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Posturology is the knowledge about the human posture and all related body (re)actions, in a neuromodular*, non-pharmacological way. More or less known already is the podopostural therapy as discussed before. Less or hardly known is the relation between

• the eye function and the human posture, vice versa, and
• the jaw function (occlusion) and our posture vice versa.

(*neuromodulation: neurophysiologic signals activate brains and nerve system)

But also massage and osteopathy have their effects on posture and postural disorders.In the future we will know, and be able to describe, more interacting systems.

The foot sole:

Since the seventh decade of the last century, thus over 30 years(!) postural therapists all over Europe are treating postural disorders with patients suffering from e.g. low back pain, knee-, feet- and anklepain. They do so with very thin, individually made insoles, which trigger the nerve receptors (baroreceptors) of the glabrous skin of the foot sole. These insoles do not support but, instead, activate these exteroceptors and, consequently, the related intrinsic footmuscles. We call this facilitation. These receptors are very sensitive: we can walk barefoot on the street and beach, but most of us can not resist tickling of the foot sole. Podopostural therapy has proven to be very effective with these patients. Over 30 years!

The eye function:

Can feet as basis of the (standing) human body be understood, the eye function in relation to our posture seems to be less logic. However, when we get older, we bend forward and when our sight becomes less, we also bend forward. In both cases we lean more on our forefeet. Furthermore: almost everyone has a so called dominant eye, which causes an 'initial' rotation of the head (and thus the body) around the longitudinal (body)axis. In my personal experience sometimes dyslexia with young children appears to be related to a 'wrong' posture. These children can be treated succesfully by changing their posture! Sometimes in combination with nasal prisma glasses.      

The neuromodular, podopostural solution not only forces the body weight backwards to the heels, unloading the forefoot. . .but also corrects the rotation.

BUT. . . visual correction also makes this happen!!

The jaw:

Can feet and eye function in relation to the human posture now be understood, influence from the jaw on the posture does not seem very logic...but is a fact. In particular the articular jaw occlusion. Manual and craniomandibular therapists must be familiar with this phenomenon. Podopostural therapists, known with manual therapy, can often influence this occlusion with their individually made therapeutic insoles. Vice versa jaw treatment influences patients posture!

Leg length discrepancy:

Special attention I want to pay at the leg length discrepancy (LLD). I have often been consulted by patients who, according to their physician, had a leg length discrepancy. This LLD was not found before or in their youth. In my experience this was not a LLD but an 'overloaded' leg. Many professionals, e.g. hairdressers, stand their whole working day on mainly one leg. The muscles of that foot/leg/hip contract and a 'created LLD' is born! This should not be treated as a shorter leg because at the same time the pelvis, and thus the body, rotates toward that 'lower' side (closed chain principle). A heel orthotic creates then even more rotation and makes the problem bigger!(look at the picture below)

Punctum fixum punctum mobile (fixed point moving point):

These Latin words indicates 'what is moving against what?' During stance our feet are the base. They are the 'fixed' basis. The total body is than, relatively, the moving part. While walking, at heelstrike, the intrinsic footmuscles are fixed at heellevel, and 'moving' at forefoot level. However during toestrike the toes are the fixed part and our body is, relatively, moving. Why is this important? It tells us in what direction the involved muscles are contracting. I have often seen that physical therapists, training the m. quadriceps in a sitting position, caused more pain, specially around the patella. Because they did not consider this principle. With this training this muscle is contracted toward proximal. In that situation the pelvis is the fixed bodypart. Standig however, the m.quadriceps is contracted in the opposite direction: toward the foot! Therapistst have to consider this!