Kyphosis FAQs

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is very uncommon.

The treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. In general there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment. Overall the treatment decision will depend on several factors of which the most important are the underlying causes for the kyphosis, the patient’s medical health, and finally the the patient’s ability to undergo and maintain the treatment plan.

There are several causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the upper or lower segments or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities.

Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease. There are degenerative causes due to aging or breakdown of the normal ligaments and joints that hold the spine’s structure and shape. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries. There are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis.

Other causes include neuromuscular disorders like strokes, motor neuron disease, and muscle disorders like conditions Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

It may not be possible to reverse kyphosis. It generally depends on the underlying cause. If the kyphotic deformity is flexible then yes it is possible to reverse the kyphosis. However if it is from a more structural problem and more aggressive and interventional methods like spine surgery may be required. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. There are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it.

The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment. Overall the treatment decision will depend on several factors of which the most important are the underlying causes for the kyphosis, the patient’s medical health, and finally the the patient’s ability to undergo and maintain the treatment plan.

It may not be possible to reverse kyphosis and the feasibility depends no the underlying cause. If the kyphotic deformity is flexible then yes it is possible to reverse the kyphosis. However if it is from a more structural problem, then more aggressive and interventional methods like surgery may be required. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it.

The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

Kyphoscoliosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal.

Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that chiropractic treatment helps with acute back pain episodes and possibly muscle spasms resulting in deformity, but there is no evidence that it provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

The treatment options for cervical kyphosis are quite limited. In general there is only physical therapy or surgery. In fact surgery is the only treatment option that has any long-term data to show maintained correction of the kyphosis. Sometimes it is possible to use a brace to help the kyphosis but this is only in the case of neck injuries or infections. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. The treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it.

The first is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the neck muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and strong muscles to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for acute injuries from trauma or infections, or in children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief neck pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws, plates, or rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

Overall the treatment decision will depend on several factors of which the most important are the underlying causes for the kyphosis, the patient’s medical health, and finally the patient’s ability to undergo and maintain the treatment plan.

When we evaluate thoracic kyphosis we do this with the use of x-rays. In general we measure an angle called the Cobb angle which is taken from the first and the 12th thoracic vertebral bone position. The angle between these two should normally be between 20 and 50°. Anything over 50° is considered hyper kyphosis which signifies an exaggerated or excessive amounts of thoracic kyphotic deformity. Remember that the thoracic spine has a normal amount of kyphosis in it. Anything above 60° we deftly consider abnormal and recommend some type of treatment to prevent any further worsening.

The only way to prevent kyphosis is with either physical therapy or the use of a brace. Unfortunately braces generally do not work except in children or acute injuries. They can provide good relief during acute episodes of pain and possibly prevent further kyphotic deformity after an acute injury. If the kyphosis is the result of an injury then definitely using a brace may prevent further deterioration and deformity but will only be effective for the first 3 to 6 months.

After that there is no benefit of a brace. Otherwise physical therapy and postural training are the only real options for preventing kyphosis. This would involve strengthening the spinal muscles and core muscles to help maintain a normal posture of the spine. These muscles act as secondary stabilizers of the spine and can help minimize the stress on the ligaments and joints of the spinal column especially when there is notable degeneration.

In the case of kyphosis due to aging, an argument can be made for the use of medication to help prevent osteoporosis since this may be a contributing factor to kyphotic deformities in elderly patients. However, it should be understood that there is no good evidence to support the use of osteoporosis medication to prevent kyphotic deformities.

There is no simple fix to cervical kyphosis and the treatment options for cervical kyphosis are quite limited. In fact surgery is the only treatment option that has any long-term data to show maintained correction of the kyphosis. Sometimes it is possible to use a brace to help the kyphosis but this is only in the case of neck injuries or infections. In general there are only three options which include physical therapy, bracing, and surgery. The treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause.

The treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the neck muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and strong muscles to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for acute injuries from trauma or infections, or in children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief neck pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws, plates, or rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment. Replacing a disk with an artificial one is not an option in the case of cervical kyphosis.

Depending on the degree of kyphotic deformity surgery may be the only way of truly correcting kyphosis. However other options for correcting kyphosis include either physical therapy or the use of a brace. Unfortunately braces generally do not work except in children or acute injuries. They help in children because they can help guide the shape of the spine and the bone as the child bone grows.

However once the child reaches skeletal maturity, braces will not provide any long-term correction and may even worsen the kyphosis because the bodies muscles begin to rely on the brace to maintain a normal position and becomes weaker inside the brace. However a brace can provide good relief during acute episodes of pain and possibly prevent further kyphotic deformity after an acute injury.

If the kyphosis is the result of an injury then definitely using a brace may prevent further deterioration and deformity but will only be effective for the first 3 to 6 months. After that there is no benefit of a brace. Otherwise physical therapy and postural training are the only real options for preventing kyphosis. This would involve strengthening the spinal muscles and core muscles to help maintain a normal posture of the spine. These muscles act as secondary stabilizers of the spine and can help minimize the stress on the ligaments and joints of the spinal column especially when there is notable degeneration.

In the case of kyphosis due to aging, an argument can be made for the use of medication to help prevent osteoporosis since this may be a contributing factor to kyphotic deformities in elderly patients. However, it should be understood that there is no good evidence to support the use of osteoporosis medication to prevent kyphotic deformities.

The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis.

Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities.

These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults.

Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis. However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare. Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

The treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. If the kyphotic deformity is flexible then yes it is possible to reverse and correct kyphosis. However if it is from a more structural problem, then more aggressive and interventional methods like surgery may be required. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it.

The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

Kyphoscoliosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side. The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

The cervical or neck region of the spine normally has a lordotic curve. However, when there is trauma or injury to the cervical spine, it begins to flex forward in a kyphotic pattern. This is not normal and the underlying cause should be evaluated to prevent further deformity of the cervical spine.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that chiropractic treatment helps with acute back pain episodes and possibly muscle spasms resulting in deformity, but there is no evidence that it provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

If the kyphotic deformity is flexible then yes it is possible to reverse and fix the kyphosis. However if it is from a more structural problem, then more aggressive and interventional methods like surgery may be required. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it.

The first is with physical therapy and postural training, the second is by using a brace, and the third is by surgery. No other treatments have shown any reliable long-term successful outcomes. This includes acupuncture, chiropractic treatment, and massage therapy.

Although there are some rare types of spinal deformities which are genetic the vast majority with well over 99% of cases, are due to acquired causes. There may be some susceptibility based on genetic conditions and this is referred to as incomplete penetrance, and suggest that even when a person carries the gene they may not necessarily develop spinal kyphosis. For example in Scheuermann’s disease there is no increase risk of developing spinal kyphosis among twins when one twin has it. Likewise the chances that a child inherits spinal kyphosis from parent is anywhere from 20 to 80%.

Thoracic kyphosis is the most common type of kyphotic deformity among both adults and children. The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity.

Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood.

Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults. Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis. However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare. Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy.

Cervical kyphosis is where the neck region of the spine loses its normal lordotic curve (meaning that it no longer occurs backwards), but instead begins to curve forward (kyphosis). In general we use the term kyphosis to describe an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side it looks like their head is tilted forward and downward.

The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back and turtle-neck deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side but around the neck region it should curve backwards. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). The cervical or neck region of the spine normally has a lordotic curve.

However, when there is trauma, degeneration, or injury to the cervical spine, it begins to flex forward in a kyphotic pattern. This is not normal and the underlying cause should be evaluated to prevent further deformity of the cervical spine.

In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment. Overall the treatment decision will depend on several factors of which the most important are the underlying causes for the kyphosis, the patient’s medical health, and finally the the patient’s ability to undergo and maintain the treatment plan.

