What it means
How the body is held and lined up. Good posture keeps the head, shoulders and hips in line and puts less strain on muscles and joints. Changes in posture can tell a nurse something: a stooped, forward-leaning posture, a client leaning forward to breathe, or abnormal stiff postures in serious brain injury (decorticate and decerebrate posturing).
For the nurse
Use good body mechanics yourself: keep a wide base, bend at the knees and hips, keep the load close and avoid twisting. Report new abnormal posturing in a client with a brain injury at once.
At a glance
| Spanish | postura |
|---|---|
| Also written | postures |
Related terms
range of motion
How far a joint can move in each of its normal directions, and the exercises that move joints through it.
positioning
Placing a client's body in a certain position for comfort, safety, treatment or a procedure.