Common Posture Problems

Pain can have many causes, but one of the most common is chronic posture deviations. In this blog I will talk about 3 of the most common posture problems, what may be causing them, and what you can try to do to correct them.

Pes Planus syndrome: This is something I have seen commonly both at work, but also out in the community. This is generally seen when people present with knees coming together when standing with flattened arches and some hip rotation. The most common cause of this is due to weak gluteal musculature (does not hold the hip in correct alignment). This can be improved with strengthening exercises primarily targeted to work on these, as well as foot and ankle musculature.

Upper crossed syndrome: Also known as the cell phone posture. This is seen with a forward head, rounded shoulders, and increased arched back. It is most common with people who work in front of a computer or phone for a majority of the day. It does require some strengthening of muscles to open up your chest (pulling your shoulders back) as well as stretching anterior muscles like your pec muscles and some neck musculature.

Lower crossed syndrome: This postural deviation is caused from an anteriorly rotated pelvis. This is seen from increased low back arch and some jutting out of the lower abdomen. This is from a combination of weakness in the core and the hamstrings, as well as tightness of the hip flexors and low back musculature. Common posture problem with people with chronic low back pain due to overly tight muscles. As you may guess, strengthen the weaker muscles (abdomen, hamstrings) and stretch out the tight muscles (hip flexors, low back).

For specific exercises and more in depth explanations, email me a question and I would be happy to talk!