Back Pain Or Mystery Pain? Watch Out For Spinal Hyper-lordosis!

  Back pain is rampant.  Our society is a breeding ground for a common spinal condition that results in spinal compression.  What is spinal hyper-lordosis?   Sway back or spinal hyper-lordosis is the an excessive curve in the lower spine. It’s natural an healthy to have a curve in your lower back; it aids in cushioning a load, and deters spinal compression by not “stacking” the spinal cord up. A curve in the lower back is called “lordosis.”  It’s not bad, and it’s a common misconception… the correct term for excessive curve is “hyper” lordosis. This excessive curve is so common in our midst that we may even regard it as sexy, or used during proper lifting form.

Sony makes the lightest laptap.  But Kareena demonstrates major spinal hyper lordosis when she hoists that feather weight machine.

     

If we straigten the photo out we can see what happens.  The upper back over corrects in order to remain erect.  This results in the rounded shoulders, and the shoulders also rotated forward.

 

The exaggerated curve in the lower back will squish the spine.  This will cause pain in the lower back as well as the upper back.  The pinching can also cause mystery pain or tingling as the spine is pinched spine is interfering with neural paths.

 

Hyperlordosis in the gym

We can see spinal hyper lordosis in many models, but we can also see it in the gym in most over head lifts, and squat variations.  Excessive arching of the back squeezes the spin at the lower back, and this repeated action causes pain as well as gradually altering your resting posture.  

Body Mechanics of hyper lordosis

When you are in a position of hyper lordosis your back muscles are squeezed tight, which in turn stretches your abdominals. Anterior (forward) hip tilt leans your body forward, this stretches your glutes, and shortens your hip flexors.  Anterior pelvic tilt is often the cause of hyper lordosis. When your body is leaned forward you over arch to remain erect, which causes your shoulders to round in your upper back to correct again. Over time the curves become more exaggerated, squeezing the spine, and rounding or the shoulders and forming a hump in the upper back.   The position is exacerbated and sometimes caused by sitting at a desk (which we all do!) While sitting at a desk our knees come up towards our chest.  This shortens the hip flexors, AND lengthens the glutes. Staying in this position for hours on end will result in the glutes being lengthened, and the hip flexors short and tight. Long glutes and short hip flexors tilt the hip forward… and then we have hyper lordosis. Look around and you will notice this is a highly prevalent posture.  Check your doctors office or google back pain and you’ll also notice back pain is also VERY prevalent. I’m not saying it’s a cure all, but many suffer.  

A few notes on posture

If your pregnant or have a beer belly, your gut will pull down and mechanically tilt your hip forward.  It’s not uncommon for pregnancy to be the onset of hyperlordosis, which becomes the new posture.  It’s also not uncommon for beer belly’s and pregnant women to have back pain.  This is often why. Fellas If you do or don’t have a belly hyper lordosis will make you look like you do.  The curve in the spine sticks you belly out and rounds out the abdominals.  You see it in bodybuilders, powerlifters (beer belly), and regular folks. Ladies While we think hyper lordosis is sexy in women (and it can be), it also hides the natural curves of a woman as the belly is rounded, and the shoulders and rounded upper back hide and lessen a woman’s bust line.

 

Jumpers and tight hip flexors.. not good

Among other things, tight hip flexors are particularly bad for jumping.  Hip extension is where much power is exerted for jumping and running.  IF your hip flexors are tight (hip flexion is opposite of hip extension) then your flexors will be resisting the jump movement, and you will probably strain them. Lengthened glutes, and shortened spinal erectors will also prevent you from exerting maximum propulsion during the vertical jump movement.  

How to fix spinal hyper lordosis

A few keys… 1. The biggest issue is habit. Many people have walked and carried themselves this way their entire life.  They are capable of correct posture but they are in a bad and STRONG habit of anterior pelvic tilt.  You must first learn how to control your pelvis.  Then you must learn how to be mindful of your pelvic tilt and neutral spine during the day, during lifting, and during simple daily activities like reaching to the top shelf or putting your shirt on. Standing against a wall you can pull your belly button to your spine, and tilt your hip back and push you lower back to the wall. Stand in  a mirror facing sideways.  See the anterior tilt.  Adjust it by rotating your hips back, and pulling your shoulders back.  Repeat this 10 times in 3 sets.  Do this daily.  You must learn to get into this neutral position VERY easily. Practice putting on clothes, lifting, or combing your hair without tilting your back.  You’ll notice you do it almost any time you exert yourself or bring your hands above your head. The more time you spend with improper curve the more it is reinforced.  Lifting: deadlifting or squatting or anything with poor form strengthens the muscle that reinforce and encourage poor form because the back basically isometrically contracting in the position of poor posture.  Avoid it, learn perfect posture. 2. Correcting the muscle imbalance will also help. Your glutes are lengthened and weak so do exercises that shorten and strengthen them.

• Glute bridges
• On all four… mule kicks and several variations…
• lunges

Your hip flexors are tight, so lengthen them…

• Hip flexor stretches
• lunges, warrior lunges

This will help your natural posture to favor a neutral pelvic tilt, BUT effort will only shift it! Your lower back is tight, so lengthen it…

• lower back stretches
• yoga cat pose

Abdominals are weak and lengthened, so strengthen and shorten them. Choose abdominal exercises that replicate the posture rather than traditional crunches and sit ups. Core static holds are great BUT WATCH THAT LOWER BACK CURVE! This will help you natural posture to favor a neutral spinal position. This is just to point you in the right direction by giving you the right principles.  Sprinting, and other sporting activities engaging the core are also highly effective.   3. Be mindful of the tilt an curve in your weightlifting. Remember, you need a curve.  You just don’t need too much!  Keep a neutral spine which will have some curve.  Learn it.  If you don’t your dead lift will be sore on your lower back in the morning.  Too much or too little curve (rounding) on most lifts will eventually if not immediately take it’s toll!  Without that perfect form, you will never move heavy weights in the gym.  

Relief

You can find relief in massages, chiropractors, foam rolling etc…  That’s fine.  But until you learn or relearn correct habits in your posture during the day, and during your activities you will have pain and reduced performance.  The hardest part of this is learning it.  Many learned their posture at a young age, and have been doing it for 10s of years.  Relearning is going to be a royal pain in the back!  At first correct posture may feel very bizarre and unfamiliar… because it is.   Take it nice and STEADY, don’t try to be perfect and burn out.