BRUGGER'S POSTURAL RELIEF EXERCISE

(1)

BRUGGER'S POSTURAL RELIEF

EXERCISE

Brugger's Postural Relief Exercise strengthens

your

muscles. lt

promotes

stability

and

relaxes

tight

muscles

that tighten due

to

postural

stress

(see

Figure

2).

Check

the

tension

in

your

upper back

and

shoulders

in

the

slumped posture and

then

in

the

postural relief position. Muscle tension

is

dramatically reduced

in

the

postural relief

position.

Another check

is

to

turn

your

head

in the

slumped

and

corrected postures.

Again,

a

dramatic

improvement

in

the postural relief

position

should

be observed.

Figure

1

FOLLOW THESE

SIX STEPS:

1. Sit

with your

buttocks at

the edge

of a

chair.

2. Spread

your

legs apart slightly.

3. Turn

your

toes

out slightly.

4. Rest your

weight

on

your legslfeet &

relax

your abdominal

muscles.

5. Tilt

your

pelvis

fonryard

&

Iift

your

chest

up

thus

increasing

the

curve

of

your lower

back

to

its maximum.

6. Turn your palms

up.

This

postural exercise should be done

for

10 seconds every

20 minutes.

lt

can

be

incorporated into

sit

to

stand, walking,

and

lifting. Within

a

few

weeks, you

will

experience

the

sensation

of

sitting

and

standing straighter

naturally. When

this

occurs, conscious

effort is not as

necessary

because

you have learned

a

new skill on an automatic

basis.

This is

ideal as

a

new

postural

habit

once learned

is unlikely

to

be broken.

Figure

2

(2)

UPPER

BAGK

&

NECK

Stretch i n

g

T h e rap e uti c

Exercises

GENERAL

INSTRUCTIONS:

Do only those exercises taught to you by your therapist. Exercise twice daily, 10 of each.

Neck

Flexion/Extension:

With your chin tucked in and

mouth

closed,

slowly

lower

your

head

to

your

chest.

Reiurn

to

starting

position.

Relax. Bring your head as far back

as

possible so you can

look up at the ceiling.

+.?

_t

ffr

ljtt

Itt

Upper

Trapezius:

Sit

in

a

chair.

Clasp

your

hands behind

your

back.

Titt

and

rotate your head

to

the

left,

looking toward your underarm.

Repeat on the right.

-q

Levator

Scapulae:

Sit in a

chair. Place your hands behind

you

head"

Slowly move your chin to your chest while turning your head to the

right.

Repeat on left side,

Pectoralis: Stand in an open

doorway. Raise you hands out to your sides to shoulder level. Bend your elbows

and

point your fingers toward the ceiling.

Put your forearms against the

door frame

and

lean fon*rard

until you feel

a

stretch across your chest.

Scalleni:

Sit in a chair. Clasp

your hands behind your back.

Lower your left shoulder and

tilt

your

head

to

the

right.

Lower your right shoulder and tilt your head to the left.

',%,flT,h

Suboccipitals: Lie flat on your

back, or stand against a wall. Place

a

pillow behind your

head.

Tuck in your chin and

push your head and neck into

the pillow.

EXERCISE GUIDELINES:

Exhale on exertion. Hold position for 30 seconds and then relax.

Pulling sensations may occur while exercising. Stop exercising if you experience pain, nausea or dizziness.

(3)

UPPER

BAGK

&

NECK

Range

of

Motion

Therapeutic

Exercises

Name

Date

Flexion/Extension:

Sit in a chair, keeping your neck, shoulders, and trunk

straight.

Tuck in your chin and lower your head slowly, keeping your mouth

closed.

Return to starting position and

relax.

Bring your head back as far as possible, looking up at the

ceiling.

Stop movement if you feel any pain.

Lateral Flexion:

Sit in

a

chair, keeping your neck, shoulders, and trunk straight.

Tilt

your head, slowly lowering your ear to your right

shoulder.

Return to starting position and relax. Repeat

the

movement

to

your left

shoulder.

Keep your nose pointing forward and

do

not raise your shoulders toward your

head.

Rotation:

Sit in

a

chair, keeping your neck, shoulders, and trunk straight. Turn your head

slowly bringing your chin toward your right

shoulder.

Return

to

starting position and relax.

Repeat

the

movement

to

your left

shoulder.

Keep your

eyes

level

with the

floor.

(4)

UPPER

BAGK

&

IIEGK

I sametric The ra pe uti c Exercrses

Name Date

Flexion:

Place your

pdm on

your forehead. Press your head into your palm and

reist

the

movement

with your

palm.

Hold

for

5 seconds, then

relax.

Repeat with the Iefi side, Stop movement if you

feelany

pain.

