Normal posture is defined as:  The spine being vertical, and the centers of mass for the skull, thorax, and pelvis being aligned with the middle of the feet.  The head, shoulders, and hips should also be level. 

 Assessment of a new patient's posture is vitally important because it is considered to be a relatively stable condition that can be reliably measured.  The challenge in the past has been to objectify postural analysis, so devices ranging from wall-mounted grids to computerized technology are utilized to improve these evaluations.

 Using the computerized program PostureSoft, each new patient's posture analysis can be performed in less than 30 seconds, and includes a technologically advanced visual printout of the patient's posture.  Via computer, PostureSoft's digital exam requires no additional video equipment other than a web cam.  The program performs several calculations including a patient's head, shoulder, and hip tilt; hip angle; forward head carriage, with estimated extra load in pounds; and two sets of skeletal views, one illustrating proper posture, and the other illustrating the patient's posture for comparison. 

 Dr. Hogan's brother, Dr. Tim Hogan, created the PostureSoft program when Health Focus first opened because he saw the need for a visual analysis of postural abnormalities. While wall-mounted grids tend to limit a patient's understanding of their posture due to the restricted visual, PostureSoft gives patients immediate direct images of their posture.  Dr. Hogan and Dr. Allen stress the importance of PostureSoft because it gives patients a better understanding of how their posture is affecting, or will eventually affect, their overall health.