfunction and the impact of gait causing rigidity through the right hip. All in all, the pelvic tilt across the Frontal plane from leg length discrepancy sets up an energetic block through the pelvis affecting both mobility and internal health. 

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It is never too late to do something about it. While the 90 year old client with nil hip rotation may not get those hips and legs to do more than swing back and forth propelling her to South Melbourne Market each market day...she may never sit cross legged again but she is able to keep upright and look straight ahead by working at it...she sort of forgot her daily exercise routine for awhile and started going downhill fast...wondered why she could not see where she was going, why it was getting harder to push the shopping jeep until she resumed her exercises and slowly became erect again.

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Yeah...the concept that there is no such thing as good or bad posture never occurred to me...there is a constant stream of problematic cases presenting in my clinical practice exhibiting classic poor postural characteristics that can be improved, rectified or cured by treatment, stretching and strengthening. That is pretty clear cut to me.

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If you want to start considering the philosophical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our work as therapists we can find all sorts of alternative meaning to what clinical practice should be...just do not lose sight of the basics. There is such a thing as poor posture and clients are motivated to correct it because of pain or injury.

It is as simple as that.