ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief overview of the various methods reported in the literature for describing and assessing postures. It focuses on the main aspects of postural analysis and on the possible criteria for conducting assessments, which nonetheless may still be "rule-of-thumb" and require further validation. The chapter shows some examples of lying, standing, sitting postures, with or without manual lifting of loads, accompanied by the estimation of the corresponding lumbar axial, analyzed with biomechanical methods. In addition to evaluation methods and criteria, reconstructing the type and duration of exposure to postural risk factors is essential for judging tolerability levels. The "worst" postures are adopted when axial forces are constantly above the threshold. The aim of the method proposed is not to ask which postures should be analyzed: extensive use is in fact made of the methods currently featured in the literature and current standards.
