Prevalence of Lower Cross Syndrome in Housemaids

Introduction  Lower cross syndrome, also known as pelvic crossed syndrome, occurs if there is inadequate muscle strength, leading to an imbalance in the lower extremities. This condition is characterized by the weakening and tightening of muscle groups on the anterior and posterior aspects of the body. Mostly, there is weakness in the abdominal muscles, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius, while there is tightness in the hip flexor muscle groups. There are various studies investigating musculoskeletal disorders across different professions, but there is no research on the prevalence of lower cross syndrome among housemaids. Housemaids frequently report complaints of joint pain and exhibit specific postural changes such as anterior pelvic tilt, increased lumbar lordosis, and lower back pain. Therefore, this research aims to fill this gap by determining the prevalence of lower cross syndrome within the housemaid profession. The study aims to find out the prevalence of lower cross syndrome among housemaids. Methodology A total of 75 housemaids between the ages of 35 and 50 years complaining of pain in the lower back were included in the study, and the housemaids with recent surgical histories and cognitive impairments were excluded. The evaluation was done by measuring the strength and range of motion (ROM) of the affected muscles. Outcome measures include the length of the iliopsoas muscle, measurement of the spinal extensor muscle, and strength of the gluteus maximus muscle to identify which structures are tight or weak.  Result Statistical changes were observed in the housemaids' population to check tight and weak structures using all outcome measures. According to the visual analogue scale (VAS), the pain was found to have a standard deviation of 5.39 ± 1.26 (3-8). The length of the iliopsoas muscle on the right and left sides had a t-value of 1.51 (p = 0.13), and the length of lumbar extensors had a standard deviation of 5.39 ± 1.26 (3-8). Conclusion In our study, the conclusion was found that housemaids who are working continuously for long periods without maintaining good ergonomics are prone to lower cross syndrome. It indicates a strong need for further research on the management of symptoms in such a population (housemaids) to prevent chronic musculoskeletal illness.