Michelle L. Lange, OTR/L, ATP/SMS

In a recent webinar, Maintaining Posture by Providing Movement, I asked the participants to extend at their hips while sitting and to note what changed in their posture. These were adults sitting primarily in a standard office chair without customized seating and without a pelvic positioning belt. Here is what they shared:

• Increased posterior pelvic tilt.
• Increased pressure on the back support.
• Sliding forward into pelvic obliquity and posterior pelvic tilt.
• Increased shear forces on pelvis.

These are great observations! By extending at the hips, the seated person is now leveraging (and creating pressure) against the back of their office chair / seating system. If the back is static, or non-yielding, client forces result in movement of the pelvis, typically into a posterior tilt, though pelvic rotation and obliquity can also occur. Finally, this movement creates shear as the client’s body moves in relation to the support surfaces.

Want to learn more? Check out this informative webinar and then share your thoughts!