There is no specific long-standing cure for kyphosis unless it involves surgery. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

Yes, you can correct kyphosis but there are no specific long-standing cures and the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

This depends on several factors. A kyphotic deformity can be corrected but there are no specific long-standing cures and the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction. Overall the treatment options will depend on several factors including the patient and the underlying cause for the deformity.

In general kyphotic deformity can be fixed in three ways and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

No the majority of cases of kyphotic deformities are not hereditary. However there are some rare types of spinal deformities which are genetic but these make up less than 1% of cases. There may be some susceptibility four kyphotic deformities based on genetic conditions and this is referred to as incomplete penetrance, and suggests that even when a person carries the gene they may not necessarily develop spinal kyphosis.

For example in Scheuermann’s disease there is no increased risk of developing spinal kyphosis among twins when one twin has it. Likewise the chances that a child inherits spinal kyphosis from a parent who has Scheuermann’s disease is anywhere from 20 to 80%. Since the majority of cases are due to aging and poor posture, the majority of cases of kyphotic deformities are not hereditary.

When we evaluate thoracic kyphosis we do this with the use of x-rays. In general we measure an angle called the Cobb angle which is taken from the first and the 12th thoracic vertebral bone position. The angle between these two should normally be between 20 and 50°. Anything over 50° is considered hyper kyphosis which signifies an exaggerated or excessive amounts of thoracic kyphotic deformity. Remember that the thoracic spine has a normal amount of kyphosis in it. Anything above 60° we deftly consider abnormal and recommend some type of treatment to prevent any further worsening.

Yes, kyphosis can be treated without surgery to depends on the underlying cause. In general kyphotic deformity can be fixed in three ways and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. If the deformity is rigid then surgery is really the only option. Otherwise the first option is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction. As previously mentioned surgery is the only option in the case of fixed and rigid kyphotic deformities.

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. The spine is not straight but normally curves when looked at it from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail. Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal.

However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is very uncommon. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature of the thoracic region or rib cage region of the spine, resulting in a hump-back deformity.

Kyphosis can be improved in three ways; by physical therapy, using a brace, or surgery. In general kyphotic deformity can be fixed in three ways and these treatments assume that the kyphotic deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. If the deformity is rigid then surgery is really the only option. Otherwise the first option is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction. As previously mentioned surgery is the only option in the case of fixed and rigid kyphotic deformities.

You may have excessive kyphosis if the spinal area around the rib cage region has a humpback shape to it. Otherwise the only real way of evaluating whether you have kyphosis is the use of an x-ray in measuring the Cobb angle. This is because it is normal to have a moderate degree of kyphosis in the spine and only by measuring the angle can we evaluate whether it is excessive or not.

When the spine has been fused or some type of procedure has been performed, the upper end of the construct and instrumentation is subject to a lot of stress forces. This can result in excessive amount of compensation from the remaining spinal levels due to the loss of movement at that fixed surgical region. The terms proximal junctional kyphosis and proximal junctional failure are both used to describe and abnormality at the adjacent level to some type of construct or intervention.

The case of proximal junctional kyphosis there are only radiologic findings of excessive hyper motion or instability. This is classically evaluated by measuring the Cobb angle and finding it greater than 10°. However proximal junctional failure on the other hand relates to symptomatic proximal junctional kyphosis, meaning that the patient not only has the radiographic findings but also presents with pain, signs of instability, or neurologic changes. In general proximal junctional kyphosis can be simply monitored for further worsen while proximal junctional failure will require intervention.

Yes, to some degree kyphosis can be cured or improved but in the majority of cases the only long term definitive treatment is with surgery. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training.

What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position.

However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature of the thoracic region or rib cage region of the spine, resulting in a hump-back deformity. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. The spine is not straight but normally curves when looked at it from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is very uncommon.

