Structure and function are married. There is an undeniable relation between the two on many levels in the body.
This is true when studying the relationship between posture and digestion. We tend to think of digestion in chemical terms. There is no denying it; digestion is, in part, chemical. And in the case of functional issues with digestion, the therapeutic focus seems to often be chemical. I think we are missing out on a significant component of that system. That component is the mechanics of digestion.
The digestive system is exactly that, a system. It is made up of various organs that work in unison towards one goal: to break down and process foods. These organs, in order to accomplish their task, move. Think of the esophagus or the stomach for example. Without proper movement, the chemical side of things cannot express itself properly. Therefore, your digestion and assimilation is altered and every one of your body’s cells suffers.
And what if the stomach, liver and intestines all need to move together… what could be the engine of that system?
THE DIAPHGARM!
It is the diaphragm that literally pumps the internal organs all day and night. The diaphragm is the link between the abdominal and thoracic cavities. It is muscle that is highly sensitive to posture in the sagittal plane.
It is known that just about ¾ of the population presents with an anterior scapular plane. In a nutshell, their thorax sits in front of their pelvis.
What effect does that have on the mobility of the digestive system? How does that affect the very function of the diaphragm?
It stiffens up the diaphragm, which then slows down the rhythm of the digestive system, as a whole.
March is Nutrition Month! As you think about what you are going to put in your mouth, it would be just as wise to think about the capacity for your digestive system to break it down. That breakdown is directly related to your posture !
Posturepro is proud to present our Posturologist Spotlight. Every month we will promote a Posturologist that has completed our Posturepro International Posturology Program (P.I.P.P) to accommodate our clients in North America who are seeking Posturology treatments.
Brant Amundson is located in New York City and has completed our Posturology International Posturology Program in 2010. Today, he is one of the most experienced Posturologist located in NYC. Hear what he has to say about it.
I’m a lifelong athlete and a fitness professional with 25 years of experience. The enhancement of human physical performance is a passionate pursuit for me. It began with weight training in grade school and evolved into earning certifications in Personal Training, Muscle Activation Techniques, Pilates Instruction and Posturology.
It is my experience with Posturology that is the most rewarding and healing. Posturology gives me the ability to dramatically and positively affect the four main sensors in the body that dictate posture. And make no mistake, everything we do in life from reading to running is affected by our posture. If the posture is unbalanced then the body will have to compensate through every single activity. These compensations lead to wear and tear on the body and ultimately pain and injury.
With Posturology I’ve been able correct several postural imbalances in my body that were causing me constant pain and discomfort. As a result I can get through my day without pain. I’ve even been able to start running again for the first time in 12 years. I’ve also been able to dramatically help my clients. I work with people suffering from Parkinson’s and stroke, who have greatly improved their gate. Others I’ve worked with have overcome myriad issues from sciatica and shoulder pain to whiplash and plantar fasciitis.
Posturology is preventative, progressive and profound. it is the foundation of human health and fitness. Make it part of your transformation.
Metal fillings have long been a controversial issue. In some countries metal fillings are banned. One of the issues that we do not hear about often is microgalvanisms. Micro what? A microgalvanism is an electrical current that can derive from a potential metal filling to something as simple as a piece of jewelry.
In the picture above, we are demonstrating a micro-current passing from an amalgam filling to a wedding band. This was measured with a multi-meter. The multi-meter determined the current to be as strong as 1136 milli-volts. This voltage is equivalent to a AA battery and has the potential of overriding the nervous system’s communication with the muscles.
We know that the nervous system functions at a current of anywhere between -100 mv volts and + 60 mv. Any metal in contact with the body creates an electrical current. The conductor is water (body). This electrical current can sometimes outweigh the current of your nervous system. The final effect is a decrease of communication between your brain, spinal cord and muscles. As a result, muscles located between two pieces of metal can be in a state of chronic tightness and can sometimes link to loss of balance. Posturology brings light to this issue. By eliminating micro-currents, Posturology helps the body function more optimally.
The term “cluster headache” refers to a type of headache that recurs over a period of time. People who have cluster headaches experience an episode one to three times per day during a period of time (the cluster period), which may last from two weeks to three months. People who suffer from cluster headaches get them at the same time each year, such as the spring or fall.
