The essence of the definition of “lumbar lordosis” is that it is not a disease at all, as many patients imagine. Lordosis itself is a bend, and a natural one, which the spine should have due to its natural design. We can talk about a violation of the norm when the lordosis goes beyond the boundaries determined by the angle of bending.
Lordosis of the lumbar spine
How lordosis becomes a pathology
A person normally has two lordosis. One of them is the cervical one. The second is lumbar. Located, respectively, below, in the lumbar region, it represents a deflection of the vertebral arch inward. Pathological lordosis is not such a rare phenomenon, occurring either congenital or acquired as a result of lifestyle, overload, or disease.
Lordosis
If the lower back bends excessively, taking lordosis beyond the norm, this becomes the cause of pain and leads to various diseases of the spine.
By the way. Very often, lumbar lordosis begins in women around the age of thirty, during pregnancy. When they are pregnant, their posture changes, the center of gravity shifts, and the spinal deflection increases to lighten the weight of the heavy belly.
What are the dangers of smoothing lumbar lordosis, and how to avoid it?
Many people who have problems with the spine, namely pain in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions, after undergoing magnetic resonance imaging, ask the question - what is smoothed lordosis, and why does it change? And this, by the way, is a normal, anatomical curve, provided to us by nature itself and developed by man in the process of evolution.
Why does lordosis smooth out?
When a child is born, the spine is absolutely straight. Cervical kyphosis forms when the child begins to hold his head. Thoracic kyphosis - when the baby begins to sit. The formation of lumbar lordosis is caused by the need to keep the torso in an upright position and walk. What is the reason for the change in lordosis? In order to answer the question, we need to analyze in detail our lifestyle, physiology and diet. Many people spend most of their time sitting during the day. During this process, when leaning on the back of the chair, our back takes on a forced position. During this time, the back muscles undergo retraction. The latissimus muscles, the trapezius muscle, the lumbar muscles, the intercostal muscles and the long back muscles relax. At this time, the chest lowers slightly, the head leans forward.
What is the mechanism of poor posture and can it be influenced?
In addition to the muscular system, the position of the vertebrae and the relationship of their surfaces are also determined by ligaments. After muscle relaxation (and in the future atrophy), the spinal column is still fixed by the ligamentous apparatus. At first, this process replaces the function of weakened muscles. However, with constant relaxation of the muscles, the ligaments also atrophy, stretching, fixing the spine in a comfortable but forced position.
This can be avoided. It is necessary to develop the habit of sitting correctly - to avoid hyperextension of the lower back. After all, when the lumbar muscles relax, all other muscles and ligaments of the back automatically relax. Their length increases, and their strength, in proportion to this, decreases. The latissimus muscles, neck muscles, trapezius muscles and others weaken.
What is the best position for sitting?
The main thing you need to pay attention to is the position of the lumbar spine. Physiological lordosis should be maintained in a sitting position. After some time, a person will get used to correctly distributing the weight of his body in such a way that the main pressure falls not on the coccygeal region, but on the projection of the ischial tuberosities. At first it will be difficult, and discomfort may occur. A lumbar bolster or small pillow should be used. Please note that your posture will acquire the correct position - your shoulder blades will become more symmetrical, your shoulders will move apart, and the back of your head will lean back.
Pay attention to the position of your legs. Do not bend or stretch them too much. By doing this you help smooth out the lumbar curve of the spine. However, you should not bend them excessively and tuck them under you. In this way, you can provoke an anterior displacement of the pelvis, followed by a tilt of the entire torso. Avoid lateral asymmetry to prevent the development of scoliosis (lateral curvature of the spine). Those who like to cross their legs should remember that the gluteal muscles must be sufficiently developed. This will prevent excess stress on the sacroiliac joint. In addition, the gluteal muscles provide a counterweight, preventing curvature.
Summarizing. The following can be noted: with incorrect posture, your muscles experience chronic increased stress and are susceptible to chronic microtrauma. In addition, the spine suffers and intervertebral discs become deformed.
Pay attention to the frequency and depth of your breathing. Breathe steadily, try to inhale and exhale the same amount of air.
Remember to pay attention to your posture, especially when sitting.
Take care of your spine and be healthy! Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr
Species differences
There is a certain set of parameters that gives the characteristics of lumbar lordosis. Based on these parameters, the disease is divided into types.
Table. Division into types.
| Separation | View 1 | View 2 |
| Cause of occurrence | Primary - in which a bend that goes beyond the norm is caused by the growth of any formation (of any quality). It may also be a consequence of vertebral pathology acquired from birth. | Secondary - caused directly by mechanical stress to which the spine has been subjected. |
| Appearance time | Congenital - detected in early childhood, but the anomaly is usually already present at birth or appears during childbirth. | Acquired - development begins under the influence of external factors, such as trauma, spinal diseases or tumor formations. |
| By type of deviation | Hyperlordosis - the deflection has an angle that is too large. | Hypolordosis - the deflection is less than normal or smoothed out (absent at all). |
Types of Lordosis
Diagnosis methods
The diagnosis is made after the patient approaches. The patient's complaint, medical history, visual examination and X-ray examination are taken into account. An external examination is carried out by a therapist, surgeon or traumatologist. During the examination, the patient’s posture is taken into account, and pain points are identified by palpation. The depth of the bend of the cervical lordosis is measured. To do this, the doctor uses two rulers. One is applied to the back of the sick person’s head with one end and to the upper part of the spine with the other. The second ruler measures the distance to the middle of the cervical spine.