Yes, you can have both a scoliosis and kyphosis. However, the majority of patients with scoliosis tend to have a decreased amount of kyphosis in their spine. Since it is normal to have some kyphosis in the spine, these patients have an excessively little amount of kyphosis in the thoracic region. Nevertheless, it is possible to have a scoliotic and a kyphotic deformity together.

The term kyphoscoliosis, tends to mean that there is a crooked spine due to excessive forward bending of the thoracic or rib-cage region of the spine resulting in a humpback. Although a kyphoscoliosis should by definition involve both a twisting and excess forward-bending of the spine, we often use the term to only describe an excessive forward bending of the spine. This is because it is normal to have a kyphotic thoracic spine.

So simply saying someone has kyphosis is not entirely correct. Instead, we often use the term kyphoscoliosis to mean that the kyphotic curve is excessively “crooked”, whether or not there is any “twisting” is not well defined by the term. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”.

The terms kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis are all used to refer to curvatures of the spine in different directions. Kyphoscoliosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

Thoracic kyphosis described an excess amount of forward curvature in the thoracic or rib-cage region of the spine. The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray).

Yes, to some degree kyphosis can be cured without surgery but in the majority of cases the only long term definitive treatment is with surgery. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction. Of course in the majority of cases surgery is not required for kyphotic deformities and either physical therapy or bracing is generally used as a first line of treatment.

The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature when looking from the side, resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

In general kyphotic deformities not affect breathing until they are significantly high with a Cobb angle conformity of greater than 90°. However the majority of cases of kyphotic deformities present prior to this.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that chiropractic treatment helps with acute back pain episodes and possibly muscle spasms resulting in deformity, but there is no evidence that it provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

Unfortunately, there is no simple fix to cervical kyphosis and the treatment options for cervical kyphosis are quite limited. In fact surgery is the only treatment option that has any long-term data to show maintained correction of the kyphosis. Sometimes it is possible to use a brace to help the kyphosis but this is only in the case of neck injuries or infections. In general there are only three options which include physical therapy, bracing, and surgery.

The treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. The treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the neck muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and strong muscles to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for acute injuries from trauma or infections, or in children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief neck pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws, plates, or rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

In the majority of cases cervical kyphosis cannot be easily reversed and there is no simple fix to cervical kyphosis. Likewise, the treatment options for cervical kyphosis are quite limited. In fact surgery is the only treatment option that has any long-term data to show maintained correction of the kyphosis. Sometimes it is possible to use a brace to help the kyphosis but this is only in the case of neck injuries or infections. In general there are only three options which include physical therapy, bracing, and surgery.

The treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. The treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the neck muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and strong muscles to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for acute injuries from trauma or infections, or in children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief neck pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws, plates, or rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

No, HIV cannot directly cause kyphosis. Instead HIV can lead to certain types of infections that destroy a the spinal discs and bone that eventually leads to kyphosis. The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity.

Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults. Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis.

Cowever the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare, but HIV status means that a person is susceptible to possibly increased infections. In the end, the underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challe diagnose and may require additional diagnostic imaging investigations.

Yes kyphosis can be treated without surgery to depends on the underlying cause. In general kyphotic deformity can be fixed in three ways and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. If the deformity is rigid then surgery is really the only option. Otherwise the first option is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures.

The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction. As previously mentioned surgery is the only option in the case of fixed and rigid kyphotic deformities.

When we evaluate thoracic kyphosis we do this with the use of x-rays. In general we measure an angle called the Cobb angle which is taken from the first and the 12th thoracic vertebral bone position. The angle between these two should normally be between 20 and 50°. Anything over 50° is considered hyper kyphosis which signifies an exaggerated or excessive amounts of thoracic kyphotic deformity. Remember that the thoracic spine has a normal amount of kyphosis in it. Anything above 60° we deftly consider abnormal and recommend some type of treatment to prevent any further worsening.

There is no specific long-standing cure for kyphosis unless it involves surgery. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

Yes, postural kyphosis can be corrected. The first treatment option is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. Surgery is never required for the treatment of postural kyphosis.

