Is your selfie worth your posture? lumbar lordosis talk

Stand up out of your chair, stretch your legs and think about your posture. Do you feel your bum sticking out? Do your hips roll forward? Or can you feel an exaggerated arch in your lower back?

If you answered yes to the above, chances are you have a good posture for social media :). However, it may scream bad posture if it's a position you naturally hold throughout your everyday life.

The word lordos is a Greek word that literally translates to "bent backwards". We use its affiliate ‘lordosis’ when referring to the normal extended curvature of the spine. This extended curvature occurs in the neck (cervicals) and lower back (lumbars).

Lordosis in the spine is a normal finding when everything is balanced. However, in the case of hyper lordosis (especially in the lower back) we find an exaggeration of the lordotic curve, which essentially looks like someone is sticking their butt out. This might be the point where you pinch yourself and ask, did that girl you saw really have a nice butt? Or was it a mere and unfortunate case of lumbar hyper lordosis?

This hyper lordotic posture is generally associated with an anterior or forward tilting of the pelvis. If the hips move forward the lumbar spine will follow and move into increased extension to compensate, giving you a greater curve and bigger booty!

Whilst (I’ve been told) this is an excellent and strategic means of taking a killer selfie, it actually places significant amounts of stress on the posterior (back) elements of the spine. Over time, this posture can lead to increased pain and discomfort in the lower back. This hyper lordotic position is also commonly felt when women wear high heels – this may explain any lower back pain you might’ve have felt after a big night out.

So instead of rubbing out the muscles of the back and giving that temporary relief, it is best to find out the cause of why the pelvis is tilting forward. In order to do this, you need to address the tissues that are over active or tight and activate the muscles that are switched off or asleep in order to restore balance to the pelvis and make sure the spine is stacked up in a neutral position.

Remember to ask yourself, is that selfie worth the long term effects of this sustained posture? Look after your spine, you’ve only been given one.

Any questions feel free to ask in the comments below :)

Angelo Campanella