DEFORMITIES AND THEIR CORRECTIVE MEASURES ( KNOCK KNEE, FLAT FEET, ROUND SHOULDERS, LORDOSIS, KYPHOSIS, BOW LEGS, SCOLIOSIS, KYPHO-LORDOSIS)

COMMON POSTURAL DEFORMITIES AND THEIR CORRECTIVE MEASURES  DEFORMITIES There are several deformities that give rise to abnormal curvatures i...

COMMON POSTURAL DEFORMITIES AND THEIR CORRECTIVE MEASURES 

DEFORMITIES

There are several deformities that give rise to abnormal curvatures in the vertebral column and other parts of the body. Some of the important deformities are: 

l. Knock knees 

2 Flat feet 

3 Round shoulders 

4 Lordosis or hollow back 

5 Kyphosis or round back 

6 Bow legs 

7 Scoliosis or sideways bending of the vertebral column 

8 Kypho-Lordosis or a combination of round and hollow back . 

1. Knock knees 

If a person stands erect with his feet close together, then there should be a gap between knees in a normal posture. When there is no gap and the knee touch or overlap, the deformity is called knock knees. 

CAUSES 

The causes of knock knees are: 

• Weak muscles and ligaments of the knee region. Since the knee has to bear the maximum pressure in various positions and body movements, the muscles and ligaments of this region need to be strong.
• In infants, general weakness or unnecessary taste to make the child stand and walk may lead to this deformity. 
• Rickets, can be one of the causes. 
• Deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus in the body. 
• Holding weights at an early age. 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES 

• Walking along a straight line with the toes facing inwards. 
• While standing keep a pillow between the knees and press the knees against each other. As a result, gap between the knees will increase. 
• Horse riding is one of the best corrective exercises for this deformity. 
• Gomukhasana and Padmasana are a recommended asana for curing knock knees. 

2. Flat Feet 

There are several types of foot deformities. There may be a stiff foot with a high arch or the great toe overlapping the second toe. Flat foot, which may give rise to pain, is the most common disability or deformity of the foot. Feet type is an important criterion for selection into the army. A person with flat feet cannot walk long distances or walk at a brisk pace and hence is not fit to serve in the army. 

CAUSES

Flat feet is caused when the ancillary muscles of the feet become weak and the arches on the inside of the feet get flattered. This defect may also caused due to:

• Standing in faulty posture for a long period. 
• Excessive body weight 
• Lack of proper exercise
• Wearing improper shoes 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

In order to minimize or remove the defect of flat feet, the following types of exercises are recommended:

• Standing , walking and jumping on toes 
• Waking on heels
• Rope skipping 
• Picking objects with toes or practising toe curls 
• Backward and forward hopping with bent knees 
• Walking on sloping surfaces
• Wearing special types of shoes 

3. Round Shoulders 

Round shoulders is a postural defect in which the alignment of the ears and shoulder is not proper.The shoulders are bent forward and the head and chin pokes outward. Slouching for s prolonged period of time is the main cause of the round shoulders. Bending your body forward also leads to this defect .  Round shoulder also due to the contraction of the petrol chest muscles. It is generally associated with round back defeat. 

CAUSES

• Poor posture (while Sitting, standing and walking) 
• Use of unsuitable furniture 
• Carrying heavy load on shoulders 
• Lack of physical exercise 
• Heredity 
• Wearing tight fitted clothes 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

The defect may be corrected by practising exercises to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle and stretching the chest muscles. 

• The person should hold the wall bars and hang with his back towards the wall. This exercise is especially useful for stretching the chest muscles.
• The person should lean back on the chair for any time and brace the shoulders backwards. This activity has to be repeated often. 
• Yoga asanas like Dhanurasana and Chakrasana may be Performed regularly till the deformity of shoulders is corrected.  
• Another exercise for round shoulders is rolling the shoulders clockwise and anti-anti-clockwise. The person should move his shoulders forward , then up,then back and at last down in a smooth rolling motion. This movement should be done several times and emphasis should be laid on backward and downward motions
• Another corrective exercise is to place your fingers on your shoulders and move your elbows around the shoulders both clockwise and anti-clockwise. 

4.Lordosis 

Lordosis or hollow back is a common defeat of posture. In this deformity , the lumber curve becomes more pronounced and the pubis or the front central portion of the pelvic region bent forward. 

The long spinal muscles of the lower part of the spine (lumbar region) become tight and tense. The opposing muscles of the lumbar region, i.e. the abdominal muscles are stretched and the stomach bulges out. In order to maintain balance of the body, the long spinal muscles of the lower part of the spine, remain in a constant state of contraction and therefore, get tired easily . This results in the back and the lower back arches excessive hollowing of the back and the lower back arches. 

CAUSES 

• Children develop this defect mainly due  to bad posture habits during their growth years. However, the defect is corrected as the child grows. 
• It can also be caused due to the weaking of the bones. 
• In adults, it is caused due to the loose abdominal muscles. 
• It is generally due to obesity and lack of exercises. 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

• A Person suffering from Lordosis should lie down on the floor on hus back, and pull his knees slowly towards the chest. 
• He she should lie down on the floor facing the ceiling and place the hands under the head. Then, lift his/her torso to about 30 degrees and come back w the original position. 
• He/she should lie down on his/her back with the knees flexed and feet flat on the floor. Lift buttocks and lower back off the floor, as high as possible. 
• Practise breathing exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles. 

5. Kyphosis 

The position or posture of the body in kyphosis or round back deformity in this position, there is an increased curvature of the dorsal or chest region. In order to adjust the balance of the body, the head is held in forward position and the pubis or the front central portion of the pelvic region is tilted back. The knees are slightly bent and the feet are turned outwards to balance the body on a broader base. 

