A study to investigate posture variation in the different somatotypes
Item
- Title
- A study to investigate posture variation in the different somatotypes
- Author(s)
- Bish Soraya
- Abstract
- There is much debate concerning posture in individuals of different morphology. The author aimed at determining whether osteopaths should take into account the three somatotypes (endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs) when assessing a patient’s posture and instead of standardising every patient to the one accepted ‘ideal’, consider there is a characteristic posture for each somatotype. Posture was measured from the lateral aspect using a plumb line (to determine deviation of certain anatomical landmarks from this centre of gravity) in 87 subjects from the British School of Osteopathy (mean age of 30.91 years, with a range of 21 to 50 years of age, standard deviation 7.77), with an almost equal distribution of sex (44 males and 43 females). Somatotype of the subjects was determined using anthropometric measurements according to the Heath and Carter (1967) method of somatotyping.No significant difference was found between the groups (due to constraints of the study and subject population only endomorphs and mesomorphs were compared). However, the results did highlight that anterior deviation from the centre of gravity was a common feature of both somatotypes. The author discussed the errors in the methodology and although the results were inconclusive, concluded that it is important for osteopaths to adopt a holistic approach in their evaluation, treatment and maintenance of patients, instead of being reductionist in considering there is one ‘ideal’ posture for all
- Abstract
- presented at
- British School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2000
- Date Submitted
- 31.7.2000 00:00:00
- Type
- undergraduate_project
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 12156
- Inst-Identifier
- 780
- Keywords
- Somatotype,Posture,Morphology,Body Shape
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Bish Soraya, “A study to investigate posture variation in the different somatotypes”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed April 29, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/2294