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Table 8 Functional characteristics of muscles in the sway-back posture

From: Non-structural misalignments of body posture in the sagittal plane

Muscle

Lengthened

Shortened

Hypoactive

Hyperactive

Trapezius (middle and lower part)

+

 

+

 

Serratus anterior

+

 

+

 

Rhomboideus major and minor

+

 

+

 

Erector spinae part thoracic (upper part)

+

  

+

Erector spinae lumbar part (upper part)

+

 

+

 

Rectus abdominis (lower fibers)

+

  

+

Abdominal internal oblique (anterior part, lower fibers)

+

  

+

Abdominal internal oblique (posterior part, lower fibers)

+

 

+

 

Abdominal external oblique (lower fibers)

+

  

+

Iliacus

+

 

+

 

Psoas

+

  

+

Two-joint hip flexors

+

  

+

Suboccipital

 

+

 

+

Sternocleidomastoid

 

+

 

+

Scaleni

 

+

 

+

Trapezius (superior part)

 

+

 

+

Pectoralis minor and major

 

+

 

+

Erector spinae lumbar part (lower part)

 

+

+

 

Rectus abdominis (upper fibers)

 

+

 

+

Abdominal internal oblique (anterior part, upper fibers)

 

+

 

+

Abdominal internal oblique (posterior part, upper fibers)

 

+

+

 

Abdominal external oblique (upper fibers)

 

+

 

+

Gluteus maximus

 

+

+

 

Hamstrings

 

+

 

+

  1. Note: the symbol “+” means that the muscle meets a certain criteria