Hunchback and hollow back
The hollow back (hyperlordosis) is, in addition to the hunchback, another malposition of the spinal column, whereby the area of the lumbar vertebrae is increasingly curved forward, so that the abdomen is displaced in front and the pelvis and thorax behind the body axis. There are a variety of possible causes, although an acquired hollow back is more common than one that is congenital from the outset. In most cases, a muscular imbalance is to blame, which is caused by incorrect posture in everyday life (e.g. a lot of things, incorrect sitting, heavy carrying, frequent running/standing on high heels) or incorrect loading during training.
A shortened hip flexor combined with too weak hip extensors and weak abdominal muscles, back muscles and vascular muscles lead in the long run to a shortening of tendons and ligaments in the lumbar and pelvic area, so that a curvature of the spine in this area permanently occurs. In the case of a markedly pronounced hollow back, the rib cage, which is displaced behind the body axis, can also give the appearance of a hunchback. In some cases of severe muscular imbalance along the entire spine, where the entire trunk muscles are out of balance, a hollow back and a hunchback may even exist simultaneously.
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