With a strong degree of curvature, the distance will be about 3 cm. The exact depth of the bend and concomitant diseases: injuries, tumors, spasms are diagnosed using:
- radiography
; - computed tomography
; - MRI
.
Treatment is prescribed after diagnosis. You can also do a simple test at home. We have already mentioned it in this article. The patient should be asked to stand against the wall and press his back tightly. The second person should try to put their hand into the open space between the neck and the wall (if there is one at all). If this manipulation is difficult, then pathology is present. Only a specialist can determine its exact stage and level of damage. It is strongly not recommended to postpone your visit to him.
Treatment
To cure pathological lordosis, a diverse differentiated approach is required. Correct treatment affects the anomaly comprehensively, from all sides. Only this will give a full therapeutic effect and avoid disability or complex surgical intervention.
For treatment you need to consult an orthopedist or surgeon. The help of a vertebrologist and physiotherapist may be required
For lumbar lordosis, treatment is carried out by the following specialists (in addition to the surgeon and orthopedist, depending on the type of disease):
- vertebrologist – if the pathology is accompanied by osteochondrosis;
- neurologist – if nerve endings are damaged;
- gastroenterologist - if the cause of lordosis is disorders of the digestive system;
- oncologist – if there are tumors or metastases.
The most common variant of lordosis, which is diagnosed in the maximum percentage of patients who presented with this problem, is lordosis complicated by osteochondrosis (or arising as a complication of it).
In this case, treatment includes:
Causes
Physiological lordosis of the lumbar and cervical spine begins to form from the moment the child is born. Throughout his life, various factors will influence his posture, causing changes in the curvature of the spinal column.
Straightening of lordosis can occur due to congenital reasons, i.e. due to congenital abnormalities of the spine (the primary factor of the disease).
As for secondary or acquired changes, they can occur for the following reasons:
- overstrain of the muscles of the lower back or neck against the background of long-term poor posture (hypolordosis is most often diagnosed in patients leading a sedentary lifestyle and working at a computer);
- permanent injuries in professional athletes and people leading an active lifestyle;
- road traffic injuries;
- various diseases (cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis, tumors, infectious diseases, intervertebral hernias).
In turn, hypolordosis can provoke displacement of the vertebrae (spondylolisthesis), instability of the spinal column, spinal stenosis and other unpleasant diseases.
Preventive measures
Is it possible to prevent lumbar lordosis? If it’s not innate, then it’s fine. The best prevention is considered to be an active lifestyle, monitoring your health, following nutritional rules, and exercising.
Exercises are done in the morning, and regularly, and not occasionally. Going to the gym or fitness club is also welcome, you just need to monitor the loads and follow the technique of working with equipment.
Exercising in the morning as a way to prevent spinal curvature
Prevention will be helped by following a regimen, healthy eating, proper rest and sleep (for which you need to purchase a hard mattress and an orthopedic pillow).
Adequate rest on an orthopedic mattress and pillow helps maintain spinal health
If your job is sedentary, be sure to control your posture. In between, hang on the horizontal bar or otherwise warm up.
Charging at work
Symptoms
The disease is not that difficult to identify. Like any other curvature of the spine, it is characterized by pain in the back. When lordosis appears, you will probably notice an increase in the level of fatigue, difficulty performing certain movements, and most importantly, a change in posture. The stomach, head and shoulders now stick out more, and the chest seems to be pushed back and flatter. Sometimes changes affect the legs: the knees unnaturally point in different directions. The level of attentiveness and the ability to maintain attention for a long time are also significantly reduced. Lordosis can cause changes in the functioning of other vital systems: the chest and abdominal organs are at increased risk. Lordosis can also lead to many other spine diseases: vertebral instability, deforming arthrosis, pinched nerves, hernias, etc.
If everything is very clear in determining the presence of a disease in an adult, then with children the situation is a little more complicated. Kids don’t always make contact and say if something hurts. Moreover, very young patients may not even be able to do this. Due to the fact that many parents do not attach importance to this, the disease begins to progress rapidly: in this case, serious treatment of the spine is required. If you notice changes in your child's posture, immediately make an appointment with our specialist.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of lordosis (hyperlordosis), as a rule, does not present any particular difficulties, and a preliminary diagnosis is made on the basis of a medical history and examination, on the basis of which it is possible to assess both the degree of lordosis and the presence of concomitant spinal deformities (kyphosis or scoliosis), an assessment is carried out range of motion, muscle strength. In addition, it is necessary to assess the neurological status (reflex activity, signs of sensory impairment, muscle strength). Radiography is primarily used for diagnosis, and in most cases allows one to determine the presence of changes and assess the severity of the deformity. More complex research methods, such as CT or MRI or ENMG are necessary in cases where there are neurological symptoms or other somatic diseases that may cause the development of lordosis. Laboratory research methods are necessary in case of suspected inflammatory processes, infections, tumors. Scintigraphy is also used when it is necessary to differentiate changes in tissues from tumors or infections.