Three months ago Sandye came into our office seeking help for her headache attacks. She remembers her headaches beginning at the age of three and as far as she is concerned, they have affected her life almost every day. Her migraines came into cluster episodes and could last anywhere from a week up to a month. Sandye has tried to take control of the problem by consulting many specialists and neurologists who have prescribed her everything from painkillers (verapamil, zomig) and cortisone shots to help alleviate the symptoms. All have failed! Up to date, Sandye has spent a grand total of $20,000 trying to fix her condition.
Modern neurology provides us with answer. We now know that convergence disorders creates eye strain and fatigue. Could this be linked to cluster headaches? We think so! We also think that there is no coincidence, when the side of the cluster headaches is often associated to the same side of the “weaker” eye.
The aim of our treatment is to address the postural system by stimulating different parts of the body with Posturology tools.
In Sandy’s own words “ Ever since I have seen Annette 3 months ago I have not had a migraine at all, it’s amazing”
If you find yourself spending thousands of dollars each year on different therapies and treatments to treat the symptoms of your pain, it might be time for you to consider discovering the cause.
New Year’s Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.
If one of you top ten New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, take our quiz below to find out how Posturology can help you make use of your energy efficiently with an aligned posture.The benefits of a postural assessment is that it will help you determine which areas of your body need to be addressed.
We do not believe in managing symptoms. We believe the body to be one unit. We also believe that treating any one part of the body without looking at the system as a whole would be an ineffective strategy.
An aligned posture has many benefits. Our screening programs look at the two primary sensory receptors responsible for the way your brain organizes posture information:
• The skin of the feet tell your brain where your body is on the ground
• The eye muscles telegraph the position of the head to your brain
The central nervous system uses the information from all of these structures and properly set the desired resistance against gravity from the information received from feet and eyes.
Take this quiz to learn about how correcting your posture through Posturology can help you save money, and get to the cause of your pain.
1. Do you fall asleep while watching TV? 2. When you look at yourself in the mirror, does it appear as though one of your shoulders is lower than the other? 3. Clothing: do you find that one of the legs of your jeans drags more than the other? Or if you wear suits, is each arm tailored differently? 4. When you look through pictures of yourself, do you find that your head is always tilted to one side? 5. Do you have any scars? (From surgery or injury?) Are they a different color than your skin? Does it feel different than your skin? Does it feel as if is raised? 6. Do your teeth come in contact throughout the day, other when you are eating? 7. When you open your jaw, do you hear a clicking sound? 8. Do you feel like your tongue is too big for your mouth? 9. Do you have any missing teeth? (From extractions) 10. Has your sports performance decreased? Or do you feel as though you’ve reached a plateau in your training?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you might be a victim of postural asymmetries and your postural system just might be compensating for this deficiency. Unfortunately, many people have feet that do not rest evenly on the ground and eyes that do not track symmetrically. When your feet are uneven on the ground, your entire body will be uneven. Similarly, asymmetrical eye tracking can result in head and shoulder tilts as your brain attempts to keep the eyes on a level plane. These sensory imbalances cause alignment issues with your body that affect a direct impact on joints, affecting the entire kinetic chain.
We recommend seeking the treatment of a Posturologist to determine the cause of your pain or asymmetry or to increase your sports performance. For more information about the components of the postural system please click here, or contact us at 877-315-8489 or education@posturepro.ca
Many therapies address bits and pieces of how the physical body functions: techniques that relax muscles (massage therapy), techniques that adjust the joints (chiropractics, osteopathy), and techniques that tame down inflammation (physiotherapy).
All of these techniques (and many more can be included) forget to answer the most fundamental of questions: what is the physical body’s purpose? The answer is to fight gravity. The body, in terms of how it moves, answers two critical conditions: feet must be on the ground and eyes on the horizon. So what if your feet aren’t leveled? What if your eyes do not track properly? How can you sense your environment properly? How can you move efficiently? You can’t. Instead you will adjust accordingly and compensate at the cost of no longer fighting gravity efficiently.
Another disturbing question comes to mind. What if your physical therapist does not look at your base of support (your feet) and eyes muscles? Do you think he/she is looking at the big picture? Wouldn’t his/her approach be incomplete? The answer is yes.
