What is Lordosis?
Lordosis definition:
Lordosis is the posture term used to describe an excessively curved spine in your neck or lower back.
The excess forward curve in the spine, or an arched back, is most commonly referring to the lumbar spine but can also describe the cervical spine. This term is also known as hyperlordosis since the natural curves of the spine are considered lordotic, as they rest in extension. Lumbar lordosis often accompanies sway back posture, where the hips are forward of the ankles and upper back.
Anatomy:
Lumbar lordosis - Shortened muscles include the lumbar erectors, multifidi, quadratus lumborum; and when accompanied by anterior pelvic tilt, often includes short hip flexors such as psoas major, iliacus, rectus femoris, tensor fascia latae, and others.
Lengthened muscles include the abdominals such as rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, internal obliques and external obliques; and when accompanied by anterior pelvic tilt, also includes hip extensors such as the glute maximus and hamstrings.
Cervical lordosis - Shortened muscles include the cervical extensors such as upper trapezius, levator scapula, semispinalis capitis, longissimus, multifidi, rotatores, and more.
Lengthened muscles include many of the neck flexors such as sternocleidomastoid, anterior scalenes, longus capitis and longus coli.
Common Issues:
Lumbar lordosis - low back pain, muscle spasms, lumbar disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, arthritic spine, spondylolisthesis, restrolisthesis, hip pain, knee pain, hip arthritis, adductor strain, distended abdomen, digestion and elimination trouble, and more
Cervical lordosis - neck pain, cervical disc herniation, cervical disc degeneration disease (DDD), TMJ disorder, headaches, neck ache, trap tension, tinnitus, headaches, and more