Flat Back

Reduction of one or more of these curves has long been blamed for the commencement of pain and other related symptoms. While this occurrence is possible for severe cases of spinal straightening, it is rare. Most mild to moderate cases of straight spine are not the source of back ache, but instead, may actually be one of the collateral results of it.

Flat Back Terminology

Lordotic loss, lumbar hypolordosis, reduced lumbar lordosis or loss of lumbar lordosis are appropriate terminology for a straightening of the lower back region.

Kyphotic loss, thoracic hypokyphosis, reduced thoracic kyphosis or loss of thoracic kyphosis are appropriate for straightening of the middle back region.

Straight neck, military neck, loss of cervical lordosis, cervical hypolordosis or reduced cervical lordosis are all appropriate for straightening of the neck region.

As with so many other back pain related conditions, the diversity of nomenclature utilized during the diagnostic process certainly does not make things very clear for the patient. I have long spoken out for more standardized diagnostic terminologies to be used to help “tell it like it is” instead of “telling it the way I want to, because I am the doctor”…

Flat Back Symptoms

Often, the condition is blamed for idiopathic back pain syndromes in which no better cause can be located in the spine. Of course, some of these painful conditions are examples of psychological back pain and the straightened spine is merely a convenient scapegoat on which to blame the symptoms. Others are the direct result of yet undiagnosed structural processes which have caused muscular spasms and the resulting loss of lordosis or kyphosis.

Severe loss of spinal curvature can indeed cause physical pain and health complications, but these circumstances are rare. In these uncommon cases, there are both conservative and drastic treatments available. Make sure to consult with your doctor to discuss all therapy options before deciding on an appropriate back pain treatment modality.

Just remember that if there is an underlying process driving muscles to enact the decreased curvature, treating the lost curves is NOT the right approach to care. Instead, it is necessary to find the causation of the muscular issues, resolve it and then allow the curvature to return organically.

Recommendation on a Flat Back

Do not confuse normal or atypical front to back curvature, called lordosis or kyphosis, for an atypical side to side curvature, called scoliosis. These are 2 completely separate conditions altogether. However, it should be mentioned that they often exist at the same time in the same patient.