Asthma can affect posture in children

Bad posture is a term which gets thrown around regularly.

By definition, posture is “the position in which someone holds their body while sitting or standing”.

Poor posture is understood to be the stance someone holds themselves in, in which the body cannot function optimally.

It can occur at any age, even within children. Poor posture in children may be linked to many things, including sitting at a school desk, the use of mobile phones and computers, as well as carrying heavy school bags. However, one contributing factor that people often don’t think of is asthma.

Asthma affects roughly one in nine Australians and is commonly known to cause difficulty breathing, continual coughing and a tight chest. Despite asthmas global fame, a link is seldom made between it and poor posture.

Nevertheless, there are multiple evidential sources which suggest a link between the two in children. If we consider the ways in which the body accommodates children suffering from asthma to breath, this evidence is understandable.

The body has an innate ability to adapt to both internal and external stimuli (asthma) in order to provide the greatest health. However, sometimes this can lead to inferior musculoskeletal integrity, and thus poor posture.

Children suffering from asthma will often have several key musculoskeletal features as a result of their body’s attempt to provide optimum functionality.

Primarily, the neck muscles will tighten as a result of upper rib breathing. This can often have a knock-on effect on the thoracic spine and whole shoulder girdle mechanics.

Similarly, the diaphragm, with its indirect and direct connections to the lungs, low back and thus lower extremity, tightens.

All of these traits have the ability to lead to poor posture, or to greater restriction later in life if not appropriately managed. Although in many cases children bounce-back from many musculoskeletal problems, asthma can have a lasting effect on the body and its posture.

It is for the reasons described above that when we treat children afflicted by asthma through manual therapy, we endeavour to take into consideration its effects upon the whole body, its posture, both immediate and long term.

Dr Yolanda Fisher is an osteopath at The health Creation Centre in Ocean Grove.