ASPECTS OF FAULTY POSTURES OF THE SPINE IN FEMALE RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Abstract

Certain female dominated sports, such as rhythmic gymnastics, dancing and figure skating are characterized by an extreme range of motion of the spinal column. Athletes who practice such sports are more prone to injury of the vertebral column and to the abnormal development of the spinal column. The purpose of this paper was to assess the presence of lordotic or scoliotic attitudes among performance rhythmic gymnasts. Early identification of faulty postures can lead to the initiation of a recovery program meant to prevent their evolution. Within this study, we analyzed ten 4^th - category gymnasts aged between 8 and 10. We performed the measurements using the GPS 400-Global Postural System. After measurements, we identified 10 gymnasts with lordotic postures and 8 of them with scoliotic and lordotic postures. As a general conclusion, we highlight the need to implement individual programs for the rehabilitation or correction of faulty postures, to be performed following specific trainings.