Having a healthy posture is vital for your overall health, preventing unnecessary chronic discomfort and strain. If you have had comments on your posture, have noticed your belly bulging forward, or have a significant arch on your lower back, chances are you have not been taking care of your posture.
In fact, all the above signs might be pointing towards something more than just poor posture. It might be a sign that you are suffering from lower cross syndrome. In this article, we will dive deeper into the condition and how you can prevent it from happening to you.
What is lower cross syndrome?
Lower cross syndrome occurs because of muscular imbalance in the pelvic and lower back regions, leading to inappropriate and dysfunctional movement patterns in those areas. It is often caused by remaining seated for a long time and a poor sitting posture.
As a result, the glute and abdominal muscles begin to weaken, and the hip flexor muscles and lower back extensor begin to shorten and tighten, resulting in increased lower back arch, increased hip flexions, and anterior tilting of the pelvis. It can also cause other parts of the body to experience postural changes, such as knee flexion or hyperextension and forward head posture, leading to the need for knee pain treatment.
Such muscle imbalances can lead to ligament strain and joint dysfunction in the hip, pelvic, and lower back joints. If left untreated, it may cause the joints to degenerate, causing nerve dysfunction.
What causes lower cross syndrome?
It is actually more common than you think, affecting many across the population. In fact, it pays to observe your child’s posture. The lower cross syndrome is typically caused by:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Improper strength training and exercise lead to uneven muscle training, where a group of muscles is more trained than the others
- Prolonged sitting, especially with poor desk ergonomics and poor postures, such as slouching
How does chiropractic care improve my posture?
Healing Hands’ chiropractors will first start by assessing your posture, checking for any misalignment in your spine. Spinal manipulation, combined with myofascial release, is conducted to correct them, improve spine mobility, and reduce lower back tensions.
The primary points to boost muscle imbalances in the lower region of the body is through stretching the tight muscles, such as hip flexors, hamstrings, and lower back extensors, as well as strengthening exercises for the weaker muscles, such as gluteal and abdominal muscles. Healing Hands Chiropractic does more than just correcting and treating your pain; we also provide a holistic solution that involves changing certain aspects of your lifestyle.
Some exercises that you can do to correct your posture
Treating lower cross syndrome does not end at the chiropractic clinic. In fact, there are some home exercises that are vital to help improve your posture.
Dead bug (core exercise)
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent perpendicular to the floor
- Engage your core muscles
- Gradually extend your left arm and right leg until they are about 2cm above the floor, holding that position for at least 5 seconds
- Slowly return to the original position
- Repeat with the other arm and leg, doing this about 10 times
Clam exercise (glute strength)
- Lie flat on your side with your knees bent at 90 degrees, keeping your feet together
- Gradually lift the knee on top but do not roll your hip backwards
- Slowly return to the original position
- Repeat with the other side, doing this about 15 times
Cat cow stretch
- Get into all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips
- Gradually stretch your lower back in an up-and-down motion by tilting your pelvis
- Repeat this about 15 times
Conclusion
Do not delay treating the lower cross syndrome. Healing Hands Chiropractic offers some of the best chiropractors in Singapore. With six offices located all over Singapore, anybody can get access to our extensive range of services, and that includes a comprehensive corporate wellness program, seeing that lower cross syndrome can affect anybody in the workforce. Contact us to receive effective lower back pain treatment today!
