Incorrect posture and spinal deformities among pupils in the USA

 

Plan

 

Introduction                                                                                                       3

What about posture                                                                                           4

1. Vertebrae column (spine)                                                                         4
2. Structure of individual vertebrae                                                              5
3. Curves                                                                                                      5
4. Posture                                                                                                     6

Posture is important                                                                                         12

Incorrect posture                                                                                              14

Scoliosis                                                                                                           19

1. Do I have scoliosis                                                                                  19
2. What are my treatment options                                                              20

Idiopathic scoliosis                                                                                          21

Juvenile                                                                                                             22

1. Evaluation                                                                                              22
2. Observation                                                                                            22
3. Surgical management                                                                              23
4. Growing roods                                                                                        23

Adolescent                                                                                                       25

1. Causes                                                                                                    25
2. Symptoms                                                                                              25
3. Treatment                                                                                               26
4. Surgical treatment                                                                                   26

Conclusion                                                                                                       28

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

The topic of my research is incorrect posture among children in the USA.

The problem of incorrect posture and spinal curvature is directly related to the level of economic development, and therefore it would be very interested to know whether the problem is acute in the United States.   Contemporary domestic and academical person’s behaviour is so, that sitting position is the most widespread for it. In a wheelchair, at the desk, on the couch, in a car, people take this forced attitude. 
 Children, living in the urban environment, since their childhood are focused on the most advanced education and social development. That is internaly leads to the formation of sedentary way of life. The physical development there is less free time from school, which isn’t always purposefully used to strengthen and develop the muscular system. Currently, children are less likely to play in the yards with their peers, families don’t have children at the same age, increasing education and care enrtusted to grandparents and governess. Even those who are involved in dance or in sports clubs, have a motor deficit. Up to now, to make a real difference to the maintenance of the physical health of children, without sacrificing the intellectual capacity loads, can’t in Europe or in Asia or in America. Always one for the account of another of either a healthy body, a developed intellect. Thus, if a child spends in a relaxed sitting position for 10-12 hours a day, a situation arises where it "grows sitting." It does not pass in vain for the formation of its musculoskeletal system with its bones, ligaments, joints and muscular system.

Therefore, today's children are often overweight, have non-standard shapes and proportions, and every third can be diagnosed - a violation of posture. According to medical examinations of children in the U.S. found that with the advent of the kindergarten incorrect posture are 5-6% of children, and before going to school - over 20% of time spent in elementary school their number increased by 2 times, and before the end of posture is a violation of the school almost every other teenager.

What is the posture?

Posture is defined as the relative position or attitude of the body at any one period of time. Correct posture is the position in which minimal stress is applied to your joints. Very often painful conditions of the spine and extremities can originate in areas of high stress often precipitated by faulty postures and musculoskeletal imbalances.

Faulty postures do not always present with spine or extremity pain initially since many individuals have the joint strength and mobility to correct aberrant positions and minimize stresses. Unfortunately, not all of us have good postural habit and the ability to correct poor positioning. This often leads to chronic stress and wear of otherwise normal joints in their attempt to accommodate for these faulty positions.

Examples of typical postural faults often encountered include but are not limited to forward head positioning, rounded shoulders, and loss of the normal lordosis (curve) in the lower back. Early warning signs of postural problems may include the inability to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time, stiffness when rising from a chair after sitting or a feeling of physical exhaustion at the end of the day. Failure to correct these early warning signs often leads to muscle imbalances, loss of normal flexibility and often discomfort which appears to have been brought on for no apparent reason.

One of the most important components of the posture is our spine and its position. Spine’s position has to be controlled by the person himself. Now there are a few words about the spine and its description.

 

Vertebrae column (spine)

In human anatomy, the vertebral column (Latin − Columna vertebralis) or spine is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso. There are three regions of spine with mobility: cervical (7 vertebrae), thoracic (12 vertebrae) and lumbar (5 vertebrae), according to the regions they occupy. This number is sometimes increased by an additional vertebra in one region, or it may be diminished in one region, the deficiency often being supplied by an additional vertebra in another. All of articulating vertebrae connected to each other by intervertebral discs and formed  spinal canal that houses and protects the spinal cord and nerve roots.

With the exception of the first and second cervical, the movable vertebrae present certain common characteristics that are best studied by examining one from the middle of the thoracic region.

 

Structure of individual vertebrae

A typical vertebra consists of two essential parts: an anterior (front) segment, which is the vertebral body; and a posterior part – the vertebral (neural) arch – which encloses the vertebral foramen. The vertebral arch is formed by a pair of pedicles and a pair of laminae, and supports seven processes - four articular, two transverse and one spinous.

