Lordosis is a curvature of the human spine with a bulge forward. Such bends in this part of the skeleton are found twice in the lumbar and cervical regions. In most cases, this is normal, but sometimes pathological curvature occurs.
What is lordosis
Lordosis is physiological and pathological. Physiological lordosis is a normal natural phenomenon, due to which our musculoskeletal system can fully function, but pathological is a serious violation that is dangerous to health. If the treatment of lordosis of the lumbar spine is not started in time, this can lead to serious consequences.
On Earth, only a person can get up, walk and keep his back straight. Being born, a small child cannot do this right away. In the first months of his life, he learns to raise and hold his head, by six months he begins to sit, after some time has elapsed - to get on his feet and, finally, to walk. In order for the back to develop correctly, it is necessary to constantly monitor this for many years, since the formation of the spine ends by 18-20 years.
Three bends are noted along the entire length of the spine: lumbar lordosis, dorsal kyphosis, and cervical lordosis. It is these bends that help the human musculoskeletal system to move and withstand various loads.
Lordosis as a pathology
Pathological bending of the spine, as a rule, appears in childhood or is provoked by other diseases of the skeleton. Pathological lordosis of the lumbar spine is an excessive bulge of the spine forward or flattening of the thoracic or sacral spine. This disease most often appears at an early age, when the child’s bones do not yet have the required amount of calcium, and changes can occur in them. Below is a photo of lordosis of the lumbar region and the skeleton of a healthy person.
Straightening lordosis of the lumbar is more common in people in old age. Its cause, as a rule, is osteochondrosis.
Pathological lordosis is of two types:
- Primary. Has a non-traumatic etiology. The cause of its occurrence may be degenerative diseases of the spine and nearby muscles, inflammatory processes and oncology. It can occur in a person with abnormal development of the vertebrae, as well as with spondylolisthesis (a disease in which the vertebrae are displaced relative to each other).
- Secondary. This type of disease occurs after injuries, dislocations, with ankylosis of the hip joints, both one and both at once.
Reasons for pathology
Various reasons can provoke this condition: a variety of defects in the musculoskeletal tissues and ligaments, large loads on the spine in those who are obese, and much more.
If a deviation in the development of the spine appears in childhood, then most often the cause of this is the following pathology:
- injuries sustained during childbirth;
- hip dysplasia;
- Cerebral palsy;
- softening of bones with rickets;
- a sharp jump in growth in adolescence.
If the pathology is diagnosed in adults, then this happens for the following reasons:
- osteochondrosis;
- Ankylosing spondylitis;
- intervertebral hernia;
- spondylolisthesis;
- hip ankylosis;
- various infectious diseases of the spine, including tuberculosis, it is he who can become the main cause of this ailment;
- other systemic diseases (diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, and even as rare as lupus erythematosus, by the way, it is very difficult to diagnose);
- severe injuries (fractures);
- additional load for obesity;
- muscle diseases due to which they cannot hold the spine in position.
Lordosis after pregnancy
As a rule, pathology occurs in those female representatives who had problems with the spine even before pregnancy: congenital anomalies, various neoplasms, degenerative, systemic diseases.
But it can also appear in women who previously had no deviations. Simple hyperlordosis in this case occurs due to physiological curvature under the weight of the pregnant abdomen. But this condition independently passes some time after childbirth.
How to recognize pathology
Physiological lordosis has a certain angle of inclination. Deviation in any direction is already a pathology. Some straightening of the spine in the lumbar region is called golordoz, if the angle is too large, then this is hyperlordosis. They have both general and specific symptoms. Common symptoms include:
- the stomach bulging forward;
- pain in the back;
- abnormalities in the abdominal organs;
- impaired metabolism;
- feeling of chronic fatigue;
- sleep disturbance.
Reinforced lordosis is manifested by the following symptoms:
- bulging belly and buttocks;
- the pelvis tilted back;
- unnaturally extended lower limbs;
- very tense muscles in the lumbar region;
- it is impossible to lie on the stomach, because in this position the spine is straightened, and this is accompanied by very severe pain;
- if a person is placed with his back on a flat surface, a significant distance can be seen between the surface and the lower back.
Symptoms of smoothed lordosis of the lumbar spine (hypolordosis):
- flattening of the back;
- lower back pain;
- it is difficult to sit or stand in one position;
- numbness is felt in the area of the pathology.
What consequences may cause lordosis
A pathology such as hyperlordosis can lead to the following complications:
- the formation of intervertebral hernias;
- intervertebral disc instability;
- deforming arthrosis of the hip joints (coxarthrosis);
- development of pathological vertebral mobility;
- inflammation in the muscle tissue that must support the spine.
The consequences that may be caused by the smoothness of lordosis:
- spondylosis;
- spinal cord compression;
- disruption of the abdominal organs;
- constant feeling of tiredness.
How to diagnose
A person himself can detect the presence of a pathology, but a specialist in a medical institution should appoint a diagnosis of lordosis of the lumbar spine and confirm the diagnosis.
It is possible to independently determine whether there is hyperlordosis as follows: it is necessary to stand near a flat wall, cuddle it with buttocks and shoulder blades. A person who is nearby should stick his hand between the wall and the lower back and evaluate the distance between them.
