No, I am using the technical terms. A shortened muscle is hypertonic, whereas an elongated muscle is hypotonic, by definition. This relationship is judged by the way they relate to proper posture. A shortened muscle will be hypertonic in a proper posture and an elongated muscle will be hypotonic in a proper posture. In the deviated posture, sure the shortened muscle might not contracted anymore than is normal and might very well be relaxed in that position, but it’s still hypertonic if you align the body into proper posture. Your description of stretching largely referred to the treatment of hypertonic muscles, because the treatment is essentially the same whether or not the hypertonicity is the cause of the deviation, or whether or not is an effect of the deviation.
So are they born with it, or did they do all their muscle lengthening in childhood? That’s a huge distinction. Agreed, lengthening muscles is much easier in childhood, and pretty difficult in adulthood. Yet it’s still the same process, and opposite of being “born with it.”
(As a nitpick, putting a bent leg over your head is relatively easy and I don’t doubt you could have done it naturally. Putting a perfectly straight leg to your face is very hard, like in a Rockettes kick. That only happens through training.)
Again, it’s like we’re agreeing, but seeing the issue from different angles. “Alignment of bones” is important as you say, yet it’s based mostly on your muscles/etc, not on the bones themselves. (It’s called “alignment of bones” not “shape of bones,” right?)
I can’t argue with what you yourself mean by those terms. But purely in terms of etymology, “hypertonic” and “hypotonic” refer to tension/contraction. Another reason why we may not be understanding eachother.
As I said, it could be short tendons. Short muscle is unlikely as muscle can grow to fit the frame it hangs on. They would have to have some kind of disorder that made them unable to grow muscle properly. Tendons that are too long can be a real issue for posture.
But I wasn’t talking about lengthening muscles in childhood, I was talking about just being able to do that as a child. Most toddlers are that flexible, usually the thing that stops them from being that flexible is a neurological reflex. So what I am talking about is indeed being born with it.
Ok, sure.
Well no, there are all kinds of things that can contribute, irregularly shaped bones, a bone not aligning properly on top of its bursa, tendons of odd lengths, ligamental problems. You are right that muscle length is the most manipulable of all the possible etiologies, but muscle length isnt the be-all end-all answer to postural deviations.
Yes, they refer to tension and contraction, which I said. Their rest state would be defined by proper posture, so if a muscle is short and you slouch, then standing up straight will cause that muscle to be tense, thus hypertonic, while the counterbalancing muscle would be hypertonic. A common cause of poor posture is a hypertonic psoas major, this can be corrected with lunges, but the lunges need to be precise, because you are not only trying to stretch the muscle, you are trying to retrain your proprioception to give you better posture. A common problem is having a tight Illiotibial Band that is caused by a hypertonic Tensor Fascae Latae. As it is a hip abductor, it would have a corresponding hypotonicity in the thigh adductors. Just as there is some counter-action between the Rectus Femoris and Semimembranous and Semitendinosis. And so on and so forth. If you are describing it for the purposes of helping to correct posture, you judge the tonicity of the muscle in terms of the normal posture, not based on its state in a postural deviation pathology. The muscle WOULD be tight if you put the bones in the proper alignment before stretching it properly.
But again, it’s not entirely caused by the length of the muscle, it can be neurological, or there can be chemical adhesions within the muscle. Pretty much always it is a combination of many things.
Hypertonic and Hypotonic are terms that are defined relatively to the geometry of their positioning. Muscles move joints, that is their function, so the relationship to proper joint functioning is how it is defined.
I hope that makes sense. I’m not saying you are wrong, only that you are missing a step.
So I decided to gamble some $100 and go see this Posturologist in my 'hood.
Now, I decided to do this because after some brief research, I found that some of theory made allot of sense…
Now afterwards, my back still hurts, but I got eye drops (inosine phosphate disodique dihydrate 0.1g) – some homeopathic stuff, I reckon.
And I got fitted for some (one) insole for an apparent short leg, which will cost me at least another couple of hundred for this…
So now I’m kinda scratching my head. My back still hurts… but is there something to this? Should I gamble more? Money versus Health. Main stream medicine didn’t help any…
What really doesn’t make sense to me is comparing me to this perfect posture diagram. Really? We’re supposed to be this perfect form? I guess then, maybe if I was getting guided or adjusted when I was a teen or toddler would have worked better, but now after 30 years of neck-breaking sports and calcification… is there really any sense?
I’m thinking I just need to work very seriously on some highly symmetrical yoga or pilates or something…
Alex_Dubinsky " Legitimately bad posture comes from chest and neck muscles that are too short, making it impossible (or difficult) to align the bones."
You are starting at the wrong end of the kinetic chain. Posture ( in terms of the spine) in sitting and standing starts with the pelvis.
I would be skeptical of Posturology. Just because something makes it sense doesn’t mean that is right or right for you. It doesn’t mean that it won’t help you either but If I was going to hand over hundreds of dollars I would want to see some evidence that the interaction will help. The other thing that bothers me is that they appear to be looking at Jaw, Eyes, Feet and leg length on everybody going in. People are individuals, they are not all going to have the same problems and the same treatments are not going to work on everybody.
The person you are responding to was banned some time ago and probably isn’t reading your response.
Czarcasm;“The person you are responding to was banned some time ago and probably isn’t reading your response.”
I understand that and I don’t really care if he can read it. It was more me trying to make it clear that I think posture ( in terms of the spine) starts with your pelvis then goes up the chain to your chest and neck not the opposite. In my opinion it was a statement worth making whether he can read it or not.
“Posturologists In The 'Hood” are, like, the worst rap group ever.
No, it’s not homeopathic – why would you think that? It’s bullshit, but it’s not homeopathic (it’s more concentrated than that…).
