Postural Corrective Dock: An Innovative Solution to a Modern Day Problem – Tom O’Flaherty.

According to a recent study, up to 80% of adults will experience back pain and 70% will experience neck pain at some stage in their life(Sinnott et al,2017).

One of the main contributing factors to this problem is poor posture induced by conditions in the workplace. 2 of the most commonly seen postural dysfunctions in the workplace are Upper and Lower Crossed Syndrome. UPS presents as kyphosis of the spine and rounded shoulders. LCS derives from prolonged periods of sitting and manifests as an anterior pelvic tilt. An innovative solution to this modern day problem may be the use of an workplace in-built postural corrective dock.

In 2021, I chose to study Sport & Exercise in University of Limerick because of my love for playing sport, mainly Gaelic Football and Hurling. Studying SES facilitated this passion of mine but also exposed me to many more areas such as Biomechanics, Psychology and Sports Injury. A great deal of education and training had been centered around posture, including diagnostics, examining and prescribing corrective strategies which in turn inspired the creation of my solution for UL’s Innovation Hustle Competition. This competition tasked students with the challenge of developing and pitching an innovative solution to specific sustainability and social challenges.

For this competition, with my knowledge gained from SES, I devised a start-up idea which was the Postural Corrective Dock to tackle the problem of postural dysfunctions in the workplace. The Postural Corrective Dock is a simple yet effective device that could be installed in various settings such as offices, universities, and driver depots by incorporating techniques such as PNF and MET stretching, the dock could mobilize tight muscles and strengthen weak muscles, ultimately aiding in the correction of poor posture.

In today’s society, where the use of technology is essential, it is crucial to take proactive steps towards maintaining good posture. All it takes is one walk around the campus to see how bad of a problem this is! The Postural Corrective Dock is an innovative solution that could potentially benefit many individuals in various settings. By improving postural health, we can not only reduce the risk of pain and discomfort but also enhance overall well-being and productivity especially when considering that mood and posture tend to mirror one another. Through innovative solutions such as the Postural Corrective Dock, we can take a step towards a healthier future.

Sinnott, P.L., Dally, S.K., Trafton, J., Goulet, J.L., and Wagner, T.H. (2017) ‘Trends in diagnosis of painful neck and back conditions, 2002 to 2011’, Medicine (Baltimore), 96(20), e6691–e6691, available: https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000006691.