Lumbar Postural Syndrome
What is it?
What are the signs and symptoms?
A standard patient with postural syndrome typically has normal, pain-free movement. Symptoms are only experienced when poor posture is maintained for prolonged periods. This can occur in standing, sitting or lying. Pain is generally descrribed as a dull ache in the lower back region and can occasionally be accompanied by symptoms in the upper back or neck. Usually the pain associated with postural syndrome will quickly ease upon moving or changing positions, when the strain is removed from the affected structures.
How is it treated?
Most patients with postural syndrome of the lower back experience no pain once their posture is corrected. This may be all that is needed to fix the problem. It is vital that posture is corrected during the provocative activity to prevent recurrence. Specific stretching and strengthening exercises can also help to improve posture and activity tolerance.
Treatment for postural syndrome can significantly help to reduce symptoms and prevent recurrence. Chiropractic therapy may comprise: soft tissue massage, mobilization, the use of a lumbar roll for sitting.
Lumbar postural syndrome is a condition where pain is felt in the lower back in the absence of any significant damage or trauma to tissue. Patients with postural syndrome only experience an ache or pain during activities placing sustained stress on normal tissue.
The mechanism of pain onset in postural syndrome can be demonstrated by gently bending your index finger backwards until you feel a stretch. There is no tissue damage or pain but if you maintain this position for long enough, your finger will gradually become painful . Postural syndrome in the lower back works similarly and generally occurs due to sitting or standing in poor positions for prolonged periods of time.
When slouching, your lower back goes into its maximum bend, placing considerable stretching force on the joints of your back. This will gradually cause aching pain if sustained for too long. Standing in poor posture has the same effect.