CAUSES 

The causes of developing kyphosis can be many but the main cause is the habit of holding the head forward in an abnormal manner. 

• Defective vision or incorrect spectacles may also lead to a habit of leaning forward while writing or reading. 
• People hard of hearing often develop the habit of craning forward to assist their hearing. 
• Tight and rough collars of a dress may result in holding the head wrongly. 

All these habits produce a strain on the extensor muscles, pulling back muscles of the neck and spine, making them weak. 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

ln order to minimise or correct kyphosis, the main causes such as defective vision, hearing, clothing and adopting incorrect sitting and standing positions should be eliminated first. Secondly, some corrective exercises can be done. These corrective exercises, done under expert medical advice, can tone up the weakened muscles Care should be taken to ensure that the muscle group lacking in tone is not stretched, otherwise the exercises could be unless and even harmful. The value of suck exercises is greatest during growth years. 

• The head carriage and round back may be improved by exercises. To strengthen and shorten the group of back muscles of the neck and upper part of the spine , some exercises are practised. At the same time, some corrective exercises are practised to stretch the group of muscles that bend the neck forward. These exact, can be carried out properly by lying on the back with s pillow under the spine. 
• It can be corrected by strengthening the shoulder muscles and stretching the chest muscles. 
• Leaning back on a chair and moving the shoulders backwards can also help y stretch the chest muscles. 
• In Kyphosis, due to the activeness of hamstring muscles, the pubis bends backward Some exercises should be practised to make the corresponding muscles song, i.e, exercises that help in straightening the knees and prevent the bending forward of the torso. 
• Person suffering from Kyphosis should lie on the ground (facing down) and ty partner should pull him/her up from the shoulders in order to connect to exaggeration of spine. 
• Some yogasanas, like Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana and Chakrasana are very useful in correcting kyphosis. These help in strengthening the spine. 

6. Bow Legs — Rickets 

This is a postural defect which causes bowed legs, i.e. the knees are wide apart from each other even though the ankles are together. This defect can be easily noticed to children and adult. This deformity results in an unnatural gait leading to uneasiness in Walking and running. 

CAUSES 

The main cause of bowed legs deformity is deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus in the bones. This results in the softening ot the bones. 

• Bowed legs can also be caused due to Blount’s disease, which is a bone growth disorder. 
• This deformity can also occur due to over straining the bones of the legs as in the case of standing for long hours. 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

• The best preventive measure of rickets is to give children vitamin D, phosphorus and calcium supplements. 
• Never force infants to stand or walk too early in life. Children automatically learn to stand and walk when their muscles and bones develop proper strength to do so. 
• A corrective measure for rickets can be to tie both knees together with cloth and stand erect for some time (knees should be pushed inward). 
• Perform leg strengthening exercises. The person should lie on his back, bend the knees and place weight between the feet. Then, he/she should bend and extend his/her legs repeatedly. 

7. Scoliosis 

Scoliosis is a postural defect in which there may be one single lateral Curve extending through the whole length of the spine (C-shaped) or there may be two curves, one main and the other compensatory curve (S-shaped). 

CAUSES

There can be many causes of scoliosis. Some are as follows: 

• lt is often caused due to some diseases or injuries such as Cerebral palsy. 
• It may be the result of weakening of the spinal muscles of one side
• It can be due to the habit of sitting in a wrong position while studying or working. 
• It can be present at the time of birth. This type of scoliosis is known as congenital scoliosis. 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

This defeat may be corrected by performing certain corrective exercises.  This exercises help to strengthen the muscles.  The following types of exercises should be done by the person suffering from scoliosis. 

• Beam hanging exercises help to stretch the spine.The person should hang on a beam and bend to the Opposite side of the curve or concavity. 
• Flexion, extension, rotation and sideward flexion of the spine should be done. 
• Swimming breaststroke is the most useful Corrective exercise for this defect. 
• Breathing and general coordination exercises should be practised. 
• Pull-ups on horizontal bar are also helpful. 

8. Kypho-Lordosis 

In Kypho-Lordosis, the deformity of round back and hollow back are present Together in a person. In this case, the spinal muscles of the upper portion are weak and stretched and that of the lower portion are contracted. 

Causes 

• Poor posture 
• Carrying heavy weight 
• Lack of strength in the muscles 

CORRECTIVE MEASURES

• The head carriage and round back may be improved by exercises. To strengthen and shorten the group of back muscles of the neck and upper part of the spine , some exercises are practised. At the same time, some corrective exercises are practised to stretch the group of muscles that bend the neck forward. These exact, can be carried out properly by lying on the back with s pillow under the spine. 
• It can be corrected by strengthening the shoulder muscles and stretching the chest muscles. 
• Leaning back on a chair and moving the shoulders backwards can also help y stretch the chest muscles. 
• In Kyphosis, due to the activeness of hamstring muscles, the pubis bends backward Some exercises should be practised to make the corresponding muscles song, i.e, exercises that help in straightening the knees and prevent the bending forward of the torso. 
• Person suffering from Kyphosis should lie on the ground (facing down) and ty partner should pull him/her up from the shoulders in order to connect to exaggeration of spine. 
• Some yogasanas, like Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana and Chakrasana are very useful in correcting kyphosis. These help in strengthening the spine. 
• A Person suffering from Lordosis should lie down on the floor on hus back, and pull his knees slowly towards the chest. 
• He she should lie down on the floor facing the ceiling and place the hands under the head. Then, lift his/her torso to about 30 degrees and come back w the original position. 
• He/she should lie down on his/her back with the knees flexed and feet flat on the floor. Lift buttocks and lower back off the floor, as high as possible. 
• *Practise breathing exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles.