Unit-2 Children and Women in Sports

Common Postural Deformities - Knock Knee; Flat Foot; Round Shoulders; Lordosis, Kyphosis, Bow
Legs and Scoliosis and their corrective measures

Postural deformities:

Posture is the position of an individual's body while standing, sitting, walking, sleeping etc. There is no
conform rigid standard of body positions. Deformity is the malformation of any component or body part or joint
of the body. There are various postural deformities like knock knees, Bowlegs, Flat foot, Scoliosis, Lordosis
and Kyphosis. Following are the common postural deformities.

1. Knock Knees:

Knock knees or Genu Velum is a postural deformity in which the legs are bent inward, and knees strike each
other while walking or running. Between birth and 18 months, an outward-turning alignment from hip to knee
to ankle is normal. Between about 18 and 24 months, this alignment normally becomes neutral. When the child
is between 2 and 5 years old, an inward-turning alignment is normal. The alignment returns to neutral as the
child grows.

Knock knees causes:

1. Rickets.

2. Obesity during childhood.

3. Muscular or ligaments weakness at early age.

4. Fractures and injuries involving the knee joint.

5. Lack of Balanced diet.

6. Flat foot.

Precautions of Knock knees:

1. Balanced diet should be taken.

2. Babies should not be forced to walk at early age.

3. Perform proper exercises.

Corrective measures of Knock knees:

1. keep a pillow between the knees and stand erect for some time.

2. Use cod liver oil.

3. Horse riding.

4. Use walking callipers.

2. Flat Foot

Flat foot is a postural deformity in which the inner curve of foot has bulge more than normal. In this default of
feet person gives complete print of his foot sole over the plane surface.
Flat foot Causes:

1. Weak muscles.

2. Obesity.

3. Using improper shoes.

4. Carrying heavy weight for a long period.

5. Standing for a long time.

Precautions of Flat foot:

1. Always wear the shoes of proper shape and size.

2. Obesity should be avoided.

3. High heeled shoes should be avoided.

4. Don't carry heavy weight for a long period.

5.Babies should not be forced to walk at early age.

Corrective measures of Flat foot:

1.Walk on heels.

2. Lose weight.

3.Skip on rope.

4.Perform stretching exercises.

5. Use good quality shoes.

6.Walk bare footed over the sand.

7. Run fast bare footed over clean surface.

3. Round Shoulder

Round Shoulders or arm around shoulder is a postural deformity in which the shoulders become round and
sometimes they seem to be bent forward. If you are looking for how to fix rounded shoulders, you are at right
place. Fix your rounded shoulders without any surgery. See round shoulder exercise given below for treatment
of rounded shoulders.

Round shoulder Causes:

1. Due to heredity.

2. By wearing very tight clothes.

3. By sitting on improper furniture.

4. By walking, sitting in bent position.

5. Lack of proper exercise.

1. Never sit, stand, or walk-in bent position.

2. Use loose fitting clothes.

3. Always use proper furniture to sit.

Corrective measures of Round shoulder:

1. Keep your tips of fingers on your shoulders and encircle your elbows clockwise and anticlockwise direction
for same number of times.

2. Hold the horizontal bar for some time.

3. yoga for rounded shoulders - Perform Chakra asana and Dhanur asana regularly

4. Lordosis

Lordosis is a postural deformity in which the lumbar spine bends Infront beyond the normal level. Thus,
abdomen is ahead of body and shoulders come outward and sideward. Lordosis symptoms are lower back pain,
stomach appears to be bulging out more than normal.

Lordosis Causes:

1. Imbalanced diet.

2. Improper development of muscles.

3. Taking more food than required.

4. Overweight or obesity.

5. Diseases of spinal muscles.

Precautions of Lordosis:

1. Balanced diet should be taken.

2. Stand straight while carrying weight.

3. Never take excessive food.

4. Maintain your weight.

Corrective measures of lordosis:

1. Perform toe-touching at least 10 times.

2. Perform sit-ups regularly.

3. Stand straight and touch your feet with hands.

4. Perform Hal asana, Paschimotanasana and Viprit karni asana regularly.

5. Kyphosis

Kyphosis is a forward rounding of upper back. Some rounding is normal, but the term "Kyphosis" usually
refers to and exaggerated rounding, more than 50 degrees. This deformity is also called round back or hunch
back. It also leads to kyphosis cervical pain.
Kyphosis Causes:

1. Malnutrition.

2. Carrying heavy loads.

3. Improper furniture.

4. Weak muscles.

5. Bending while walking.

6. Wearing shapeless and tight cloths.

7. Due to heredity.

Precautions of Kyphosis:

1. Adopt correct posture.

2. Wear loose clothes.

3. Use suitable furniture.

Corrective measures of Kyphosis:

1. Always keep a pillow under your back while sleeping.

2. Bend your head backward in standing position.

3. Perform swimming.

4. Perform Dhanur asana, Chakra asana regularly.

6. Bowlegs

It is a postural deformity. It is opposite to knock-knees. In this deformity knees are widely apart. There remains
a wide gap between knees when a bow-legged person keeps his feet together. It occurs during childhood.
Bowlegs for babies are common. Sometimes parents get afraid about their bowlegs baby. But as they grow their
legs starts to come in proper shape. If there is bowlegs in toddlers, then it is due to lack of nutrition.

