FIND OUT YOUR POSTURAL TYPE
Have you ever wondered about your posture? Not every one of us has an ideal or perfect posture. Countless factors play a major role in building our posture like, Your lifestyle and job, History of injuries or medical conditions. If you feel that your posture is not great, it’s time to find out about it. Below there are 5 of the most common postural deformities described along with their causes.
Kyphosis:
Exaggerating convexity in the thoracic spine is known as Kyphosis. It is characterized by rounded shoulders, hump in the upper back and forward-tilted head.
The causes of this posture can include: Prolonged slouching posture, Weakness in thoracic spinal muscles (Upper back), Congenital (Birth defects), Osteoporosis, Spinal arthritis, Spinal fractures, Polio, Cerebral palsy.
Lordosis:
When the curve in the lumbar spine increases than normal, the abdomen starts to lie in front of the body, this posture is known as Lordotic posture. In addition to protruded stomach, buttocks appear more prominent due to forward pelvic tilt.
It can be caused by: Muscle imbalances like weak abdominals & Glutes, tight hip flexors & lower back extensors, wearing high heels frequently, prolonged sitting with poor posture, obesity, pregnancy, spondylolisthesis (vertebral slip).
Scoliosis:
Misalignment of the shoulders and hips can be caused by an excessive sideward deviation of the spine. This deformity is known as scoliosis. This curvature can be present either in the thoracic and lumbar spine or in any one region. In severe cases, this curvature can alter the body's cavity and push organs out of the position, sometimes resulting in nerve compressions too.
Primary causes of scoliosis: congenital (birth defects), degenerative changes in vertebrae, muscles, ligaments, functional deformities like, muscle imbalance, leg length discrepancy, neuromuscular conditions like, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries
Flat back:
When the lumbar spine loses its natural curve and becomes flat, it results in this kind of posture. Loss of the natural curve causes an imbalance in weight distribution through the spine, making the person difficult to stand upright. Head and shoulders slouch forward.
Causes can include: Spinal fusion surgery, Spinal decompression surgery, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, vertebral fractures, spinal stenosis.
Sway back:
Sway back posture is characterized by following changes at different levels in the body.: Forward pelvic shift, thoracic kyphosis extended up to upper part of the lumbar spine, lumbar lordosis in lower part, posterior pelvic tilt.
Causes for this posture are a mixture of all previous postural deformities. Like muscle imbalances (Weak abdominals, Glutes, Hip flexors & Tight hamstrings, Lower Back extensors), Habitual standing posture, growth spurts in adolescence, Fatigue and slouched prolonged sitting, congenital issues.
Some of the postural deformities can be managed with appropriate physiotherapy treatment, education and lifestyle changes. Physiotherapy treatment for postural correction can include Correction exercise therapy, Manual therapy, Pilates exercises, Stretching and strength training to correct muscle imbalance, education regarding correction in sitting and standing positions.
If you feel like you are suffering from any of the postural deformities, book a free phone consultation with one of our physiotherapists to get help in correcting your posture.
