Posture Exercise and Improved Skills
As a dedicated outpatient Occupational Therapist for the past fourteen years, I have truly seen the benefits of posture exercise. Specializing in upper body and burn injuries at a level one trauma center, I have gained a thorough understanding of the body as an integrated whole and believe in a holistic approach. Incorporating postural and body balancing exercises into my patient’s treatments has really made such a positive difference.
Training with BodyZone provided an advanced understanding the key concepts of strong posture (motion, balance, patterns, compensation and adaptation), and helped me become a better therapist. When an injury occurs, the patient will find ways to avoid movement of the painful stiff area. The longer the patient compensates the more permanent the problem becomes. CPEP training taught me excellent techniques to isolate target areas and cue patients to avoid compensations. For example, training a patient to do a pelvic tuck while raising the arm to gain shoulder motion will prevent them from arching their back, which is a common compensation.
Not only have my coaching skills improved, but my ability to educate my patients to better understand their body, their injury and how to get the most out of their home exercises have improved. I believe in empowering those I work with to become active participants in their wellness, and Dr. Weiniger’s programs teach this as a priority. BodyZone’s educational presentations and patient handouts have been an excellent resource to reach this goal. Many of my patients have been impressed and comment that the information was so helpful for their recovery.
I have realized the endless benefits of strong posture for people in their daily lives, not just to treat problems but avoid them all together. I have started a wellness education company to make this knowledge readily available to everyone. Posture training will be the cornerstone of the services we provide and will ensure my clients achieve lifelong benefits. A balanced body leads to a balanced life and BodyZone has trained me to be an expert!
Raina Trevenna, CPEP, OT, CHT
