health centersarthritis center

Lumbar Lordosis (Swayback)

What is lordosis?

Picture of a healthprofessional with his hand on a patien'ts lower back.
A symptom of lumbar lordosis is discomfort and/or back pain.

Lumbar lordosis is the inward curve of the lumbar spine in the lower back. A small degree of lordosis (inward curvature) is normal. The spine in the neck also has lordosis (cervical lordosis). 

Normal lumbar (lower spine) lordosis is not painful but if the posture of the person appears to be swayback (abnormal inward curve), they may experience back pain. 
 

What causes lordosis?

Common causes of lumbar lordosis

  1. Discitis
  2. Obesity
  3. Kyphosis
  4. Osteoporosis
  5. Spondylolisthesis 

Causes of lumbar lordosis in children

  1. Bad posture
  2. Previous spine surgery
  3. Pelvis or hip injury
  4. Congenital
  5. Genetics
  6. Dwarfism
  7. Other spine disorders

Causes lumbar lordosis in women during pregnancy

Lumbar lordosis in pregnancy is due, according to some researchers, to the spine adjusting itself to the center of gravity as the pregnancy weight gain causes abdominal enlargement. It may shift again after the woman delivers the baby.

What are the symptoms of lordosis?

Symptoms and signs of lumbar lordosis (lordotic spine) may include:

  • The appearance of being swayback or abnormal posture with an arched lower spine
  • Buttocks appear more pronounced
  • Having a large gap or arch between the lower back and a flat surface when lying on your back
  • Discomfort and/or back pain
  • Difficulty in moving in certain directions

Some people may develop nerve problems (numbness/tingling of lower extremities, poor bladder control, weakness, electric shock-like pains).
 

Diagnosis of lordosis

Doctor diagnoses lordosis patient.
Mild forms of lordosis may require little or no treatments.

Procedures and tests to diagnose lumbar lordosis are the histories and physical exams are used to diagnose lordosis.  Other studies, such as X-rays and/or CT of the spine can also aid in the diagnosis.

What are the treatments for lordosis?

Mild forms of lordosis may require little or no treatments. Children can sometimes outgrow the problem. These treatments may help to fix, correct and/or reverse to cause straightening of lumbar lordosis.

What is the prognosis for lordosis?

The prognosis for lumbar lordosis depends on how mild to severe are the symptoms and the underlying cause. Mild lordosis in children, for example, maybe cured over time without treatment while severe lordosis may require surgery. However; proper treatments may lead to symptom reduction, or in some people a "cure" or a reversal of lordosis back to normal or near normal.

Is it possible to prevent lordosis?

Lumbar lordosis may be prevented in some people by preventing certain causes such as obesity, poor posture, and trauma. Other causes such as congenital or genetic lordosis are not preventable. 

SLIDESHOW

Osteoporosis Super-Foods for Strong Bones With Pictures See Slideshow
References
Lumbar lordosis. Mt. Sinai. 2020.
<<https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/symptoms/lordosis-lumbar>

Top Lumbar Lordosis Lower Spine Related Articles

  • Back Pain Quiz
    There are numerous causes of chronic lower back pain and only one ailment gets more complaints. What is it? Quiz your knowledge of symptoms, treatments, problems, and reasons for common back pain.
  • How to Build a Better Butt
    Want a rear view that kicks butt? Discover the right exercises, cardio, and style choices that can help in the quest for the perfect butt.
  • CT Scan
    A CT scan is an X-ray procedure that combines many X-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of internal organs and structures of the body. A CT...
  • CT Scan vs. MRI
    CT or computerized tomography scan uses X-rays that take images of cross-sections of the bones or other parts of the body to diagnose tumors or lesions in the abdomen, blood clots, and lung...
  • Exercise Quiz
    Take our Exercise and Fitness Quiz and learn to maximize your fitness level with simple exercises that do not require major changes to your lifestyle.
  • Low Back Pain: 11 Stretches & Exercises for Relief
    One of the best low back pain treatments is exercise. Whether your pain is in the lower left or lower right back, learn more about low back pain exercises--what works, and what doesn't. Discover...
  • Health and Sex: Exercises for Better Sex
    Want to get more out of your time between the sheets? Add these exercises from this WebMD slide show to your workout routine. They're good for both men and women.
  • Lower Back Pain
    There are many causes of lower back pain. Common causes of lower back pain (lumbar spine pain) include lumbar strain, nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy, bony encroachment, and conditions of the...
  • Obesity and Overweight
    Get the facts on obesity and being overweight, including the health risks, causes, reviews of weight-loss diet plans, BMI chart, symptoms, causes, surgical and nonsurgical treatments, and medications.
  • Osteoporosis Picture
    Thinning of the bones with reduction in bone mass due to depletion of calcium and bone protein. See a picture of Osteoporosis and learn more about the health topic.
  • Osteoporosis Quiz
    What are the causes, symptoms, and risk factors of osteoporosis? Quiz yourself about vitamin deficiency, maintaining bone density, and preventing osteoporosis-related fractures.
  • Pain Management
    The goal of pain management for each patient is to minimize suffering and improve quality of life. This goal may be different depending on the patient’s circumstances and disease or injury.
  • Stages of Pregnancy: Week by Week
    See pictures on the various stages of pregnancy. See and learn what changes a woman's body goes through and view fetal images of how her baby grows during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
  • Vitamin D Deficiency
    Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with rickets, cancer, cardiovascular disease, severe asthma in children and cognitive impairment in older adults. Causes include not ingesting enough of the...
  • Vitamins and Calcium Supplements
    Vitamins are organic substances that are essential for the proper growth and functioning of the body. Calcium is a mineral essential for healthy bones and is also important for muscle contraction,...
  • What Is a Lumbar Facetectomy?
    A lumbar facetectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve the pressure on the nerve roots that pass close to the facet joints of the lumbar spine in the low back. During a lumbar facetectomy the...
  • What Is the Recovery Time for a Discectomy?
    A spinal discs act as shock absorbers and allow the spine to flex. When a disc ruptures (herniates) it prolapses and presses on the nearby nerves causing pain, numbness, and weakness. A discectomy to...
  • X-Rays
    X-rays are a powerful form of electromagnetic radiation that can pass through solid objects. In medicine, X-rays are used to obtain an image of a part of the body. X-rays are necessary to diagnose...