Bowlegs Causes:

1. Rickets.

2. Deficiency of vitamin D and calcium.

3. Improper way of walking.

4. Obesity.

5. Using defaulted footwear.

6. Forcing babies to walk at early stage.

1. Don't carry heavy weight in childhood.

2. Babies should not be forced to walk at exceedingly early age.

3. Balanced diet should be taken.

4. Always walk properly.

5. Use good quality shoes.

Corrective measures of bowlegs:

1. Vitamin 'D' and calcium should be taken in required amount.

2. Walk on inner edge of the feet.

3. Walk by bending the toes inward.

4. Perform Garud asana regularly.

7. Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before
puberty. If spine curves more than one time at different parts of spine it is called multiple scoliosis. Scoliosis
causes one shoulder down and other is raised up. Body weight is shifted to side ward and it causes lot of
pressure on one side of the foot. Here, I have provided you exercises for the treatment of scoliosis without any
scoliosis surgery. Read following instructions to know how to treat scoliosis.

Scoliosis Causes:

1. Birth defects.

2. Wear and tear in the spine.

3. Difference in the lengths of the legs.

4. Lifting weight towards one side in routine.

5. Wrong standing posture.

6. Unsuitable furniture.

Precautions of Scoliosis:

1. Never walk for long time with carrying weight in one hand.

2. Always stand in correct posture.

3. Use suitable furniture.

4. Balanced diet should be taken.

5. Study should be avoided in sideways bending position.

1. Hold the horizontal bar with hands and let your body hang for some time.

2. Swim by using breaststroke technique.

3. Performing bending exercise in opposite side of the 'C' shaped curve.

4. Perform Trikonasana and Ardh Chakrasana in opposite direction

Special consideration (Menarche & Menstrual Dysfunction)

Menarche

Menarche is a girl’s first menstrual period. Menarche typically occurs after the peak of adolescent growth. It
follows the appearance of pubic hair, breast development and fat deposition. It may vary due to genetical,
environmental, biological, and nutritional factors. It can happen as early as age 10 or up to age 16. During this
time, girls feel tense and emotional. So special attention should be given to them at this time. As a sportsperson,
a young woman must take special care of herself at that time. The normal menstrual cycle is 28 days although
normal cycles may vary between 22 and 36 days.

Menstrual Dysfunction

It is a disorder or irregular condition of women's menstrual cycle. It also can define as abnormal bleeding
during menstrual cycle. Normal cycle varies from 21 to 35 days. These irregularities are generally higher in
athletes then non-athletic women.

During the period of menarche and menstrual dysfunction female can participate in moderate physical activities
without any complications.

Heavy training should be done with special care of personal cleanliness and hygiene factors. If complications
arise, then women can consult with gynaecologist.

Female Athletes Triad (Osteoporosis, Amenorrhea, Eating Disorders)

It is the syndrome of female which includes Osteoporosis, Amenorrhea and Eating disorders. which is known as
triad. These triad can be serious with lifelong health consequences.

The symptoms of triad are fatigue, low body weight then required, f request injuries, loss of fitness, low self-
esteem, cessation of menstruation, etc.

Osteoporosis

It is weakening of bone due to loss of bone mineral density. Low level of oestrogen and poor nutrition
especially lower calcium intake led to Osteoporosis.

Causes

• Insufficient calcium and vitamin D in diet

• Hormone level decrease

• Menstrual dysfunction for more than six months

• Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

Amenorrhea: Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation cycle. It is often defined as missing one or more
menstrual periods. Amenorrhea also refers to the absence of menstruation in someone who has not had a period
by age 15.

Causes: Main causes of primary amenorrhea relate to hormone levels, although anatomica l problems also can
cause amenorrhea.

Eating Disorder: Many girls or women tries to lose weight by unethical way in order to improve their
performance or look good, which leads to serious health problems.

There are two types of eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa: It is an eating disorder which causes people to obsess about weight and what they eat.
Anorexia is characterised by a distorted body structure, with an unwanted fear of being overweight. People
trying to maintain a below-nor mal weight through starvation or too much exercise.

Bulimia Nervosa: In this disorder female athletes eat excessive amount of food and vomit intentionally to not
gaining weight. It is a serious eating disorder marked by bingeing. Bulimia is a potentially life- threatening
eating disorder. People take dangerous steps to avoid weight gain like vomiting (purging), excessive exercising
or fasting.