Extension:

Place

your

palm

on

the

back of

your

head-

Press your head into your palm and resist the movement with your

palm.

Hold for 5 seconds, then

relax-

Repeat with

the

left side. Stop movement if you feel any pain.

Flexion:

Plae

your right palm on the right

side

of

your

head. Prss

your

head into

your

palm

and

resist

the

movement

with your

palm.

Hold for 5

seconds,

then

relax. Repeat

with the lefi

side.

Stop movemer*

if

you feel any pain.

(5)

LOTTER

BAGI(

&

LEGS

Stretch i n

g

T h e ra peutic

Exercises

GENERAL

INSTRUCTIOI,IS:

Do only those exercises taught to you by your therapist. Exercise twice daily, 10 of each,

Psoas:

Place knee on chair. Bend

the

opposite knee so that you can feel a sketch- Do

not allow your back

to

arch.

Hold 5 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

1 Hamstrings:

Sit with

feet

against

the wall and

hands

behind back.

Allow trunk

to

slump

(slouch

_with

poor posture). Bend

nck

fonlrard until you feel a stretch- Hold 5

seconds.

Quadriceps:

Stand

up straight, near something you

can

use

for support.

Bend your

left

knee

to

bring your heel up touard your buttocks. Reach back and grab your foot or

ankh.

Pull your leg behind you. Repeat on the right side.

Soleus:

Face

a

wall, about two paces

away.

Place your hands against the

wall.

Step

forward

wtth your right

l€,

keeping both heels flat on the

floor.

Lean your hips toward the wallwhile keeping your lefi leg straight to stretch your calf. Repeat on the otherside.

Erector Spinae:

Sit

doram.

Bend fonrard and rmch down

to grasp your calves with both

hands.

Pull your

My

toerard the floor. Hold.

Relax-Erector

Spine:

Cat

&

Cow

S&ef6t.

Get

on

your hands

and

knes.

Put your hands

under

your

shouldes

and knees under your

hips.

Let your head hang

down.

Pull

your stomach in and arch your

back

up.

Hold and release.

Slowly let your back sag down and raise your head up.

Pulling sensations may occur while exercising. Stop exercising ff you experience pain, nausea or dizziness.

(6)

LOWER

BAGK

&

LEGS

I so m et ri

c

T h e ra p e

utic Exercises

GENERAL

INSTRUCTIONS:

Do only those exercises taught to you by your therapist. Exercise twice daily, 10 of each.

Hamstrings:

Sit

with

your

foot

in

front

of

the

chair.

Place your heel on the floor and point your toes

up.

Pull

your heel down to the floor.

1 Quadriceps:

Sit with your feet flat on the

floor.

Lift one

foot and straighten your knee

completely.

Hold and then

return you foot

to

the floor.

Repeat with the other foot.

Hip Flexors:

Sit with your feet flat on the

floor.

Lift one

knee and raise your foot off

the

floor.

Hold

and

then

return you foot

to

the floor. Repeat with the other foot.

Gluteals: Sit with your knees

apart.

Squeeze

your buttocks together

as

tightly as possible. Hold. Relax.

Hip

Adductors: Sit

with a

rolled-up towel between your knees and

thighs.

Squeeze thetowel tightly. Relax.

Hip

Abductors:

Place

a

chair against a wall, or use a

chair with arms. Put a rolled-up towel between your thigh and the wall (or chair arm).

Press your

leg

against the

towel. Hold. Relax.

Pulling sensations may occur while exercising. Stop exercising if you experience pain, nausea or dizziness.

(7)

Name

LOWER

BAGK

Range

of

Motion

Therapeutic Exercr'ses

Date

Flexion/Extension:

Stand upright with your

arms

relaxed

at

your sides

and

your

feet

slightly

apart.

Bend forward

and

reach for

your toes,

let

gravity

pull you

towards the

floor.

Straighten back up and

relax,

Place your hands on the small of your

back.

Apply

gentle forward

pressure.

Arch

backwards, keeping your eyes level with the

floor.

Lateral Flexion:

Stand upright with your arms relaxed

at your sides and your feet slightly apart. Bend slowly

to the

right, sliding

your

hand down

your

leg.

Keep

both heels on the floor. Straighten back up and relax. Repeat to the left

side.

Rotation:

Stand

upright

with your arms

on

your hips and feet slightly

apart.

Twist at the waist and

look over your right shoulder

with

your head and

eyes.

Keep both

feet on

the

floor.

Return to starting position and

relax.

Repeat to the left side. Stop movement if you feel any pain.

(8)

Stretch

Exercises

'

Each exercise should be held for 20 seconds, followed by a 5 second relaxation period.

.

_{Each exercise}_should_{be done}_at_{least 3 times.}

.

Do this routine once a day or as specifled.

Gastrocnemius (calf); Soleus (cal0; Quadriceps (front of thigh)

Gastrocnemius

(calf)

Lean against

a

wall

with

your

back

leg straight and your

front

leg

slightly

bent.

Keep

your back

heel

on the

floor and

lean progressively

closer to the

wall

until you can feel

the stretch

in

your

calf.

Repeat

with other

leg.

Soleus

(calf)

Lean against

a

wallwith

both

your

back leg and your

front

leg slightly

bent.

Keep

your

back heel on the

floor

and

lean progressively

closer

to the

wall untilyou

can feel the

stretch

in

your

calf.

Repeat with

(9)

t()

_\11_/

-

//'

Quadriceps

(front

_of

thiqh)

Lying on your

side,

reach

back and grab

your

upper

foot

and

pull

it

up

toward your

buttocks.

Repeat with

other

leg

while

on your

other

side.

Keep

your

knees

together.

Hamstrinos (back

of

thiqh)

Sitting, bring the

sole of

your

bent

leg

to the

inner

thigh

of

your

straight

leg.

Lean fonryard

and grasp the

ankle of your

straight

leg

with

both hands.

Keeping

the

leg

straight,

pull

your

upper

body down towards

your feet.

(10)

Hip Flexors

(front of

hip)

Move

your

hip

forward,

keeping

the

upper body

straight

up

and

the back

leg stretched

out.

Feel

the

tightening

in

the

hip

and

hold

the position.

The

stretch can

be

accentuated

by putting

the

back

knee on the

ground.

Keep the

front

knee directly above the

foot.

Don't keep the

front

knee at such

an

angle

that

it is

in

front of the

ankle, since

this

hinders

the

real

stretch

in

the

hip.

Gluteals and Hip

Sitting, bend one leg and cross

it

over

the other

leg

which

is

either

straight

or

lying

on

its

side

bent at 90 degrees.

Push

the

opposite elbow against your

bent knee and

force

buttocks to table.

(11)

Gluteus Maximus

(bpttocksl

Lying on

your

back

with

both

knees

bent, cross

the

left

leg over

the

right.

Using

both

hands pull

your

right

knee

toward

your chest.

You

should

feel

a

stretch

in

the

buttocks on

your

left

side.

Repeat on opposite

side.

Hip

Adductors

(qroin)

Sitting, bend both legs

and

put

the soles

of your feet together.

Grab your feet

with

both hands.

\Mth your elbows,

push out

against

the

insides of your

knees.

Erector

Spinae

(Iow

back)

Bring both knees to

the

chest

by

first

raising one and then

holding

the

knee with

both

hands.

Then

raise

the other

knee.

Grasping

both knees,

pullthem

down

to

the

(12)

Spinal Extension

(prone press-ups)

Lie on stomach with

palms by shoulders

up

while

keeping

pelvis on

the

surface;

back and stomach

sagging.

Slowly lower

shoulders. Repeat

10

times,

sustaining

the

up position for several

seconds

during the

last

few

repetitions.

Supraspinatus (superior

shoulder)

Place involved hand behind your back

and

grasp

hand

with other

hand.

Pull

diagonally

down and

across back. Tilt

head toward

the

uninvolved shoulder.

You

should

feelthe

stretch

across the

(13)

Rotator

Cuff (internal rotation)

Place

a

towel

in both

hands.

Position

your

involved arm behind

your

back at

waist

height and

your

uninvolved arm

up and

overhead.

Slowly pull the towel

upward.

You should

feelthe

stretch

in

the

front

and back of your shoulder.

Triceps and Teres Major

(shoulder girdle)

Raise one

arm

up and behind

your

head.

With

the

opposite arm grasp your

elbow

and

pullthe

arm

further

behind

your

head.

I

ruej

\r

l,'

(14)

lnfraspinatus

and Teres

Minor

(shoulder rotator cuff)

Lying on

your

back or

sitting,

reach

arm

across chest

toward

opposite

shoulder

as

far

as

possible.

With

opposite

hand,

grasp the

elbow

and

pullthe

arm across

even

further.

Externally rotating

the

arm during

this

stretch emphasizes the

teres

minor.

Pectoralis

Major (chest)

Stand

with

your

forearms

against

the

wall

in a corner of

the

room.

Gently

lean

forward untilyou feel

a

stretch

in

the

front

of your

shoulder

and

chest. This

can be done one

arm at

a

time

by placing one

forearm

up against

a

wall

and

turning your

chest away from the

(15)

Shoulder and Neck

(tension

relievers)

Roll

shoulders

slowly backward.

Do

it