Disclaimer 

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this blog post. It’s a good idea to remember if you have any pre-existing conditions or health problems with your back, it’s best to get a physical exam from a trained medical professional.

With that disclaimer out of the way let’s dive in.

Research shows that slight lumbar lordosis is common and considered normal with most people. However, If you’re feeling like your lower back has a mind of its own, constantly arching and causing you grief? Your posture has likely slipped into what is known as just hyperlordosis – a fancy term for an exaggerated low back cure curve that’s giving you all that trouble in the lumbar spine

Before we get into a corrective plan of action let’s consider what can lead to this excessive curvature.

Here is a list of the most common:

1. Poor Posture: Prolonged periods of sitting or standing with incorrect posture can contribute to excessive lordosis as well as lower back pain. Slouching or maintaining an improper alignment puts added stress on the lower back which often leads to back aches developing over time.
2. Muscle Imbalances: Imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility can play a significant role. Tight hip flexors and weak abdominal muscles can pull the pelvis forward, accentuating the curve.
3. Obesity: Carrying excess weight, especially around the abdomen, can tilt the pelvis forward, increasing the lumbar curve.
4. Pregnancy: During pregnancy, hormonal changes and the shifting of the body’s centre of gravity can cause temporary lordosis due to the increased curvature necessary to support the growing fetus.
5. Congenital Conditions: Some individuals may have structural abnormalities or conditions present from birth that affect the alignment of the spine, leading to an exaggerated lumbar curve.
6. Spondylolisthesis: This condition occurs when a vertebra slips forward onto the vertebra below it. This displacement can contribute to changes in spinal curvature, including increased lordosis.
7. Muscle Tone Disorders: Conditions that affect muscle tone, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, can influence the alignment of the spine and contribute to excessive lordosis.
8. Spinal Injuries or Conditions: Trauma or certain spinal conditions, such as disc herniation or arthritis, can affect the alignment of the spine and contribute to an exaggerated lumbar curve.

As you can see from the above list, some areas might need medical intervention such as muscle tone disorders and certain conditions, so complete “fixing” may be out of the question unfortunately for some. However, you can correct areas like poor posture, weight gain and muscle imbalances with the right approaches.

Typically it’s the abdominals and the glutes that have become weakened and the hip flexors and the erector spinae that become tighter. As such the solution is to start stretching the overactive muscles – primarily the hip flexors, and start getting the weaker muscles stronger – abdominals and glutes.

Before we get into a corrective plan of action to combat low back pain and hopefully prevent the need for a visit to a physical therapist or for physical therapy itself. it’s important to start from the ground up, starting with a simple screening test to check the extent of the curvature in your back right now. By following the steps below you can limit risks:

Step 1: Check the extent of your lordosis

For this you can do a relatively simple self-test:

Stand upright with your back on a wall, ensuring your feet are shoulder-width apart, and keep your heels around 2 inches away from the wall.

Make sure your head, shoulder blades, and buttocks touch the wall. There should be a slight gap, enough for you to slide your hand between the wall and the small of your back.

If you have hyperlordosis, this gap will be more than the width of one hand between the wall and your lower back.

The video below explains how to do it lying down if you prefer a visual breakdown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAKT7HUP31Q&t=40s  

Step 2: Learn how to posterior tilt

Since your posture has slipped into anterior pelvic tilt (forward shift of the pelvis), relearning how to bring it back into neutral is key for good posture. If you don’t your body will just compensate when doing corrective exercises and you’ll end up back at square one. You do this by learning how to posterior tilt properly.

Here is the breakdown:

Starting Position:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the surface.

Ensure a neutral spine position.

Engage Pelvic Muscles:

Brace your abdominal muscles by drawing your navel toward your spine.

Tilting the Pelvis:

Gently tilt your pelvis backwards, pressing your lower back towards the surface.

Lift your tailbone slightly off the surface.

Hold and Release:

Maintain the posterior pelvic tilt for a few seconds.

Gradually release the tilt and return to a neutral spine.

Repetition:

Perform several reps, starting with a small number.

Focus on quality and avoid straining.

Another video tutorial is below if the points above don’t do it for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWuR_U9ddcc

Step 3: Carryover and strengthen with a corrective routine

After you’ve learned how to posterior tilt accurately, the key now is to carry over that posterior pelvic tilt to a corrective plan that you should do daily or at least every other day. A simple and effective plan for addressing this is below which take around 10 minutes to do in total.

Lying posterior pelvic tilts: Video tutorial here – 1 set of 10 reps

These help engage your abdominal muscles, especially the rectus abdominis and the transverse abdominis, promoting pelvic alignment and reducing excessive arching (lordosis) in the lower back. By tilting the pelvis backward, it counteracts the anterior tilt that contributes to lordosis.

Glute bridges: Video tutorial here – 1 set of 10 reps

Primarily focusing on the gluteus maximus, these strengthen the posterior chain while engaging the core. Strong glutes aid in stabilizing the pelvis, assisting in maintaining a neutral spine and reducing strain on the lower back.

Deadbugs: Video tutorial here – 1 set of 10 reps

They train core stability and coordination between the upper and lower body. By lying on your back and moving your arms and legs while maintaining a neutral spine, deadbugs challenge the core muscles, especially the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis, which play a vital role in spinal stability.

RKC planks: Video tutorial here – 2 sets of maximum hold

These planks emphasize full-body tension, particularly in the abdominals and glutes. The “RKC” (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) technique involves maximal contraction of the core and glutes by adopting a specific plank position. encouraging a strong, stable spine. This increased tension helps reinforce the muscles responsible for maintaining proper posture.

The hip flexor (psoas) stretch and raised arm to the side: Video tutorial here – 1 set of 15-20 seconds on each side

The hip flexors, particularly the psoas, can become tight due to prolonged sitting or inadequate stretching. Stretching these muscles helps reduce the forward pull on the pelvis, countering excessive anterior pelvic tilt associated with lordosis.

Couch stretch (rectus femoris): Video tutorial here: 1 set of 15-20 seconds on each side

Tightness in the rectus femoris, one of the quadriceps muscles, can contribute to an anterior pelvic tilt. The couch stretch targets this muscle, aiding in restoring balance to the hip flexors and reducing the strain on the lower back.

Summary

There you have it. A plan based on scientific evidence with specific exercises and stretches that if done correctly and on a regular basis can restore the natural curvature of the spine. As with most things in health, early detection is key so make sure you follow the steps above to ensure injury prevention. Once you start to proper position movement patterns with good spinal alignment, you’ll have learned the best way to prevent an excessive arching back. The long term outcome probability is that you’ll like save yourself from developing serious complications in the future.

If you want to take your health one step further with more bespoke coaching you can get in touch here.

Thanks for dropping by again.

Dec