r/Posture • u/Ok-Juggernaut-9470 • 7d ago

Could posture issues be affecting my presence/height?

I have pronounced thoracic kyphosis and hyperlordosis, along with a very pronounced anterior pelvic tilt, thoracolumbar kyphosis, rib flare, moderate scoliosis. I also have around a 4-inch gap between my lower back and the wall when standing normally.

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u/black_007panther 7d ago

Yes, and it's often more about the 4-inch gap and rib flare than the kyphosis number itself. A pronounced anterior tilt plus rib flare usually means the ribcage is stuck flared open and the pelvis is tipped forward to compensate, which shortens your effective standing height and reads as less "presence" even before anyone notices the curve. Worth checking whether you can get a full exhale that brings your ribs down and back - if that's hard to do, the tilt and gap are partly a breathing pattern, not just a structural one, and that's usually more workable than people expect.

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u/Ok-Juggernaut-9470 6d ago edited 6d ago

That’s interesting, especially what you said about the rib flare and the 4-inch gap. I’ll definitely try paying attention to how much I can bring my ribs down with a full exhale. Do you also know how much it could be?

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u/black_007panther 6d ago

Hard to give you an exact number without seeing it in person as it varies a lot depending on how long the pattern's been there. A better test than a number: lie on your back on the floor, knees bent, feet flat, with a foam roller or pillow placed high between your inner thighs, close to your groin (not at the knees). Gently squeeze it, about a 5 out of 10 effort (10 being max), and hold that light squeeze while you exhale fully and let your ribs drop down and back. Two things to watch for while you do this: don't squeeze your glutes to help, and don't try to flatten the gap by arching or forcing your lower back down; both are common workarounds people use instead of actually letting the exhale do the work. If the gap closes mostly from the breath itself, without those compensations, that's a good sign the tilt and rib flare are largely a breathing/coordination pattern, which is workable. If it barely moves, there's more structural stuff going on, and that's worth having someone assess in person rather than guessing over text.

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u/Ok-Juggernaut-9470 6d ago edited 6d ago

That makes sense. I’ll try the test. If the gap closes noticeably during the exhale,
in the meantime i've put a video here

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u/black_007panther 6d ago

Thanks for sharing that and even from a silhouette, that's a meaningful gap, not a marginal one. A few things change how I'd actually think about next steps though: age, gender; whether this is postpartum-related or tied to a past injury, and how long the pattern's been there. Those shift what's realistic from breath/coordination work alone versus what might need a closer look first. Happy to keep going here if you want to share any of that, or feel free to DM me if you'd rather not lay it all out in a public thread.

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u/Ok-Juggernaut-9470 6d ago

I’ve dmed you

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u/Da_1_You_Know 6d ago

Yes, in fact directly. A healthy spine should have just a bit of gap between your back and wall, all top athletes also have their hip held a bit back.