Staring at the phone - this picture is now an integral part of our daily lives. We see it at the bus stop, in the vehicle, in the store, in the restaurant - everywhere we are. Hospitals and medical centers are full of increasingly younger patients who complain of back pain, arm pain, joint inflammation and more. All this comes from incorrect posture. You may have heard, but there is a special science that deals with the posture of the human body. It is called posturology. Posture is determined by the condition of the muscles and fascia and the mobility of the joints, which depends on local factors and is subject to neuromuscular regulation. How can posturology relieve a person of pain and what are the things that, with minimal effort, will relieve us of pain? These and other questions are answered by Dr. Marieta Karadjova - President of the Bulgarian Society for Manual Medicine of Vertebrogenic Diseases (BSMMVZ) and Vice President of the Bulgarian Association of Posturology (BAP) - in a special interview for FACTS.
Dr. Karadjova, what is posturology?
This is the science of human posture. Posture is truly a reflection of our health - its mirror, because it does not only reflect the state of the musculoskeletal system. It also reflects the state of the human psyche. When we are in a certain mental state, this is also reflected in posture. For example, depressed people pull their shoulders forward. They lower their heads. All of this inevitably affects the musculoskeletal system over time, and a vicious circle results.
And the posture in which we stare at the phone - be it in the subway, on the street...
This posture with the head tilted forward, depending on the degrees of forward tilt, can calculate exactly how much your head weighs. If it is, for example, 15 degrees forward tilted, instead of 6 kg, the load becomes 12 kg, at 30 degrees - 18 kg. etc., which accordingly leads to overstrain from the neck all the way to the middle of the back. And when this accumulates over time, it leads to pain and a complete change in posture.
This is where posturology comes in to find the problem?
Yes, because it is the only science that can find the problem at a functional level. We see a person who may be healthy, thinking that he has no complaints, but posturology can find his weak points and what could develop in the future. Our body is designed in such a way that each organ (including the spine and joints) has a reserve to compensate for up to 90% of the disorders, without any symptoms. Then the organ suffers, but does not yet show symptoms. Therefore, we live peacefully and at the 91st % - one drop completely turns everything around - severe, severe pain. Sometimes patients share: “But I just reached out to get the salt“. But in reality, this was the last straw, and in this regard, posturology is also very valuable in childhood.
A document from the Ministry of Health in Italy states that every child up to the age of 12 must undergo such an analysis, because it can see changes in posture until growth is complete and the body can compensate - for example, a developing scoliosis. It has been found many times that scoliosis is a compensatory reaction to an incorrect bite, accompanied by a related change in the position of the head, eyes, hyoid bone and shoulder blade. Before bone development is complete and the growth of the vertebrae and other bones continues, by balancing the muscle chains, the process could be reversed, namely the scoliosis could be straightened. If diagnosed after the age of 12, the body has already sealed it.
Posturology originated in the middle of the last century in France, and has been developing very intensively in the last 20-30 years in Italy. It was there that they found that the problem of the musculoskeletal system in children comes from the bite and therefore a comprehensive monitoring of the child is practiced by a team of dentists, orthodontists, posturologists. Children do appropriate exercises for the chewing muscles, tongue and body, and take into account orthodontic treatment. Over time, they monitor the child with objective means and it is seen that his scoliosis also changes.
The high percentage of effectiveness comes from the fact that orthopedists, dentists, neurologists and physiotherapists work as a team…
It is mandatory to work as a team. That's why I'm very happy that we've managed to train various specialists - physiotherapists, rehabilitators, dentists, neurologists, physiotherapists - in our country for two consecutive years in the 8-month course of the school of posturology.
Posturology reveals micro-changes that have occurred in the human body. This is something that is not visible on imaging studies and even on the highest resolution nuclear magnetic resonance. It is about something functional and can only appear in a certain posture.
In order to avoid this 91st fatal percentage, what prevention is necessary?
The main prevention is movement. Movement harmonizes. Statics and stagnant postures – disharmonize.
How much movement per day?
The truth is that we do not need permanent movement. The important thing is to get up and walk around at certain short intervals, even to the next room. Monotonous postures should be interrupted by movements of the whole body at regular intervals.
Once upon a time, for example, how children did morning serenity. Now that is gone.
There is little to be desired. For example, to walk 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes. It is not necessary to take the coveted 10,000 steps every day. If a person has set a goal to reach them within the day, they should not be all at once, but again it is necessary to be distributed over time. The golden mean should always be sought.
On April 26 and 27, the II International Conference on Posturology “Stress - reflection of health“ will be held in Sofia. We see that psychotherapists will also take part in it. What is their role?
The psyche has a key influence on posture. The Italian colleague will talk about a very interesting connection between the three brains – the third brain is in the abdomen (in addition to the brain and spinal cord, which we all know about). We will talk about the lines of pain relief, each of which has its own characteristics.
The psyche is the leader in many things, in any healing. The psyche can heal you, but it can also make you sick.
A professor of gnathology will also participate in the conference…
This is a specialist in bites – how the upper and lower jaws meet. This is fundamental for the joints to work normally, in sync. So that they do not fall into dysfunction and the muscles that are connected to them in chains do not lead to pain in the same half of the body.
Will the topic of sciatica also be discussed?
Yes. At first glance, a pain that we think necessarily comes from the spine, but it may turn out to come from the muscle chains.
You have mentioned several times the key role of the muscles. Is it correct to say that some of the problems come from inappropriate exercises in the gym for the given person?
The muscles throughout the body are connected by fascia. It is common to the entire body and, just as it is common to muscles, it is also connected to internal organs.
Here again, we are talking about microchanges that sometimes, over time, when they accumulate, can lead to serious problems. As we mentioned, muscles are connected in chains, and when one muscle in the chain is weak, the entire chain is weak. When the chain is weak, it is more susceptible to pain and other negative consequences for the entire body.
Two of the main things that a person should focus on today are the correct posture in front of the computer and the right exercises for him in the gym. Incorrect exercises can lead to overstrain of certain muscle groups, which can drag everyone in the chain and this can lead to pain in many places - for example, something is wrong in the shoulder, but the leg starts to hurt.
The 2nd International Posturology Conference “Posture - a reflection of health“, which will be held on April 26 and 27 at the Medical University in Sofia, will be attended by leading Italian specialists in the fields of posturology, psychotherapy, dentistry and gnathology.