“My spouse’s posture is awful. I tell them to stand up straight all the time, and they never listen to me!!” At this point, I’m usually treated to a not-so-discreet eye roll and a deep, exasperated sigh from said spouse. It's a comment I hear all the time; while a person’s spouse may be bothered by the cosmetic aspect of their significant other walking around hunched over, the functional implications are the most important consideration of it all. Walking hunched over has a big impact on a number of things, including our balance, walking form and efficiency, and may make us more susceptible to pain in certain areas, such as the back or neck.
Let’s talk a little bit about something called the center of gravity. Basically, this is the body’s balance point, and if a person is standing straight up, this is going to be located fairly close to their belly button. What if you’re slouched or stooped forward while walking, though? In this case, your center of gravity is going to be shifted to be in front of your body. This means that if you trip or otherwise lose your balance, your balance point is already located in front of you. In short, your body’s already predisposed to fall forward, and it’s going to be harder to recover and avoid a fall.
Your regular walking pattern is also going to be influenced by stooping. It becomes more likely that a person will take smaller steps, and won’t utilize their hips as much as they’re supposed to. People often begin to pick their feet up less, making it more likely that they’ll trip or stumble over an object. Walking often becomes much slower and less efficient as well.
Of course, nobody walks around stooped over because they enjoy doing it, and there are a number of different reasons why somebody may adopt this habit. Balance issues may be the most common reason, because people tend to rely heavily on looking at the ground when they feel unsteady on their feet. Instead of exclusively looking down with their eyes, people typically tilt their head down, and the rest of the back stoops forward along with it. In this case, addressing the balance issue itself in addition to the habit and fear of falling is critical in achieving success. Stooping may also be the result of a neurological issue, such as Parkinson’s, though it most likely won’t be the first or primary symptom of such a disease (There will be other, more distinct signs present). In other scenarios, someone may have started to stoop due to an old ache or pain, or due to tightness in the neck or back. If a person has been walking stooped over for an extended period of time, it’s likely that there are multiple factors at play.
Ultimately, with stooping, it’s important to figure out exactly what’s causing it to happen so that you have the most effective game plan to address it. Whether the stoop can be 100% corrected will vary depending on the cause, but even if it can’t be fully improved, physical therapy will still be helpful for addressing it as well as possible, as well as improving overall mobility, balance, and confidence with movement.
Have you or somebody that you know been having issues with stooping, slouching, or walking in general? If so, we would love to see how we can help! Get in touch with us by calling 239-232-8155, or email us at Contact@SerendipityPTW.com.
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