Types of Postures

It is easy to develop a habit of bad posture without thinking about it. You may spend a long time leaning over a small screen, slouching in a chair, or carrying a heavy backpack when you walk. Or you may use repetitive motions in your workplace. After a while, all of these factors can lead to bad posture.

Being overweight or pregnant, or wearing poor-quality shoes or high heels, can also lead you to develop bad posture.

You may be born with scoliosis (an abnormally curved spine) or one leg shorter than the other, which can affect your posture.

Common posture problems

 Here are four common types of poor posture.

1. Forward head
   Forward head posture is when your head is positioned with your ears in front of the vertical midline of your body. If your body is in alignment, your ears and shoulders will be lined up with your vertical midline.
   It can also result from the aging process, as you lose muscle strength in your upper body.
2. Kyphosis
   Kyphosis refers to an exaggerated curvature of your upper back (the thoracic spine) where the shoulders are rounded forward. It is also called hunchback.
   Osteoporosis (bone thinning) can cause the shoulders to round as your spinal bones weaken with age. It is frequently seen in older women. Other age-related causes include degeneration of your spinal disks or vertebrae.
   Younger persons may develop kyphosis as a result of diseases such as polio or Scheuermann’s disease, infection, or chemotherapy or radiation to treat cancer.

3. Swayback
   Also called lordosis or hyper lordosis, is when your hips and pelvis tilt forward, in front of your body’s midline.
   In this position, your lower back has an exaggerated inward curve. You look like you are leaning back when you are standing up, with your stomach and your rear sticking out.
   You can develop swayback if you sit a lot, which tightens the muscles in your back. Sitting for prolonged periods can also weaken your abdominal muscles and glutes. In both cases, the core muscles that stabilize your back become weak.
   Other causes may be obesity, injury, neuromuscular conditions, and abnormalities of your spine and vertebrae.

4. Flatback
   Flatback is a condition where the normal curve of your lower spine loses some of its curvature. Your lower back looks straight, and you stoop forward.
   It can be present at birth, or it can result from some kinds of back surgery or degenerative conditions of the spine, including ankylosing spondylitis (inflammatory arthritis), disc degeneration, and vertebrae compression.
   Flatback can make it painful for you to stand for lengthy periods.

Other types of posture

• Poking chin.Sitting in a chair that is too low and leaning forward to see your screen or looking up at a screen that is placed too high can result in a chin that pokes forward.
• Uneven shoulders or hips.You may tilt to one side when you stand if one leg is longer than the other. It may also affect your gait.
• Military-style posture.Here your back is ramrod straight and your chest is thrust forward.