QUESTION:
I have a client who is hyperlordotic and a dancer. I remember hearing something about hyperlordosis being beneficial to dancers as it can aid their flexibility and ability to obtain and hold certain positions. What are your thoughts on this? Is this also relevant to gymnasts? And lastly are their any other groups where 'incorrect posture' is considered an advantage? Many thanks.

Posture: The position from which movement begins and ends. If you begin with poor posture, you end with poor posture. The end result being faulty motor engram patterns, injury, inflammation and pain. So when it comes to posture, we have two types: static and dynamic. Both of these should be assessed, as well as integrated together into a clients program.

There are a lot of ways you can assess the body and spine, but let’s keep it simple. All 3 curves have a normal range of 30-35degrees. You can use inclinometers to gather you spinal measurements, as well as using a plumb line. But keep in mind, if you are not measuring a clients spine with inclinometers and you are just judging their lordosis on observation, you are just guessing. Here is why: Let’s say you are working with a large person who has nice overly developed glutes. With static posture, this would show up as a red flag in the lumbar spine, meaning you would think you see an increased lumbar lordosis. This is when you use your other assessments of the lumbar spine to actually find out which way the spine is going. But, if you just look at the person, they would give the appearance of having a lumbar lordosis, when all along all they have is just large glutes. So the bottom line is, if you are not assessing, you are guessing! I would find a skilled Physical Therapist, MAT practitioner, CHEK practitioner or Physiotherapist that you can work along with.

Having an increased lumbar lordosis would allow most people to have increased lumbar extension and decrease lumbar flexion, but this is not always the case. Someone might have an increase lumbar lordosis with instability let’s say at L4-L5. Well, the segment above and below will become hypomobile to compensate. As well, it can go the other way around. If L4-L5 is hypomobile, the segment above and below would become hypermobile. You can assess this by measuring all spinal segment flexion and extension movements with an inclinometer. Once again, I would refer out.

As well, I would find out what is going on at the other spinal segment levels. As the entire body is connected. Maybe her lumbar lordosis is coming from instability of the SIJ, tightness of the psoas, inflammation in the gut or other organs, limited thoracic extension (required in gymnastics and ballet) so she compensates at her lumbar segments, increased cervical extension and so forth. I have found that typically most people view the one sight of pain or dysfunction, as the dysfunctional sight. But in the end, that is the branch and the root of the dysfunction is coming from somewhere else.

The first thing I would do is to assess. This will allow you to know HER body exactly, so you can design an affective stretching and exercise program. As well, I would realign her body, as you don’t want to create poor posture to work from. As I stated above, if you begin with poor posture, you end with poor posture! Secondly, the goal with this client is not to create an increased lumbar lordosis, but to create optimal lumbar and thoracic mechanics. This meaning optimal range of motion in the saggital plane (flexion and extension). This will allow this client to get into her positions that are required for her life and sport. How do you do this? Lets for simplistic sense say she has an increase lumbar lordosis or what is called a lower cross syndrome.

-Lower Cross Syndrome: (ant tilt >5-7 or 7-10, >35 lumbar curve, hips flexed, hyperext knees, valgus at knees)
- Short: psoas, RF, adductors, TFL, sartorious, multifidus, ES, lats, QLO
- Long: glutes, hams, lower ab, EO, IO, TVA
- Injuries: LBP, SIJ, knees and ankles, hamstring, degeneration

For simplistic sense, you want to stretch the short and strengthen the elongated muscles. Once there, you want to use movements, joint mobilizations, soft tissue work and nutrition to ensure optimal joint mechanics in the sagital plane.

Off the top of my head, the only dysfunctions that I actually create poor posture with would be a spinal stenosis. With spinal stenosis, going into extension closes down the foramen and puts stress on the cord = pain! The goal with these clients is to actually work them with all exercises on the flexion side of neutral, strengthening their legs and extensor chain to compensate for their weakness. The weakness being that you cannot bring them into neutral, as this will cause pain. By no means do you want to create posture where they are fully flexed, but you might want their lumbar curve around 27-30 degrees, where normal is 30-35. This will ensure function without pain, as well as working on strengthening their legs and back will ensure stability in this position.

Hopefully I have answered your question and got you thinking!

Joshua Rubin