Heather discusses posture assessment purpose and priorities:
- Posture for optimal breathing and speaking patterns.
- Posture for optimal head position and movement in space
- Posture for optimal trunk movement and responsiveness in locomotion and direction change, and upper trunk support for skilled upper extremity function.
In terms of ’tips’ or a focused approach to improvement where posture, balance, and reduced fall risk are involved, I have two pillars on which I build recommended programs:
- First, one must have the basic equipment or infrastructure with which to work. This is where working towards optimal posture, sufficient range of motion, maximizing proprioception, ability to accurately perceive gravity and velocity, and enough strength to move limbs in space comes in. Notice that I put strength last on the list.
- Second, we work towards flexibility and speed in sensory re-weighting in response to changing environmental demands. Since the human brain is naturally programmed to rely on vision above all other sensations, this may require limiting vision.
- Aimi L. Forsyth, BAppSc (Phty), Serene S. Paul, PhD, BAppSc (Phty)(Hons), Natalie E. Allen, PhD, BAppSc (Phty) (Hons), Catherine Sherrington, PhD, MPH, BAppSc (Phty), Victor S. C. Fung, PhD, MBBS (Hons), and Colleen G. Canning, PhD, MA, BPhtyFlexed Truncal Posture in Parkinson Disease: Measurement Reliability and Relationship With Physical and Cognitive Impairments, Mobility, and Balance. JNPT Volume 41, April 2017
- Jacobs, Jesse & Henry, Sharon & Horak, Fay. (2018). What If Low Back Pain Is the Most Prevalent Parkinsonism in the World?. Frontiers in Neurology. file:///C:/Users/Erica%20DeMarch/Downloads/What_If_Low_Back_Pain_Is_the_Most_Prevalent_Parkin.pdf
- Van der Jagt-Willems HC, de Groot MH, van Campen JP, Lamoth CJ, Lems WF. Associations between vertebral fractures, increased thoracic kyphosis, a flexed posture and falls in older adults: a prospective cohort study. BMC Geriatr. 2015;15:34. Published 2015 Mar 28.
Heather Campbell, PT, DPT, OCS has 43 years of experience integrating musculoskeletal and neurologic recovery. She earned her physical therapy degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in motor control and exercise physiology from University of Denver, and a doctorate from University of Montana. Early in her career she qualified for a manual therapy competence certificate, and Board Certification as an Orthopedic Physical Therapy Specialist.
Dr. Campbell has served on faculties of first professional and post-professional academic programs in physical therapy, medicine, and dentistry, as well as giving local, national and international professional education seminars. She currently serves as affiliate faculty at Regis University. With a career emphasis in musculoskeletal spine care, she focuses on postural, visual and vestibular interdependence and how to influence central sensory processing for recovery after injury or neurologic disease. Her expertise in concussion management links cervicovestibular assessment to all other components in a multidisciplinary approach to care.
She awarded Colorado’s Outstanding PT of the Year in 2019 for her tireless efforts in promoting the return to play legislation, and she consulted in creating the PT department and program for the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in 2017-2018