Managing Sway Back Posture

Treatment For Sway Back Posture

Individuals with a sway back posture will frequently complain of experiencing discomfort worsening with prolonged periods of standing, or slow walking such as standing at a concert, or shopping and will often find themselves regularly shifting position when standing to ease any discomfort.  From a physiotherapy standpoint treatment for sway back posture is directed at correcting any underlying structural or postural issues, with the intention that these corrections will help to improve or eliminate any discomfort experienced.

Physiotherapy Treatment Focus When Helping Manage Sway Back Pain

• Individuals with sway back posture will usually have weak, or under utilized core and gluteal muscles. By improving core strength, gluteal strength and the use of these muscles in standing it can help to support the spine and assist in improving posture.
• Hamstring muscles are frequently tight in individuals with a sway back. Improving the flexibility of the hamstrings as well as back muscles via soft tissue release techniques, self release techniques such as foam rolling, or the use of a spiky ball, or massage gun, coupled with some targeted stretching can help restore movement within the typically tight tissues and enable easier posture correction.
• Improving middle back (thoracic spine) mobility. A long exaggerated thoracic kyphosis is common finding with sway back posture. Participating in activities such as  yoga, Pilates or independent targeted mobility work for the thoracic spine can help to get movement back into previously stiff joints. Sometimes physiotherapy applied manual therapy and spinal manipulation of the thoracic spine can be of added benefit, physio techniques can assist a patients own efforts in helping restore mobility and again encourage easier posture correction.
• When looking to change the way an individual caries themselves and improve their sway back posture the above adjustments of muscle strength, length and joint mobility can help aid an easier transition. However good posture and correcting any non desirable postural changes such as a sway back very much comes from being conscious of your body position, awareness is paramount. Without continual awareness around making appropriate adjustments towards correcting posture all other work can be in vain and render any efforts towards specific strengthening and mobility work redundant.
• It is always a good idea to have your physiotherapist work with you to assist in guiding you on what is “correct” positioning in your situation. Helping adjust your sway back posture to achieve a more “ideal posture” and work with you to establish adjustments and exercises that can help train your body better maintain a more classically ideal posture. Understanding what is “normal” is very useful, as often without this the individual is often working blind when correcting their posture and often find are over or under correcting as well as neglecting key parts of their postural chain. Your physio should be able to help you understand what is your ideal position and develop a routine of exercises to help train your posture correction which may well include a combination of isolated exercises to particular muscle groups or spinal regions and exercises that address the spine and body as a whole.

Disclaimer: Sydney Physio Clinic provides this information as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Anyone seeking specific advice or assistance on Managing Sway Back Posture should consult his or her physiotherapist, general practitioner or otherwise appropriately skilled practitioner.