Gamble what you like. While the theory seems, well, not bad, the practice of putting shit in your eyes on the premise that it “improves axonal rewiring” (the only relevant claim I could find) gets my quack detector pinging.
Bingo! But even most of those disciplines are filled with wanna-be therapists who got credentialed in some weekend warrior course, and often do more harm than good when trying to correct a real dysfunction.
What you need to do is ask around the community for a respected and experienced physical therapist that has a good track record at helping people out of pain and back to function.
Most people are looking for the “newest” miracle cure, they’re after the magic bullet.
What most people need is a reality check, and behavior modification, and a skilled therapist to tell them where they’re “tight” and “weak” and get them started on relatively few exercises to begin making the changes needed, periodic evaluation for progressions to keep the corrections…progressing, and the discipline to do what they’re told regularly.
That might put an end to all these bvllsh1t new ology 
systems out there popping up daily.
I can’t tell you how many people come to see me who are looking for a magic bullet, and on the flip side how many of them when they do their “magic bullets” exercises (it’s all about getting buy-in, so if I have to present the exercises or approach as something new and radical in order to do so, I’m guilty as charged), actually get better. Yes, even chronic pain sufferers with herniated discs and neural symptoms radiating down to their feet can and do get better, IF and WHEN they buy into the program!
Those that do, often get better. There is a common denominator there!
Ask around. Call a bunch of Orthopods in your area and ask who they refer to. Ask people which practitioner got them better, and stay away from the hucksters that provide an all-in-systems approach including diet, brain/psychology and exercise evaluation jack-of-all-trade, one-stop-pain-shop huckster.
Make sure they’re credentialed by some real educational institute, are licensed to touch, assess and provide interventions in their state, and are specialized in their trade. You don’t want a plumber framing your house, or a painter repairing your engine. Sure, practitioners of different trades may have some broad knowledge. Look for ones that specialize in one area and seek them out for their exprtise…and for goodness sake - JUST DO IT!!!
I just came across this website and I cannot believe how many people think of Posturoloy negatively! It has saved my life.
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about 4 years ago. Last year, I could barely walk without pain for more than 10 minutes. Fortunately, I discovered posturology and Annette Verpillot, my Angel, almost a year ago and I have felt great since then. So much so, that I made a video in hopes Michael J Fox foundation would provide a research grant.
I recommend it to everyone. I know it sounds too easy to be true, but it really worked for me. I would be happy to help anyone with their questions.
here is the link Start Spreading The News on Vimeo
What have you got to lose?
Money, time, self-respect…
Well said.
To add some more factrs to the thread. Posture is a well accepted and studied subject among academics and to a certain extent also doctors (remember that it takes time to get knowledge from university to medical practice) - e.g. Intnl. symposium on Gait, Posture and Cognition.
However, in general, doctors are very little trained in how posture is connected to the ailments presented by patients - as is the case with all musculo/skeletal problems.
Posturology - used in a therapeutic context, is attempting to influence the physiological mechanisms. This can be done either in a simple corrective manner (more like a crutch and thus not very effective) or by altering the equilibrium of certain neural balances - more like you do with training - but more specific and thus vastly more effecient. the mechanisms used are for the most cases well researched. An intersting property of this modality is that you see the effect quite quickly if the thrapy works.
Posturology therapy is practiced in many different ways. The one encountered here concerns the specific set of modalities of therapy advanced by one particular doctor. There are other doctors and schools advocating similar therapies. If you are coming across people referring to Dr. Michel Marignan, you may be in better hands - at least theoretically since his teaching is more up to date and less dogmatic. But as with physical therapy it is really up the practitioners ability to utilize the skills. For back pains it is far superior to operations (much due to the fact that most back pain operations fail within 1 -2 years - if they have an effect). If you want to do more research in this area, try to check how many hat surgeons having had a prolapse got operated upon and are still surgeons.
Optomtrists are e.g. utilizing the same mechanisms to influence vision, posture and behaviour, but almost exclusively focusing on eyes. They just do not call it posturology. Others focus broader - vestibule, jaw, feet, neck, cognition etc. And they may all have effect, but since they all work together (or against each other).
You may therefore get the best results if you are treated by a therapist trained in reasoning about the combination - AND who is open to learn from his and his mentors mistakes.
So to conclude. Posturology is definitely NOT a quack. (But that does not take away your responsability for checking out the therapist 
If it’s not quackery, why is it only listed in Google on sites selling it? No actual medical sites (I don’t count chiropractors) mention it as therapy.
Well, let’s see what moves the woo meter.
Translation: there’s a lack of validation of these theories in clinical practice.
In other words, doctors don’t believe in my woo (a variant complaint is that “doctors don’t know much about nutrition”, meaning that they don’t buy into bogus theories and nutritional supplements).
The idea that there are myriad effects upon the body from unconnected anatomic elements is a staple of chiropractic and other unsupported woo. Another example can be found in the website of an “alternative” dentist mentioned in the Toxic Root Canal thread (he thinks that teeth affect distant body parts through acupuncture meridians).
I am unfamiliary with the subspecialty of hat surgery.
Do they operate on defective Stetsons and bowler hats? If you have a prolapsed baseball cap, can’t you just adjust it manually? 
You mean by real scientific doctors who deal with musculoskeletal issues? They’re called orthopaedic surgeons, doctors, and nurses. And doctors who deal with sport medicine. And physical therapists.
One other sure sign that a procedure is quackery:
Any thread discussing it will be revived over and over by new members who apparently spend their time Googling the practice in question so they can pop in and announce to everyone how great it is. I never see this in reference to, say, an appendectomy, but any “alternative” therapy, and it’s virtually guaranteed.