In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, most people don’t think twice about their posture. Just taking a look outside, it’s easy to see hunched backs, people with too straight a posture, or even left/right foot imbalance. These irregularities and imbalances can cause pain in different parts of the body. Check out this list of common issues to see if you warrant a trip to a physical therapist.
Here is a breakdown of the most common issues:
- Flat back is a symptom that the back of certain vertebrae are degenerating. As a result, the spine is more rigid than normal caused by muscle contraction. It will feel difficult to relax as you will feel a costant tight feeling in your spine and the muscles in your back. In addition, your shoulder shoulders may be more rigid or raised than normal.
- Humpback (kyphosis) is a symptom that the spine curve is very abnormal. In some patients, this can be observed with the naked eye (i.e. the chin and head are extended forward) causing a hunchback. In others though, it is not as seen so easily, but can be identified with symptoms. These include sharp pains in the spine or muscles surrounding it. The cause of humpback symptoms usually comes from having an improper posture over a long period of time, or from the degeneration of the spine by age.
- The left and right imbalance of the body occurs when the body tends to lean more to one side. This results in pain in the body, such as pain in either shoulder, waist, or leg. This balance of the body is not equal and it can be easily observed. Try standing with your back against a wall and having a friend take a picture. Check if your left shoulder and right shoulder are equal. Then check if your left hip and right hip are equal. When there are imbalances, it means you might be preferring one foot over the other, causing parts of your skeleton and your body to work imbalanced. As a result, growth and use of muscles on either side of the body become unequal, which can lead to a variety of conditions – for example, a limp.
