Physiotherapists in Lancaster treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Good and Bad Lumbar Posture

Good and bad lumbar posture has often been decided on grounds that are not sufficiently scientific and future recommendations need to be based on solid research. Early research on the effects of different spinal postures indicated that maintaining a lumbar lordosis reduced the pressures inside the disc nucleus. This seemed fine until it was realised that these pressures were being transferred to the rear disc walls and the facet joints. As the facet joints are known to be frequent causes of low back pain and the nucleus of the disc is not a source of pain the idea that a lordosis is desirable in all circumstances does not stand up to examination.

Overall having some flexion in the spine is better in static positions whilst a slight lordotic posture is better when walking. Too much flexion interferes with the ability of the muscles of the back to protect the spine, so a moderate position should be taken between too much flexion and too much extension. The benefits of slight flexion are mirrored in the typical habits of people in postures, such as crossing the legs or putting a leg up on something at a bar, both actions which increase the flexion of the lumbar spine.

Muscle

Human muscle is classified into three types, smooth, striated and cardiac. Striated or skeletal muscle is the type we think about when we consider muscle, allowing us to contract with force, maintain posture and produce movement. Muscle is well supplied with blood and also with nerve endings which are able to continuously monitor the stresses and strains through the tissue. Pain nerve endings are present mainly in the fibrous sheaths which surround the muscle. The muscle is structured in bundles of fibres, each surrounded by a fibrous sheath which join together at the ends into tendinous tissue on its way to attachment to bone.

Muscle fibres can be orientated in various directions which gives the muscles different abilities as contractile structures. If the fibres are arranged longitudinally along the muscle it tends to be longer and to be able to contract more in length terms, while muscles in different configurations such as the fibres on a feather can generate higher degrees of force. Higher forces may be required in muscles which have to work against gravity and move the weight of the body. Muscles have three different types of fibres, named Type 1, 2A and 2B, with different functions.