Two superior and two inferior articular processes on each vertebra form the right and left facet joints that act to restrict the range of movement possible. The spinous process comes out the back, one transverse process comes out the left, and one on the right. The spinous processes can be felt through the skin.

When the vertebrae are articulated with each other, the bodies form a strong pillar for the support of the head and trunk, and the vertebral foramina constitute a canal for the protection of the spinal cord. In between every pair of vertebrae are two apertures, the intervertebral foramina, one on either side, for the transmission of the spinal nerves and vessels.

 

Curves

Viewed laterally the normal spine presents several curves, which correspond to the different regions of the column, and are called cervical lordosis, thoracic kiphosis, lumbar lordosis and pelvic kiphosis.

The cervical lordosis, convex forward, begins at the apex of the odontoid process of the second cervical vertebra and ends at the middle of the second thoracic vertebra.

The thoracic kiphosis, concave forward, begins at the middle of the second and ends at the middle of the twelfth thoracic vertebra. Its most prominent point behind corresponds to the spinous process of the seventh thoracic vertebra.

The lumbar lordosis begins at the middle of the last thoracic vertebra and ends at the sacrovertebral angle. It is convex anteriorly, the convexity of the lower three vertebrae being much greater than that of the upper two.

The pelvic kiphosis begins at the sacrovertebral articulation, and ends at the point of the coccyx.

The thoracic and pelvic curves are termed primary curves, because they alone are present during fetal life. The cervical and lumbar curves are compensatory or secondary, and are developed after birth, the former when the child is able to hold up its head (at three or four months) and to sit upright (at nine months), the latter at twelve or eighteen months, when the child begins to walk.

Posture

Your body is held in various positions by your skeletal muscles. Movements are possible because of muscles pulling on bones. If you have ever noticed a crane working on a construction site you will know the beam of the crane is somewhat like the bones of your arms and legs. Cables push the movement from one direction to another. Muscles in your body can be likened to the cables. The skeletal muscles, or voluntary muscles enable movement and connect one bone to another.

There is no denying good carriage is very important. When you first glance at a person you naturally notice how he or she is carrying themselves. Carriage reflects our alertness, breeding, and strength of character. The parts of the body will be balanced when good posture is present. When standing the neck, shoulders, lower back, pelvis, and hip joints all should be in line with one another. When sitting, the hips and back of the thighs should support weight and the feet should be flat on the floor. The lower back should be supported by the back of the chair.

To achieve efficient movement it is necessary to maintain holding your skeleton together through the ligaments and muscles of the body. The organs in the body have a spatial or relative relationship to each other. It has been determined good posture will be developed when it is possible to conform to good balance in daily activities including work, playing, sitting, walking or running.

The manner in which you choose to sleep is of major importance as over your life span you perhaps will sleep one third of the time. There cannot be one perfect position for sleeping, but certainly some positions should be avoided. When sleeping the spine should be in a normal curve and sleeping on the stomach should be avoided. Using a pillow or pillows that are too high will not be good for your body. While sleeping on the back there should be support under the knees. If you choose to lie on your side be sure to keep your knees bent and have your pillow just high enough to keep your neck straight. An excellent secret of good posture is changing positions during your period of sleep. The body usually automatically changes positions as you sleep. It is very rare for a person to fall asleep in one position and to wake in the same position without changing positions during the sleeping period.

Good posture can be established in childhood through good habits as it is very hard to master these habits after bad posture has existed for many years. Parents should do their very best to teach their children good posture habits in the early childhood years. A child can easily learn the correct way to sit at the table or at a desk while studying and doing homework. When a child is allowed to do his homework or to study while lying down he will form the habit of poor posture at an early age. By noticing how the child is standing a parent can make suggestions and corrections that can be followed for better posture. Schools can provide proper seating and teachers can show students the proper manner in which to sit correctly.

Not all types of physiques are the same so this makes it impossible to standardize the human body. The best posture for each individual will be determined by the individual's body structure. There is considered to be a standard for each type of physique. Each person will have individual body curvatures that will be different from the other. It is possible to inherit weak ligaments and muscles making parts of the body more prominent than others. Bodily structures can be suppressed in the body build of one person and not in another.

It is necessary that there be a conscious decision to achieve the most perfect posture and to form the habits of checking your own individual posture. Of course in daily life there will be times when posture will not be considered. There have been several studies at various research facilities that have revealed a definite correlation between good health and good posture. Having good posture can be a contributing factor in preventing disorders such as foot problems, arthritis and also backaches.

