UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

NAME: OKEOWO SAMUEL ADURAGBEMI

MATRICULATION NUMBER: 210314098

FACULTY: EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT: HUMAN KINETICS AND

HEALTH EDUCATION

COHORT: HEALTH EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: HKE 123

COURSE DESCRIPTION: ELEMENTARY

GYMNASTICS

LECTURER: DR. I.S KEINDE

ASSIGNMENT: TEN POSTURAL DEFECTS

AND EXPLANATION
1
 TEN (10) POSTURAL DEFECTS

1. Kyphosis

Kyphosis is a common condition that results in forward rounding of your

upper back region. Compared to natural curves which have a curvature
around 20-50 degrees, kyphosis has an excess curve greater than 50 degrees.
This causes a hunching back and makes you appear to be slouching.
Kyphosis can be seen at any age but is most commonly seen in older women
after osteoporosis weakens the bones in the spine until they crack and
compress. If you suffer from kyphosis, you may be experiencing back pain or
stiffness and have rounded shoulders. A shoulder posture brace will assist in
training your shoulders to fall back in their natural alignment. In adults,
kyphosis can be caused by: Degenerative diseases of the spine (such as
arthritis or disk degeneration) Fractures caused by osteoporosis (osteoporotic
compression fractures) Injury (trauma).

2. Swaybay (Lordosis)

Everyone has a natural curve in their spine, it is called lordosis. Swayback

posture is one of the most common types of postural misalignments. It is
characterized by hips that are pushed forward, exaggerated curves in the
spine, and the appearance of leaning back when you are standing. It usually

2
causes back pain and discomfort as well as affecting your ability to move.
When you suffer from lordosis or swayback it may appear that you are
sticking out your stomach and buttocks. It also causes your shoulders to sit
further back and your head tilts forward. This will throw off your balance and
force your lower back to work harder. This posture condition can be caused
by many different things including:

● Osteoporosis
● Kyphosis
● Obesity
● Pregnancy
● High Heels
● Stomach Sleeping.

3. Flat Back

Flatback syndrome is a condition in which the lower spine loses some of its
normal curvature. It is a type of sagittal imbalance, or front-to-back
imbalance in the spine. When you have flatback syndrome the spine loses the
lower curve and becomes flat. If you have a flat back you may have trouble
standing up straight or having constant back or leg pain. The flat back
syndrome may develop due to degenerative disc disease, compression
fractures, or ankylosing spondylitis. Flatback syndrome can cause difficulty
standing upright, chronic pain, and difficulty with daily tasks. Many patients
who suffer from a flat back condition may be treated without surgery.

3
Initially, nonoperative measures will be recommended. These measures
include physical therapy, including gait and posture training, exercises, and
pain medications.

4. Forward Neck or Head

Forward head posture (FHP) is a common condition where your head is

positioned with your ears in front of your body's vertical midline. In normal
or neutral head posture, your ears line up with your shoulders and midline.
FHP can cause neck pain, stiffness, an unbalanced gait, and other side effects.
It is more common today than ever for people to experience something called
“tech neck”, caused by constantly hunching over our phones and computers
all day resulting in a forward neck tilt. You may be experiencing tension,
stiffness, or pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. Anyone can benefit from
posture support considering how fast technology is growing in our lives. Your
neck is designed to stay vertical to support the weight of your skull, which on
average is about 10-12 pounds. Every inch that your head falls forward, it
adds another 10 pounds of stress on the neck, shoulders, back, and spine.

4
 5. Scoliosis

Scoliosis is the sideways curvature of the spine due to poor standing or sitting
postural habit or malfunction of the vertebral. It is most often diagnosed in
childhood or early adolescence. The spine's normal curves occur at the
cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions in the so-called “sagittal” plane. These
natural curves position the head over the pelvis and work as shock absorbers
to distribute mechanical stress during movement. It is congenital when the
bone is present at birth, thoracic scoliosis is due to damage to the tissues of
the lung.