Posturology allows us to evaluate the sensory entries that aren’t working optimally (foot, eye, jaw, scars) so that we can have an impact on your imbalances which are causing you pain. Many proprioceptive dysfunctions symptoms are taken by organic diseases and their classical treatment becomes a disaster because many doctors are ignoring these kinds of dysfunctions.
We live in a symptomatic era, where pharmaceutical companies make a killing off of your ignorance. Posturology is the medical science which studies the consequence on the proprioceptive system linked to wrong systematic body position. This dysfunction can affect all parts of the human body and a differential diagnosis must be done.
An aligned frame is the foundation for optimal movements of all joints. When joints move well, there is no need for muscle tension, arthritis, and the likelyhood for nerve compression is then reduced significantly. Through Posturology, we can address the mechanical factor by optimizing the function of the tendons, joints and skin so that your body can, in turn, help you contract muscles properly.The central nervous system is at the core of Posturology’s focus. It is the missing link where all other therapies have failed.
An integral part of our workshops is to teach the practitioner eye testing as well as the corrections associated to it to correct the problem. The role of the Posturologist is to detect convergence disorders which involve the proprioception of the extrinsic ocular muscles.
Each patient is different and will require personalized examination as well as parameters and a rehabilitation program that are appropriate for his/her condition; esophoria cannot be treated the same way as exophoria.
The eye exercises, performed with your very own index (of the dominant side), serve to re-educate symmetrical movements and create a synergy between the right and left eye.
They are a fundamental part of the process as the magnet only sets the stage for the re-education to take place, via the eye exercises.
Start the eye exercise at 10cm away from the root of the nose, proceed in a clockwise direction (in front of forehead).
The exercise should be done 3 times a day for 30 seconds each time.
Eye convergence insufficiency is a condition in which the eyes are unable to turn inwards when a person looks at a nearby object. This common eye condition affects approximately 8 out of 10 people worldwide.
We know that the eyes are a direct conduit into the brain and are formed from brain tissue. We also know that convergence disorders creates eye strain and fatigue. Could this be linked to migraines? We think so! The eyes can play a direct role in the occurrence, frequency and types of headaches you get.
We’ve all heard of hand/ eye coordination but rarely do we hear of body/eye coordination. Osteopathic lesions and subluxations encountered are often caused by the body adapting to a dysregulated sensor. As such, a convergence defect will immediately result in a homolateral tilting of the shoulder and pelvis.
Two week ago, a patient by the name of Sandye came into Posturepro’s office regarding her constant struggle with headaches. She remembers her headaches beginning at the age of three and as far as she is concerned, they have affected her life almost every day. Today she is a regular at the migraine clinic here in Montreal (Clinique de la migraine de Montréal). Her migraines come in cluster episodes and can last anywhere from a week up to a month.
Sandye has tried to take control of the problem by consulting many specialists and neurologists who have prescribed her everything from painkillers (verapamil, zomig) and cortisone shots to help alleviate the symptoms. All have failed! Up to date, Sandye has spent a grand total of $20,000 trying to fix her condition.
After correcting Sandye’s hypoconvergent eye and posture she has reported being free of headaches and impressive changes have been remarked with her overall convergence. The aim of our treatment is to “workout” the oculomotor muscles, training both eyes to function symmetrically as opposed to individually.
Convergence defects probably account for a great number of idiopathic vertigo, and the fact of having perfect vision in no way eliminates the possibility of having a convergence disorder or heterophoria. Posturologists are trained to identify convergence disorders and can cure up to 85% of migraines in just one consultation.
Disturbances of the eye can be divided into two groups. Primary and secondary causes.
One of the questions that I often get asked is: why doesn’t my doctor know about this? Most health-care practitioners are trained to treat one body part or condition at a time.