To correctly diagnose, the trauma doctor first conducts a visual examination, and then directs the patient to an x-ray. An x-ray is done in two projections (direct and lateral). With normal lordosis, the angle should be 150-170 degrees. If the angle is less than 145 degrees, then this indicates the presence of hyperlordosis. A diagnosis of hypolordosis is made if the angle is more than 172 degrees.
X-ray and MRI can determine both the stage of lordosis and the cause of its appearance. Also, based on the results of these diagnostic studies, possible complications can be suggested.
Lordosis of the lumbar spine: exercises and treatment
It is worth noting that this pathology is not too dangerous, but you should not determine the procedure for yourself. Treatment and exercises for lordosis of the lumbar spine should be prescribed only by the attending physician. After all, before treating any disease, it is necessary to find out the cause of its appearance, and this can be found out only after a thorough examination.
For example, when a degenerative disease has caused hyperlordosis, chondroprotectors and other similar drugs are prescribed as additional treatment. This also applies to coxarthrosis.
With excess weight, which has become a provoking factor in the occurrence of lordosis, it is necessary to follow a special diet, and sometimes, in the late stages of obesity, medication and even surgical intervention are prescribed.
Also, therapy involves measures that can improve the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, digestive and respiratory systems. These organs suffer from such pathology of the spine as hyperlordosis.
Physiotherapy
A specially selected set of exercises for lordosis of the lumbar spine is one of the main methods of treating this ailment. Just do not forget that all exercises must be approved by a specialist and should be performed systematically and over time.
Recommended Exercises:
- Starting position - lying on your back. Put your feet on a hill, such as a chair, sofa. In this case, the hips and knees should be at right angles to each other. Place a hand under the lower back and use it to control the forward movement of the pelvis. At the same time, pull the stomach inward so that the free space under the lower back decreases.
- Lie on your back, spread your arms to the sides, stretch your legs. Raise your legs and try to get them behind the head.
- Press against the wall with your back, shoulder blades, pelvis and heels during the exercise should always touch its surface. Place your hand under the lower back and try to touch the surface of the wall with this.
- This exercise should be performed while lying on your stomach. Hands are behind the head. At the level of the pelvic bones, place a roller under the abdomen. Inhale and raise the chest, elbows to apart. Hold in this position for a few seconds and return to its original position.
In addition to medical gymnastics, you can resort to yoga:
- Fix the chest with the palms of the hands and make swaying movements of the lower back and pelvis.
- Lie on your back, bend your legs at the knees, put your hands behind your head, put your feet to the width of the pelvis. Straighten your arms, do not tear your lower back off the floor, do an exhalation exercise. Then return to starting position.
- Starting position, as in the previous exercise. Straighten your leg, lift it up and try to reach it with your hand.
- Exercise "Bridge". Starting position - lying on your back, arms extended along the body, legs bent, spaced shoulder width apart. Tear off the body from the floor so that the hips and body form one line. Hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
Massotherapy
A procedure such as massage helps to relax muscles, relieve pain and normalize blood circulation. In the case of lordosis, among other things, it also helps the spine to prepare for straightening.
For patients who are diagnosed with lordosis of the lumbar spine, massage of the following types is recommended: acupressure, classical therapeutic and lymphatic drainage. If you hold a massage and at the same time engage in physical therapy, you can achieve a good result.
The use of medicines
With such an ailment as lordosis, the following groups of medications are used for treatment:
- Painkillers. Such medications help relieve inflammation. These include Ibuprofen, Movalis, Celecoxib and other anti-inflammatory drugs. Drugs can be in tablets or in injections. To relieve inflammation and pain, ointments and gels are also used, for example, Diclofenac, Voltaren, Fastum Gel.
- Sometimes treatment with glucocorticoid hormones is necessary. As a rule, “Hydrocortisone”, “Prednisolone” are prescribed.
- For external treatment, compresses with Dimexidum are used.
Manual therapy
Using this procedure, you can achieve the following:
- stretch segments of the spine;
- improve the flexibility and mobility of the intervertebral discs;
- relieve muscle spasm, increase the tone of all other back muscles.
The hood is carried out only when the vertebral segments are not deformed. This procedure is preferably carried out in water.
How to sleep with this pathology
If the curvature of the spine is quite pronounced, it is recommended to purchase a special orthopedic mattress. It should be designed for the weight of the patient. Otherwise, the disease will be further exacerbated.
While there is no mattress yet, it is best to lie on your stomach during sleep, but at the same time, a roller should be placed under it. Its thickness should correspond to the degree of curvature of the spine. You can not use the roller if a person has exacerbated any disease of the internal organs (chronic) or when the ailment is in the acute phase, and, of course, it is contraindicated for pregnant women.
Prevention of spinal curvature
Prevention of lordosis is best done in childhood, when the child has the formation of a bone skeleton. It is also very necessary for people who suffer from various diseases of the musculoskeletal system or sit in the workplace all day.
To protect yourself from the development of lordosis, the following rules should be observed:
- Follow your posture. Keep your back straight while walking and while sitting.
- To do swimming, gymnastics, yoga, Pilates.
- For those who have sedentary work, take breaks by performing the following exercises: rotational movements of the pelvis, rotate the spine in both directions.
- The complex of morning exercises should include exercises that strengthen the muscles of the abs. These muscles are of great importance for the formation of proper posture.
If, however, a lordosis lordosis is found in a person, then, following all the recommendations of specialists, one can count on a positive treatment result.