Treatment of lordosis of the cervical spine
Lordosis is a rather insidious disease, like most pathologies associated with spinal deformities. In the early stages it is difficult to detect with the naked eye, but as it develops, lordosis is more difficult to cure. That is why it is important to undergo preventive diagnostics in a timely manner and be regularly observed by specialists; this will allow the disease to be detected at stages 1-2 and treated in a timely manner.
When treating patients, various methods and courses are used; it cannot consist only of drug therapy or massage courses alone; an exclusively comprehensive approach is used.
Another important point: if lordosis was caused by a systemic disease, for example, hyperthyroidism, then it is necessary to first cure the underlying disorder, and only then deal directly with cervical lordosis.
Conservative treatment of cervical lordosis
- Pharmacotherapy. For cervical lordosis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (in particular, ibuprofen) are recommended. If the patient experiences frequent and intense pain in the neck area, then movalis, B vitamins, neurorubin, and neurobion are prescribed. If the patient experiences contractures, muscle relaxants are recommended. In particular, the drug mydocalm.
- Physiotherapy. In particular, the following methods are used:
- massages;
- special orthopedic collars;
- swimming and pool activities;
- exercise therapy;
- magnet therapy;
- spinal traction.
Treatment and recovery at specialized resorts
After at least six months, spa treatment is recommended for patients with lordosis, upon achieving certain results. For cervical lordosis, sanatoriums located in a warm climate with the presence of mineral waters and water treatment are recommended. It is best to visit such places in the off-season.
Diets
For lordosis, light diets are recommended, especially if drug treatment is used in parallel. In particular, it is advisable to eat lean meat and fish, broths, instant cereals, fermented milk products, and fresh fruits. At the same time, it is undesirable to eat smoked, spicy foods, mayonnaise, ketchup, carbonated water, sweets and drink alcoholic beverages.
Surgical treatment
This type of treatment is used for congenital pathologies. During the operation, metal structures are installed for the patient, in particular, staples and pins. They are aimed at changing the angle of deformation, making it smaller.
This is followed by a postoperative recovery period. During the entire rehabilitation period, the patient wears special devices, does exercises, and attends massage courses.
There are also preventive measures that will help avoid the disease. In particular, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, follow a diet, sleep on special mattresses, and do fitness, yoga or gymnastics. When working sedentarily at a computer, it is recommended to take breaks more often.
Risk factors and causes of pathology
Most often this problem is observed in schoolchildren . This is easily explained; prolonged stay in a stationary position has a negative effect on the spinal column. The problem is very serious, since at this age the spine is still developing.
In adults, cervical lordosis develops from prolonged uncomfortable body position. As a rule, bank employees, office workers and those who have a sedentary job suffer from this.
If you experience neck pain that gets worse when you move your head, this is an alarming signal that indicates the development of the disease. Easier fatigue will also indicate neck lordosis. It is especially often observed in people with mental work who have to sit for a long time.
Changing the position of the cervical vertebrae disrupts blood circulation . This leads to a lack of oxygen in the brain. This results in headaches and fatigue.
The cause of congenital lordosis of the cervical spine is usually considered to be a spinal injury that occurred during childbirth or in the womb.
And acquired lordosis is associated with many external reasons:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Neck injuries.
- Ankylosing spondylitis.
- Osteochondrosis.
- Disc herniation in this department.
- Inflammatory diseases of the spine.
- Spondylitis.
- Radiculitis.
- Contracture of the cervical muscles.
- Malignant neoplasms, and not only in the neck, but also in organs that are located nearby: lungs, thyroid gland, mammary glands.
There are other factors that provoke the occurrence of cervical lordosis:
- Overweight.
- Endocrinological diseases.
- Smoking and alcoholism.
- The growth of the spinal column outpaces the development of the muscular frame.
The cause of the disease is often pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, which are best treated in childhood.
Symptoms of lordosis in the cervical spine
Cervical lordosis is characterized by the presence of the following signs and symptoms:
- aching pain in the neck, shoulder blades, shoulders;
- nausea;
- insomnia;
- decreased appetite;
- severe dizziness, tinnitus;
- migraine;
- poor posture: shoulders are lowered to the bottom, the stomach protrudes forward, the neck is also stretched forward;
- chronic fatigue;
- decreased performance;
- memory and concentration problems;
- numbness in the hands;
- increased heart rate and shortness of breath during light physical exertion.
Prevention
To prevent the development of this disease, you must follow a number of simple rules:
- It is important to constantly monitor your posture.
- Avoid serious back strain.
- Control your body weight and avoid gaining excess kilograms.
- Use vitamin-mineral complexes periodically to prevent deficiency of elements important for the body.
- Practice proper and nutritious nutrition.
- Exercise regularly, practice swimming and other types of physical activity.
- Use special orthopedic devices during pregnancy.
- Treat in a timely manner diseases that provoke the development of lordosis - osteochondrosis , arthritis , disc protrusion , etc., by consulting a doctor if you have complaints of back pain.