Doctors are trained to prescribe medication to hide or treat symptoms, while unfortunately sometimes ignoring the cause of the pain. Ophthamologists are interested in refraction disorders and in binocular vision disorders. Podiatrists are trained to cast the feet with pads that can go up to 2cm of thickness. Dentists work on the teeth and jaws without considering that the head is connected to a body, physical therapists palpate, stretch, pull on muscles, completely oblivious to the fact that the sensitivity of a muscle is subservient to the information it is receiving from the voluntary (Pyramidal tracts) and involuntary system (Extrapyramidal system) and Chiropractics manipulates bones and subluxations which are influenced by postural asymmetries and constraints, as such, never really addressing primary subluxations.
Neurophysiology has progressed immensely over the last 100 years. It is time that specialists realize that it is the relationship between the feet, eyes, jaws, inner ear muscle and skin that constitutes the Postural System. It must be addressed as a whole!
Basic Principle
Humans are in contact with their environment mainly through their feet. The foot provides vertical stability and can adapt to any ascending or descending equilibrium. Once a compensatory pattern has been present for more than a year, the foot and the tissues (fasciae) of the lower extremity have adapted and are now in that compensatory pattern.
If the information coming from the base of support is uneven, it will have a direct impact on posture, muscle tension, motor output and muscle sensitivity resulting in a pathological postural adjustment that cannot be corrected by only working on a segmental level. The idea that these imbalances can be corrected through exercise, manipulation or palpation is misguided.
The Foot
The foot can decompensate posture in three ways; through the skin (by wearing wedges that are greater than 5mm), through the muscles (the sensitivity of the muscle spindles is affected through the mechanoreceptors), and biomechanically.
An articulacy constrain, such as a slight valgus (pronated) of one foot and a varus (supinated) on the other foot, will cause one side of the pelvis to rotate forward relative to the opposite side, affecting the entire kinetic chain.
The Skin
The skin is the largest organ in the body, it is the first thing that comes into contact with the world and with the ground. The skin, is globally rich in mechanoreceptors and can relay information back to the CNS regarding pain, stretch, and pressure. This is how you know whether you are walking on ice or on sand or on a rocky surface.
The skin of the foot just so happens to have a larger receptive field compared to the rest of the body. It is also equipped with extremely precise skin receptors (mechanoreceptors) that are able to code changes in pressure or length variations up to 1/100th of a mm stretch (ruffini endings).
The Muscles
The muscle spindle is a sensory organ that can code changes in length and stretch and that can recognize variation in tension in the order of 3-24 grams of pressure (Messeiner). The tension of a muscle is under the influence of an voluntary and involuntary system. I think that it is interesting to note that the involuntary system is twice as numerous as the voluntary system and is unable to correct itself by itself, as it responds and executes commands of both voluntary and involuntary systems. Strengthening exercises will help, but cannot remove the adaptation of the fascias, as such the foot will reinject the disequilibrium through ascending chains.
A thick pad greater than 5mm like classic orthotics will sensitize the Golgi receptors (threshold 200 grams) and trigger an inverse myotatic reflex. This is the reason why the arch lift in classic orthotics increases every year and isto be worn for life.
Whereas a pad less than 3 mm (proprioceptive insoles) will trigger a stimulating effect of the synergetic muscles and modify the activity of the postural chains and balance them. This has been demonstrated by several studies: Magnusson-1999, André Deshays-1998, Thoumie- 1996, Diener-1984, W and Ching-1997
Postural Insoles: What’s the story?
The first thing you need to know is that researchers in Europe (Bourdiol, Bricot, Janin, Roll) have demonstrated that the skin of the foot reacts to different frequencies, meaning that they were able to induce either a reflex and/or movement in an individual simply by stimulating the skin of the foot with a 90 Hertz frequency. This study was published in 1999 and it is from this very study that the postural insoles were born.
The postural insoles act on the skin, on the muscle and are bioenergetic. The postural insoles, contrary to classical insoles, do not aim to tilt the osseous bodies, rather, they trigger a stimulating effect of the flexor chains through reflex pathways.
Conclusion
Because the recalibration tools work with the nervous system, the speed at which the changes occur are very quick. We can see changes in alignment, stability and pain reduction up to 90% in the first consultation. Impressive results have also been seen in the case of serious neurological conditions such as strokes, multiple sclerosis, Parkison’s Disease, Cavernous Angioma and Cerebral Palsy. We believe the body to be one unit. We also believe that treating any one part of the body without looking at the system as a whole would be an ineffective strategy.
