Postural Distortion Happens in One of Four Quadrants
Postural distortion changes how we look, function and feel. There are four quadrants in which distortion patterns are most prominent. Correcting your posture starts by evaluating where your distortion patterns are found.
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Quadrant One: Head & Neck
Distortion Pattern: Head going forward, head tilted
Commonly associated with neck pain, text neck, tension headaches, migraines TMJ/jaw issues.
Quadrant Two: Upper Back, Shoulders, Rib Cage
Distortion Pattern: Shoulder unleveling and/or rolling forward, upper back hunching, torso “leaning” toward one side.
Commonly associated with shoulder tension, rotator cuff injuries, upper back pain, thoracic outlet syndrome, breathing capacity, rib pain.
Quadrant Three: Low Back & Pelvis
Distortion Pattern: Pelvis rotating too far forward or too far back, unlevelling of the hips, low back curve exaggerated.
Commonly associated with low back pain, low back tension, sciatica, IT band issues, tight hip flexors, piriformis syndrome, disc injuries.
Quadrant Four: Legs, Knees & Feet
Distortion Pattern: Flat feet, knees coming together, pigeon toeing, or duck footing.
Commonly associated with flat feet, ankle instability, knee injuries, hip injuries, tight calves, ACL/MCL injuries, knee pain with walking or going up or down stairs,
Correcting Our Posture
While changes to our posture may change the way we look, postural distortions go beyond aesthetics. Long term distortions lead to imbalances which can contribute to, or cause injuries. Often, correcting symptoms we’re experiencing due to postural decay means we have to build better posture.