Perfect posture has been a highly sought-after trait of both health and beauty for time immemorial. However, the human spine has a natural set of back-to-front curves that maintain your center of gravity and enable your body to remain upright. The alternating curves, called the lordosis and kyphosis, minimize the effects of gravity, thereby allowing you to maintain perfect posture and move with the least amount of effort.
When the lower back loses its lordosis, the spine is left without its natural balance and forces the affected individual to lean forward. This is known as flat back syndrome.
What Causes Flat Back Syndrome?
Causes of flat back syndrome range anywhere from degenerative disc disease and ankylosing spondylolysis to compression fractures and post-lumbar fusion complications. Patients who had been treated with Harrington rods to correct scoliosis between the 1960s and 1980s are at an especially high risk of flat back syndrome.
Sufferers of this condition commonly experience the following:
- Difficulty standing upright
- Muscle fatigue
- Chronic low back pain
- Neck pain
- Thigh and groin pain
Symptoms are known to worsen later in the day, as it becomes increasingly more difficult to remain upright while working or performing any other routine activities.
Can Flat Back Syndrome Be Corrected?
The first step in correcting flat back syndrome is anti-inflammatory medication coupled with physical therapy, focusing primarily on gait and posture restoration. Depending on the severity of the structural problems and accompanying pain, however, you may be required to undergo surgery.
A surgical branch specially designed to correct spinal alignment is called an osteotomy, a removal of a portion of the bone to allow for a correction in alignment. Your orthopedic physician will recommend the ideal form of osteotomy for your distinct situation, if non-surgical treatment options fail or are deemed insufficient.
Flat back syndrome can have debilitating effects on your overall health and daily activities – unless it is properly diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. When you seek a top-rated spine specialist in Sarasota/Bradenton to discuss your spinal woes, look no further than the team at Coastal Orthopedics Sports Medicine & Pain Management.
We welcome you to call or visit one of our convenient locations and begin your treatment today!