Yes, postural kyphosis can be reversed or corrected. The first treatment option is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine.

The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. Surgery is never required for the treatment of postural kyphosis.

There is no specific long-standing cure for kyphosis unless it involves surgery. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

There is no specific long-standing cure to reverse kyphosis unless it involves surgery. However the kyphotic deformity can be prevented from worsening and can undergo some mild improvements with other treatment options including physical therapy and bracing. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training.

What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine. Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position.

However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction. At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace.

As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position. However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

No, kyphotic deformity is generally not cause any pain unless there is an underlying problem. The majority of kyphotic deformities are painless and simply due to aging. However in the case of kyphosis due to a traumatic injury, then it would be painful.

The exact number of patients with kyphotic deformities is not known. However among schoolchildren is estimated that between 0.1% and 9% of schoolchildren may have an excessive amount of thoracic kyphosis depending on the measurement criteria.

There is no simple fix to cervical kyphosis and the treatment options for cervical kyphosis are quite limited. In fact surgery is the only treatment option that has any long-term data to show maintained correction of the kyphosis. Sometimes it is possible to use a brace to help the kyphosis but this is only in the case of neck injuries or infections. In general there are only three options which include physical therapy, bracing, and surgery.

The treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. The treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the neck muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and strong muscles to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for acute injuries from trauma or infections, or in children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief neck pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws, plates, or rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment.

When we evaluate thoracic kyphosis we do this with the use of x-rays. In general we measure an angle called the Cobb angle which is taken from the first and the 12th thoracic vertebral bone position. The angle between these two should normally be between 20 and 50°. Anything over 50° is considered hyper kyphosis which signifies an exaggerated or excessive amounts of thoracic kyphotic deformity. Remember that the thoracic spine has a normal amount of kyphosis in it. Anything above 60° we deftly consider abnormal and recommend some type of treatment to prevent any further worsening.

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. It is pronounced Ki-Fo-Sys. It means there is an excessive amount of curvature when looking from the side, resulting in a hump-back deformity. Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic.

Cervical kyphosis is where the neck region of the spine loses its normal lordotic curve (meaning that it no longer occurs backwards), but instead begins to curve forward (kyphosis). In general we use the term kyphosis to describe an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side it looks like their head is tilted forward and downward. The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”.

When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back and turtle-neck deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side but around the neck region it should curve backwards. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

The cervical or neck region of the spine normally has a lordotic curve. However, when there is trauma, degeneration, or injury to the cervical spine, it begins to flex forward in a kyphotic pattern. This is not normal and the underlying cause should be evaluated to prevent further deformity of the cervical spine.

The term kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. It is pronounced Ki-Fo-Sys. It means there is an excessive amount of curvature when looking from the side, resulting in a hump-back deformity. Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic, or has too much of a forward curve. However the other areas of the spine can also develop kyphotic curves which is abnormal.

Dorsal kyphosis generally indicates an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The “dorsum” refers to the back area or spine area. So dorsal kyphosis means curvature of the back. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon.

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal.

Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. Unfortunately we do not know what causes excessive kyphosis in the majority of cases. However there are some specific causes which can be diagnosed by clinical examination and diagnostic imaging like MRI or CT scans.

There are several causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the upper or lower segments or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease.

There are degenerative causes due to aging or breakdown of the normal ligaments and joints that hold the spine’s structure and shape. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries. There are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis.

Other causes include neuromuscular disorders like strokes, motor neuron disease, and muscle disorders like conditions Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

The terms kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis are all different descriptions of the direction of spinal curvature. Kyphosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

Thoracic spinal kyphosis generally indicates an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The “dorsum” refers to the back area or spine area. So dorsal kyphosis means curvature of the back. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon.

