A question on posture

Hey guys, 

First up apologies if this is in the wrong spot.

I have a friend with rather bad posture. Not just, not good, but really not good. The question is what medical professional is the most qualified to 'fix' such a problem? 

Chiro, physio, osteo? any others? Does it need to be a medical professional?

I would like to get her checked out first to see if there are any serious issues. After which if the programming for exercises is lacking, and maybe in addition, another program of some style may be added if the ok is made by the guy getting the money. So on that note what is considered the best method for correcting posture? Stretching, strength or something in between? I have looked at pain free, am reading kit's book at the moment, yoga and of course foundation but I am unsure of the best for posture alignment and best suited for someone who is rather disinterested in physical exercise.

Rambled a bit there but in summary, what is the best professional to see in regards to fixing very bad posture? and what 'do it yourself' style is best suited to achieve the same ends?

Thanks for your thoughts guys!

John

Their education is much more important than simply looking at whether they're a pt, chiro, etc.

However, I'd definitely consider a massage therapist

Honestly strength training is the best method of improving posture.  You need to learn to activate a lot of muscles, not just the big ones like glutes, hip flexors ect but thoracic extensors (which most people aren't even aware of) and even tiny muscles like the omohyoids.  I like GST because there's such a huge focus on correct bodyline, but even learning how to deadlift with a neutral head position can help.

Activating all these muscles is a conscious process, and not something that can be achieved solely by relaxing certain muscles and tightening others.  And it takes effort, which is why you need to build up the strength in these muscles.

Any of the professionals you mention could help her but if she's not interested then it's gonna be hard to make any improvement... it's got to come from within and as Daniel Burnham said in another thread recently... you can lead a horse to water...

Hmms is right in that it involves educating people so they can make positive choices. Question is whether they really want to change. Even if you're consistent in strength and flexibility training it still takes quite a while if you're coming from a big deficit in mobility.

If it were me I'd try and see a sports massage therapist regularly (wish I could afford this!), work on Kit's material and the mobility work in F1/H1. I tried yoga but I prefer Kit's approach to flexibility. Good luck with whatever approach she decides to take

All three professions are pretty darn decent if they're passionate about solving peoples problems, I like to look through testimonies if I visit any of these people.

If the posture is superbly bad with excessive thoracic kyphosis, and such, leave any questions for the professionals. 

As a guideline if the posture isn't inhuman, simply strengthen and stretch the whole body with a bigger focus on postural muscles such as the glutes, scapula retractors/depressors, external rotation (You can observe excessive internal rotation, the palm of the hands face behind them) and the muscles of the neck (Elliot Hulse has mentioned a bit of neck posture in his videos. The title of one of the videos is 'Are chin ups bad for you?' - Vague question but with the right answer). 

Also stretch out the hip flexors, hamstrings, everything, this person sounds like a sit down all day person. Also working on intensely breathing seems to help with expanding the chest and shoulders back, it feels pretty good.

Also, well said with 'You can lead a horse to water'.

I wish your friend the best of luck, having bad posture can cause more than just physiological problems. 

Kit has a great book in back and neck issues. This would cover about half of the corrective stuff. There are several layers to fixing posture. You have bony structure which can be misaligned. This should be left to a chricopractor. You then have muscles and fascia that are too short or too long from constant lengthening or tightening. The. You have activation issues. Each needs to be addressed. In the end It is correct activation that will permanently resolve the issue. The others should be treated as needed to speed the process.

Note I am not a physiotherapist. Just a random dude who has corrected his own and several others posture.

Generally I suggest massage and chiropractic care for the short term. Not a correction every week for the rest of your life.

Stretching and forcing proper positions are next to allow the alignment. This is where kits book shines!

Then you work on muscle strength. This will keep things in check and lead to permanent change. I have had good success with ktape on my back during the day to provide feedback.

I don't have a lot of experience with helping women on this issue but for men it is often heavy slouching and shortening of the pec muscles that cause a lot of problems. This coupled with alignment issues stemming from the hips really screws up posture. I'm women I notice a lot of weirdness in the lumbar spine.

Kit covers hips all the way up the spine and is what I died to help go forward head posture.

The handstand mobility exercises in h1 also do wonders as does hollow body and arch body drills. This is one of the reasons I follow coach's program. I have seen it correct many issues just by knowing the body activation better.

Honestly, massage therapist helps the most.  After a good massage, gains from stretching and strengthening will occur much faster than without

Thank you for all the responses.

From what you guys have said it will be a long multifaceted process. This is well beyond my knowledge, unfortunately affording a prof' to guide along the way is not feasible. 

She does, as Jake mentioned, have hyperkyphosis (I had to look that up) so i guess that is the first to look at. I have found a chiropractor that has also studied physiotherapy, so I think he might be the one.

So the plan as of this minute.

See chiro/physio guy.

Buy Kit's book and work on stretches.

In time add in strength, most likely foundation.

Thanks again guys.

If I remember i'll add an update in a year or so

just a suggestion while looking for medical professionals: it's better to find people that are certified in either FMS or the SFMA.  even TPI would be good too.

they're more likely to look at the body as a whole compared to looking at each individual muscles.  of course, that doesnt mean that people that isn't certified in FMS or SFMA is bad.  My doctor for example is an orthopedic chiropractor that is one of the 9 doctors on the PGA Sports Medicine Staff but isn't certified in FMS or SFMA.

Jake Lawrance said:

(Elliot Hulse has mentioned a bit of neck posture in his videos. The title of one of the videos is 'Are chin ups bad for you?' - Vague question but with the right answer).

He's done quite a few of these actually.  If you want to get to the good bits, just look up 'neck strength' on his channel.

Although I know some better exercises for the omohyoids, if you need them.

I have a little bit kyphotic spine created by years of bad posture and sitting on a computer.

Thanks to this, I have a hugely impressive protraction, when doing planche leans. Got some positive feedback from Coach during the London seminar

Anyways, this is where the fun ends. When i pike, my spine has actually two points where it bends, the upper back, and just above hips. My middle back just stays straight as s#%t. I can get a very nice sensation of pressure to my middle back, if I do an elevated pike stretch so that my feet are on a sofa for example, and I pull with my hands by grapping something underneath.

Would this be a correct way to force the middle portion of spine to get mobilized by time? I of course do te foundation mobility work as well!

I have achieved pretty nice press handstands by now, just figured they would be even nicer if I had a more even bending spine.