Sway Back Posture and Alignment

Introduction

Sway-back posture has several characteristics. The head is forward. There is increased flexion in the upper back. The ribs are displaced behind the hips. The pelvis is tilted back, yet it sways forward from the feet. Both the hip joints and the knee joints are hyperextended (Roy, pp. 261-282). The ankle joint is usually neutral. The result is someone whose trunk seems to trail behind the rest of the body. The chest appears to be sunken, and the hips seem to push forward. Pregnant women tend to have this posture, and some women continue to stand this way when carrying their children after they are born, to offset baby weight and have their arms free to perform tasks. Because the human body was not designed to function in this posture, pain can result. Someone with sway-back posture may complain of back pain.

Discussion

A person that has the sway-back posture has weak hip flexors and external obliques. The muscles that extend the back are weak as well. The forward head creates weak neck flexors. In addition, the low back can be very tight, requiring stretching. The hamstrings and internal oblique may also be tight. A Pilates trainer will begin by conducting a postural assessment. The assessment is not a diagnosis (Abernethy, pp 34-272). Rather, it serves as a road map for the instructor. She will use it as a guide to create a program that will correct muscular imbalances. To strengthen the obliques, she may introduce the Half Roll Back and the Obliques Rollback. To strengthen the upper back extensors she might teach the Breast Stroke and Swan Dive. Leg Pull Front and Elephant would be good options to strengthen hip flexors (Youlian Hong, pp 17-64).

In this posture, the pelvis is tilted posteriorly, making it look like your butt is flat. In the flat back posture, there is no curve to the lumbar (lower) spine. It can give you lower back pain, and make you look shorter and thick around the stomach. Your ribcage may press forward and your upper back may “sway” creating imbalance and poor coordination (Doyle, pp 11-220).

To determine what posture you are have a friend to read this article, then get that person watch you walk unexpectedly. This will determine your' posture when relaxed. You will get a better idea of your real postural alignment. Once you have started initial feed back from ...