Which Posture Type Are You?

 

Do you have aches or pain all over your body and wondering if your posture is the source of the problem? If yes, read on to find out what type of postures you are and how you can achieve an ideal posture to stay pain free from musculoskeletal problem.

What Are The Different Types Of Posture, And The Possible Musculoskeletal Issues?

Before knowing what are the different types of postures. We need to know what ideal alignment that many people envy about. If there is a plumb line dropping from head to toe, a straight line can be drawn down from the just below the ear (mastoid process), shoulder (acromion), lumbar 3th vertebral body, hip (greater trochanter) and lastly at the front of the bony ankle protrusion (anterior malleolus).

The three main types of bad postures are the flat back, kyphosis/lordosis and sway back.

Flat Back Posture

Alignment:

• Forward head posture
• Decreased Thoracic kyphosis (hunch forward)
• Decreased Lumbar lordosis (Reduce curve at the spine)
• Neutral to Posterior (pelvis rotating backward)
• Hips resting in increased extension
• Knees hyperextended

Tight/Overactive Muscles:

• Normal or tight rectus abdominis
• Glutei
• Psoas

Inhibited/Weaken Muscles:

• Extensors
• Multifidus
• Iliacus

Possible Musculoskeletal Issues:

• Pain or discomfort in prolonged sitting, bending, driving
• Other common conditions include: Degenerated disc Herniated disc

Kyphosis/ Lordosis

Alignment:

• Forward head posture
• Increased Thoracic Kyphosis (increase C shape of upper back)
• Increased Lumbar Lordosis
• A greater anterior pelvic tilt (forward rotation of pelvis)
• Slightly Hyperextended knee

Tight/Overactive Muscles:

• ITB
• Hamstrings

Inhibited/Weaken Muscles:

• Iliacus
• Glutei

Possible Musculoskeletal Issues:

• Pain/ discomfort during prolonged standing, walking, lying face down

Sway-back

Alignment:

• Forward head posture
• Increased Thoracic Kyphosis
• Decreased Lumbar Lordosis
• Increased Hip extension
• Hyperextended knee
• Forward translation of the pelvis
• Neutral/ posterior pelvic tilt

Tight/Overactive Muscles:

• Rectus abdominis
• Hamstrings
• TFL/ITB

Inhibited/Weaken Muscles:

• Abdominal obliques
• Iliopsoas
• Multifidus
• Thoracic extensors
• Glutei

Possible Musculoskeletal Issues:

• Pain/ discomfort during
• Prolonged sitting, driving, bending, cycling Or during
• Prolonged standing, walking downhill, reaching overhead.

What To Do Next?

After knowing what muscles are tight and inhibited, the next step is to carry out appropriate exercises to release the tight muscles and strengthen the inhibited muscles, sometimes it is also necessary to release the stiff joints to achieve better mobility of the joints. If all of the above, it would be easier to retrain the body into the ideal posture.