Posture – frames of meaning and practice. An interview study

Purpose: To discuss posture as a phenomenon, emphasis in the examination of posture, and the role of posture in clinical practice. Design, material and method: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with three experienced physiotherapists with different specializations. The interviews were analyzed based on hermeneutic understanding. Results: The informants’ understanding of posture is based on different frames of meaning, which leads to an orientation towards different elements of posture during examination and treatment. Different frames of meaning also influence the approach to the body in clinical contexts resulting in different functional assessments. The interviews are characterized by ambiguous descriptions of the body. The body is expounded in dualistic terms, i.e. as an outer entity expressing inner processes and as a perceiving subject. In the informants’ descriptions of their practices, the body comes through as more unambiguous and their practical approach embraces the body as the centre of all experience. Conclusion: Different frames of meaning result in different functional assessments and different approaches to the body in the clinic. A probing and individualized approach to examination and treatment makes room for the body as perceiving subject.