For more information please contact us at 877.315.8489
or at education (at) posturepro (dot) net
The stages of life start from birth. It is this critical period in a child’s life that will set the stones for the rest of their lives. The first step is the birthing process.
A mother who experiences difficulty at birth puts her newborn at risk of the possibility of the its head being molded unevenly while passing through the birth canal. Today, 75% of children are born with a misalignment of the eye axis.
For newborns, having a head that is molded unevenly will have an impact on the entire cranium. This will in turn affect the eye level and the information being processed by the central nervous system (CNS).
If the CNS cannot harmoniously process sensory information from the environment (Exterocetive) to the body (Proprioception), the psychological construction of antigravitational posture of walking will be threatened, as well as the development of cognitive functions.
In children, a descending Postural Disequilibrium observed in the growth period is linked to many pathologies. A postural shift existing before the age of 16 ½ will engender an asymmetry of pressure in the lower limbs resulting in a true Leg Length Discrepancy.
What can be the main cause of birthing complications?
The answer is: an asymmetry of the mother’s pelvis.
I have treated many cases of young children that show signs of Postural Deficiencies affecting their posture and cognitive disorders. GP’s should take note of the affect of the birthing process on the child’s development.
In children, after the acquisition of upright posture and bi pedal walking, Postural Deficiency may occur by the impairment of spatial reference. This decreases referential vision in reference to proprioception to ensure balanced development of the posture of the body. Later, in the adolescence, these symptoms will manifest themselves through musculoskeletal disorders (scoliosis, back pain, etc).
How can an uneven head affect cognition?
It is usually during school years that disorders such as, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, hyperactivity, loss of interest, and attention deficit disorder, will appear.
•25% of all students cannot read due to vision skills deficits. ~ National PTA, 1999
•66% of illiterate adults cannot read due to vision skills deficits. ~ National Center on Adult Literacy
•70% of juvenile delinquents cannot read due to vision skills deficits. ~ CA Youth Authority, 1989
•90% of prison inmates cannot read due to vision skills deficits. ~ Folsom Prison Study
•Poor “basic skills” cost businesses sixty billion per year. ~ National Institute for Literacy
How can an uneven head affect sport performance?
Gravity forces of the foot act directly through aligned joints affecting the leg, hip and back. As such an articulacy constrain, such as a slight valgus (pronated) of one foot and a varus (supinated) on the other foot, will cause one side of the pelvis to rotate forward relative to the opposite side. In time these asymmetries will impact sport performance. The chance of injury is therefore increased. Addressing postural deficiencies is the only solution.
•Knee injury
•Herniated disk DDD
•Lower back pain ~constitutes the third biggest health bill item in North America
•Coxarthrosis (exposure of the femoral head)
•Hip pain
Conclusion
Although your child is perfectly healthy today, if you had birthing complications, chances are that problems may occur in later stages of life. The most important period of Ontogenesis is between the age of 0-9 months.
Solution
Address the mother’s pelvis before she gives birth. This will prevent the child head from passing through the canal asymmetrically and therefore prevent the newborn from being a victim of postural deficiencies from birth.
For a list of Posturologists near you or for more information please contact us at 877.315.8489 or info@posturepro.ca
Become a follower on Facebook or Twitter to get all the new information:
About The Author
Annette Verpillot is the founder of Posturepro, a diagnostics company specializing in Postural Recalibration and neuromuscular restoration.
Today she is one of the most experienced Posturologist in North America and has had numerous opportunities to teach Posturology to heath care professionals in varied fields (sports performance, medicine, chiropractics, dentistry, naturopathy and ophthalmology) on the benefits of incorporating Posturology to their protocols.
Structure and function are married. There is an undeniable relation between the two on many levels in the body.
The term “cluster headache” refers to a type of headache that recurs over a period of time. People who have cluster headaches experience an episode one to three times per day during a period of time (the cluster period), which may last from two weeks to three months. People who suffer from cluster headaches get them at the same time each year, such as the spring or fall.
If you find yourself spending thousands of dollars each year on different therapies and treatments to treat the symptoms of your pain, it might be time for you to consider discovering the cause.
Recent Comments