Book excerpt: Modern medicine and many manual therapies effectively ignore the impact of posture on the health of the individual. This pioneering study by doctors back in the mid 1900s is a must read for bodyworkers everywhere. Informative and insightful, it gives credence to the importance of good body mechanics in the alleviation of many of the ailments that beset us today, including heart conditions, diabetes and arthritis. Joel E. Goldthwait was Chief of Orthopedic Surgery in Boston in the early 1900s. He developed a successful approach to the problems of chronic diseases founded on the concept that these conditions arose because of body misalignments which in turn led to compromised organ function. It was a revelation to many that standing or sitting badly could impact more than just the spine and joints