6. Flat Feet

Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in
which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming
into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. It is common among
children, but get corrected as they grow. Sometimes children are born with
flat feet (congenital). A person with flat feet may be at risk of postural
misalignment caused by the impact of a weak foot posture. This places stress

5
on the ankles, knees, hips and lower back.There are three types of flat foot-
mobile, rigid and spastic flat foot.

7. Sunken Chest

This condition is also known as Pectus excavatum. Pectus excavatum is a

condition in which the person's breastbone is sunken into the chest. In severe
cases, pectus excavatum can look as if the center of the chest has been
scooped out, leaving a deep dent. While the sunken breastbone is often
noticeable shortly after birth, the severity of pectus excavatum typically
worsens during the adolescent growth spurt. Also called funnel chest, pectus
excavatum is more common in boys than in girls. Severe cases of pectus
excavatum can eventually interfere with the function of the heart and lungs.
For many people with pectus excavatum, the only sign or symptom is a slight
indentation in their chests. In some people, the depth of the indentation
worsens in early adolescence and can continue to worsen into adulthood.

6
 8. Genu valgum (knock-knee)

Genu valgum, commonly called "knock-knee", is a condition in which the

knees angle in and touch each other when the legs are straightened.
Individuals with severe valgus deformities are typically unable to touch their
feet together while simultaneously straightening the legs. The term originates
from the Latin genu, 'knee', and valgus which means "bent outwards", but is
also used to describe the distal portion of the knee joint which bends
outwards and thus the proximal portion seems to be bent inwards.

Mild genu valgum is diagnosed when a person standing upright with the feet
touching also shows the knees touching. It can be seen in children from ages
2 to 5, and is often corrected naturally as children grow. The condition may
continue or worsen with age, particularly when it is the result of a disease,
such as rickets. Genu valgum can arise from a variety of causes including
nutritional, genetic, traumatic, idiopathic or physiologic and infectious. Genu
valgum secondary to nutritional rickets is typically treated with lifestyle
modifications in the form of adequate sun exposure to ensure receiving the
daily requirements of vitamin D and nutrition with a rich calcium diet.
Additionally, calcium and vitamin D supplementations may be used.

9. Genu Varum (Bow-leg)

Genu varum (also called bow-leggedness, bandiness, bandy-leg, and tibia

vara) is a varus deformity marked by (outward) bowing at the knee, which
means that the lower leg is angled inward (medially) in relation to the thigh's

7
axis, giving the limb overall the appearance of an archer's bow. If a child is
sickly, either with rickets or any other ailment that prevents ossification of the
bones or is improperly fed, the bowed condition may persist. Thus the chief
cause of this deformity is rickets. Skeletal problems, infection, and tumors
can also affect the growth of the leg, sometimes giving rise to a one-sided
bow-leggedness.
Generally, no treatment is required for idiopathic presentation as it is a
normal anatomical variant in young children. Treatment is indicated when it
persists beyond 3+1⁄2 years old. In the case of unilateral presentation or
progressive worsening of the curvature, when caused by rickets, the most
important thing is to treat the constitutional disease, at the same time
instructing the care-giver never to place the child on their feet.

10. Hunchback

It is known by many as hunchback, roundback, humpback, or dowager’s

hump. They are all essentially the same condition. It is a condition where
there is excessive curvature int he upper back. In medical terms, this is called
thoracic hyperkyphosis or kyphosis. Though hunchback is quite often
postural in origin, it can also be caused by structural defects in the spine. The
structural defects may come from osteoporosis, a spinal fracture, or even
congenital defects in the spine.

8
If you have hunchback, you may have a noticeable hump, protrusion, or
rounding that is visible when someone views you from the side. A rounded
shoulder is a common side-effect to having a hunchback. Any condition that
reduces the height of the front of the spine can cause hunchback. Examples of
such conditions are degenerative disc disease, other spinal fractures, or even
bone tumours.
Treatments for hunchback varies depending on the patient’s age, severity of
the curvature, and the cause of the condition.