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The Importance of Posture and Muscular Balance in the Body for Managing Skeletal Muscle Injuries in Active Females

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The Active Female

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Abstract

Proper posture in the active female is maintained by a complex interplay between both the musculoskeletal system and neurological system. Together, these systems utilize various anatomical and physiological components such as bones, musculature, the neuromuscular junction, action potentials, reflex arcs, and the motor cortex to control the curvature of the spine. With increasing age, both females and males tend to accumulate postural deficits that can be due to muscular imbalances or bone changes like osteoporosis. Such debilitating changes often lead to pain, muscular atrophy, and injuries. Yet, these postural changes can be prevented and/or mitigated with proper physical exercise programs and therapeutic modalities. Prior to beginning a postural correction regimen, one’s baseline spinal curvature should be assessed using methods such as the flexicurve ruler and bubble inclinometer. Understanding the underlying causes of poor posture in addition with how to assess and prevent its negative repercussions are paramount to maintaining an active lifestyle well into a female’s elderly years.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Abdurrahman Fayez Kharbat & Freedom Lee Xeros Ha

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Mimi Zumwalt

  3. Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb

Authors
  1. Abdurrahman Fayez Kharbat
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  2. Freedom Lee Xeros Ha
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  3. Mimi Zumwalt
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  4. Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdurrahman Fayez Kharbat .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb

  2. Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Mimi Zumwalt

  3. Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

    Maria Fernandez-del-Valle

Chapter Review Questions

Chapter Review Questions

  1. 1.

    What are the proper vertebral levels at which to measure the degree of kyphosis using the bubble inclinometer and what range of measurement is considered hyperkyphotic?

    1. (a)

      C7/T1 and T12/L1; >40°

    2. (b)

      T1/T2 and T12/L1; <40°

    3. (c)

      T1/T2 and L1/L2; >40°

    4. (d)

      T1/T2 and T12/L1; >40°

  2. 2.

    Which of the following exercises promotes thoracic extension and specifically involves contraction and strengthening of the upper back musculature?

    1. (a)

      Bird dogs

    2. (b)

      Banded rows

    3. (c)

      Wall tilts

    4. (d)

      Bodyweight squats

  3. 3.

    Which of the following correctly describes the components of a motor unit?

    1. (a)

      Motor neuron and skeletal muscle fibers innervated by that motor neuron

    2. (b)

      Motor neuron and neuromuscular junction (NMJ)

    3. (c)

      Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and skeletal muscle fibers innervated by that NMJ

    4. (d)

      Motor neuron and muscle spindle

  4. 4.

    Which of the following is an example of an electrical-to-chemical signal transduction?

    1. (a)

      Presynaptic neuron → postsynaptic neuron

    2. (b)

      Motor neuron → neuromuscular junction (NMJ)

    3. (c)

      Sensory mechanoreceptor → afferent sensory nerve

    4. (d)

      Acetylcholine (ACh) → nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)

  5. 5.

    Which of the following factors are involved in contributing to postural deficits in individuals?

    1. (a)

      Age

    2. (b)

      Gender

    3. (c)

      Muscular imbalances

    4. (d)

      All of the above

Answers

  1. 1.

    d

  2. 2.

    b

  3. 3.

    a

  4. 4.

    b

  5. 5.

    d

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Kharbat, A.F., Ha, F.L.X., Zumwalt, M., Robert-McComb, J.J. (2023). The Importance of Posture and Muscular Balance in the Body for Managing Skeletal Muscle Injuries in Active Females. In: Robert-McComb, J.J., Zumwalt, M., Fernandez-del-Valle, M. (eds) The Active Female. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15485-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15485-0_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-15485-0

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