It is unlikely that we will all go through life with a perfect posture, all of the time. As a result we may suffer from back pain at some point. It is far more likely that our posture will be somewhere, on a scale, away from perfect. The illustration above shows some common postures that we see at Lucerne Clinic. More often than not, we see a combination of the those depicted, such as a hollow back with a high hip or a flat pelvis and a head tilt. Any of these variations can cause back pain.

Postural variations are often defined as structural or functional. Structural implies that it is as a result of a structural change to the musculo skeletal system, this can be as a result of a genetic mutation, a birth defect or trauma.

Functional variations to posture can broadly be described as repetitive strains or muscle imbalances, that affect the musculoskeletal system. Functional variations often occur during childhood and youth, when the skeleton is still growing. Functional variations that are not addressed can, over a period of time, become structural.

Structural variations are irreversible, in extreme cases surgery can be sought. Osteopaths are very interested in the posture of children and youths because these are the ages at which we can diagnoses the stresses causing the variations. We can then treat and help rectify them.