The major causes for poor posture need to be mentioned as these can be due to many factors including inherited or organic defects, faulty habits, clothing or fatigue. There are many people who have inherited limbs of uneven length, crooked spines, defective bones, weak muscles, or deformities such as bowed legs or constitutional disorders. Sometimes even malnutrition especially during the childhood formative years can be a contributing factor in poor posture. For the majority of people having poor posture it is due most likely to faulty or bad habits in sleeping, walking or sitting. Fatigue can be a common cause of bad posture as habits of slumping can be from muscle relaxation. Having a profession where one deals with delicate work requiring very close concentration can be a factor contributing to poor posture. Sometimes a person can also have poor vision that leads to faulty posture as it would require leaning over to read.

There is a common type of poor posture caused by postural defects due to curvature of the spine. There exists in the human body four curves, two are present at birth and these are the sacral and thoracic. As a person matures and grows two others are added, the lumbar and cervical. With these four curves the balance of the body becomes maintained. If the spine if perfectly straight these curves can be seen when viewed from the side. This includes both a view of the front or the view from behind a person.

Poor posture can affect the health of a person as there exists a cramped position of the internal organs in the body. These organs consist of varied abdominal, the lungs and the heart. The body cannot function normally if the organs are pushed against each other by the presence of poor posture. The circulation of the body is slowed down and ligaments can be strained. When the body isn't functioning normally then the diminished blood flow can lead to chronic disorders. When the blood isn't allowed to flow as it properly should then other parts of the body can become congested with blood. The pelvic organs can suffer if other organs are sagging. If a person tries to read by looking down too far or by looking up too high then the eyeballs can become distorted. Poor sitting habits can lead to bad reading habits and also then to defective vision. Neuromuscular fatigue can result from poor posture and cause the body to have less energy. The joints become strained and become also painful. Often in later years a person can develop severe pain from backaches caused by many years of poor posture. A person can also become "pot bellied" with constant fatigue and stretching of nerves in the spinal cord. The abdominal organs in the body can also sag. Sometimes the result of poor posture can be a great deal of foot pain as the feet fatigue very easily.

Over a period of years the habits that have been formed in sleep, sitting, or walking can have an effect on the skeleton. The spine has bones and cartilage disks that are very sensitive. There are hollow bones in your spine called vertebrae that are stacked one upon the other. There are many major nerves that enter and leave these spaces between the vertebrae and if damage has developed over many years to the cartilage disks or the bones then the nerves can become pinched. This causes pain to occur that can feel like an electric shock to certain areas such as the legs, back, shoulders or neck. This can be prevented by the practice of good posture.

The manner in which you sit, stand, or walk will determine the quality of your posture. The efficiency of your body will depend on your having good posture. The weight of your body will be distributed more evenly along the body's center of gravity. Each bodily activity such as sitting, reclining, running, or walking will require a different posture. Each activity if accomplished correctly will allow freedom of movement with the least use of energy.

Many elements can effect posture such as diet, weight, feelings, sleeping habits and fitness. Often people who are tall will walk with their heads down and their body bent thinking others will see them as not being so tall. When standing, the body should be erect but not stiff, controlled and also balanced. Support should not be necessary such as standing against a wall or a chair. One might practice standing in front of a mirror to obtain better posture. The weight of the body can be shifted to one leg or the other and can caues a standing posture that is a "hunched" position leading to bad posture.

Special attention must be given to the feet as they are very important to having good posture. Wearing shoes that are comfortable and fit and also being aware of these features instead of adhering to the current style will help posture. There are so many shoes to be found on the market today that are not proper footwear as they can easily cause back strain, poor posture, and also injuries to the foot. A common foot problem known as the fallen arch, or flattening of the arch of the foot can cause pain in the arch, ankle, and also in the lower leg muscles and can be a leading factor in poor posture.

Having regular natural exercise daily including in activities that help to maintain good posture can be very beneficial. There are a few exercises that can strengthen muscles such as the ones below.

The body can be trained to keep parts in proper alignment by standing straight with the back against a wall letting the head, shoulders and hips touch the wall. The heels should be about four inches from the wall, no less than three. The back can slide up and down the wall as far as possible while keeping your balance.

For the spine to be exercised and to remove excess curves, lie on the back and bend the knees over the body, bringing the forearms around the knees and clasping the tips of the hands together holding the legs together and rocking the body from side to side.

The abdominal muscles can be strengthened by sitting on a low bench with the feet under the edge of a bed, then lying back on the bench slowly lift the trunk of the body with the abdominal muscles. This will also help an over bluging abdomen.