According to Anthony Carey of Function First in San Diego, poor posture is the misalignment of the joints in your body that causes excessive stress, stiffness and weakness in certain muscles and tissues. Poor posture decreases your ability to move freely and can lead to secondary health problems, such as migraines; pain in your spine, hips and knees; chronic fatigue; arthritis; muscle spasms; and bursitis. Different types of posture problems require different strategies to correct them. Such care includes corrective exercise, massage therapy, physical therapy and chiropractic work.
Anterior Tilt
According to the Dr. Michael Clark of the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the anterior tilt deviation is when the pelvis is tilted forward, causing the lumbar spine to hyperextend (lordosis). This is common among women who are pregnant or have given birth recently, and for men with large bellies. This deviation can cause the upper spine to flex excessively and the shoulders to round forward. The anterior tilt posture causes weakness in the abdominal and hip muscles, groin strains, rotator-cuff pain and tight hip flexors, chest muscles and lower-back muscles.
Posterior Tilt
The posterior tilt is when the pelvis is tilted back, causing the torso to lean back. This causes the shoulders and head to shift forward to maintain balance, which places a lot of stress upon the shoulders and neck. People with this deviation have weak abdominal and hip strength and weak spinal stability, and they might have trouble balancing when walking up or down stairs. The posterior tilt causes tight hamstrings, calves, shoulders and neck, which in turn causes pain and strain in the spine and the hip joints.
Kyphosis
Kyphosis is an excessive curve of the upper spine, in which the spine has a C-shape rather than a normal S-shape. This often is accompanied by the posterior pelvic tilt, with the tailbone tucked beneath the body. This position flexes the lower spine and exaggerates the curve of the upper spine, causing the buttocks to appear flat and the shoulders to hunch forward. It causes many of the problems associated with the posterior tilt.
Elevation
The elevation deviation is when one side of the pelvis or a shoulder is higher than the other. This causes one side of the body to feel tighter and have less range of motion. One common problem associating with elevation deviation is back, hip and shoulder pain, with one side of the body more painful or stiffer than the other.
Rotation
The rotation deviation is best seen from above, with one hip or shoulder turned forward. From a rear or front view of the body in a standing position, one hand and shoulder seems to be more toward the front than the other. This often is caused by repetitive rotation movements that favor one direction, causing one side of the body to pull the other side in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Athletes who play single-sided sports, such as baseball, can experience this deviation, as can people who work at a desk and tend to twist toward one side more often than the other.
References
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
- "Optimal Performance Training For the Fitness Professional"; Michael Clark; 2001
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