Posture and cystic fibrosis.

Posture is the mechanical relationship of the parts of the body to each other. It can be divided into static posture (at rest or without anticipated movement, e.g. lying, sitting or standing), and dynamic posture (in action or anticipation of action).1 It changes with positions and movements of the body, and is influenced by many factors, including general health, sex, body build, strength, personal habits, environment and mood. The Posture Committee of the American Orthopedic Association (1946) defines good posture as ‘that state of muscular and skeletal balance which protects the supporting structures of the body against injury and progressive deformity irrespective of the attitude in which these structures are working and resting. Under these conditions the muscles will function most efficiently and the optimum positions are afforded for the thoracic and abdominal organs’.2 Efficient movement needs a background posture or alignment adequate for a particular task. Man has developed an upright posture so his hands are released for complex tasks.

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