The term kyphosis and lordosis relates to either forward or backward curvature of the spine. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

In there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). When a person has lordosis generally means that the either have excessive amount of lordosis around the neck or lower back region, or that there rib cage region has gone into a lordotic shape which is abnormal.

Postural kyphosis is simply an excessive amount of curvature of the spine which may appear as a humpback shape. Unlike other kyphotic deformities, the measurement angle of the thoracic spine is normal. More importantly the kyphotic deformity can be corrected by simply improving the posture. People generally refer to this type of kyphosis as slouching.

It can be due to several reasons including obesity, medications, poor habits, or skeletal abnormalities in other areas of the body that requires the spine to compensate resulting in excessive amount of kyphosis. Unlike other types of kyphosis, postural kyphosis can generally be treated without surgery.

Scheuermann’s kyphosis is a disease of the thoracic spine resulting in an excessive amount of curvature greater than 50°. The deformity can be isolated to a few vertebral levels or spend the entire thoracic spinal region. By definition, is a radiographic diagnosis based on three sequential vertebral with wedging more than 5° at each level.

Although it is believed that Scheuermann’s disease is autosomal dominant, there is incomplete penetrance meaning that not everyone who carries the disease will have children with it as well. In fact there is only a 20-80% chance that a child of a parent with Scheuermann’s disease will also have it. It is estimated that between 0.1% and 9% of children may have Scheuermann’s disease. Although we do not know the exact underlying cause, is considered a developmental disorder where there is an abnormal growth and development of the thoracic vertebral bodies so that they are not a normal block shaped but a more wedge-shaped.

Spinal kyphosis is a term used to describe the curvature of the spine or back. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal.

Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves. In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. Unfortunately we do not know what causes excessive kyphosis in the majority of cases. However there are some specific causes which can be diagnosed by clinical examination and diagnostic imaging like MRI or CT scans.

The terms scoliosis and kyphosis represent different directions of curvature of the spine. Kyphosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side.

There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

Unfortunately we do not know what causes excessive kyphosis in the majority of cases. However there are some specific causes which can be diagnosed by clinical examination and diagnostic imaging like MRI or CT scans.

The best-known surgeon who specializes in kyphotic deformities of the spine is Dr. Vedant Vaksha.

The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic or massage therapy treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that both massage and chiropractic treatment can help with acute back pain episodes and possibly resolve muscle spasms contributing to any deformity, but there is no evidence that they provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic or massage therapy treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that both massage and chiropractic treatment can help with acute back pain episodes and possibly resolve muscle spasms contributing to any deformity, but there is no evidence that they provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that chiropractic treatment helps with acute back pain episodes and possibly muscle spasms resulting in deformity, but there is no evidence that it provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

There are no good studies showing that massage therapy treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that massage therapy can help with acute back pain episodes and possibly muscle spasms resulting in deformity, but there is no evidence that it provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

There is no specific long-standing cure for kyphosis unless it involves surgery. In general, the treatment of kyphosis depends on the underlying cause. Overall there are only three ways to manage kyphosis and these treatments assume that the deformity is not rigid but has some flexibility to it. The first is by physical therapy and postural training. What this means is that you strengthen the spinal muscles and you teach your body to reposition your head and spine in a better position to reduce the amount of kyphosis within the spine.

Of course, this is not a temporary solution but requires a long-term dedication and mindset change to maintain a good posture and healthy muscle core to support the spine. The second is to use a type of brace to bring the spine into a better position. However this is only recommended for children when their spine is still growing and there is enough time to help guide and direct the spine to grow in a straighter direction.

At skeletal maturity when the spine stops growing, using a brace will provide little benefit and may even be counterproductive since the spinal muscles become weakened and atrophy when using a brace. As a result your body eventually may come to rely on the brace to maintain the corrected position.

However in some situations it can help prevent further deformity and relief back pain especially when the deformity is due to underlying traumatic causes like wedge compression fractures. The final treatment option is surgical and this involves using screws and rods to reposition the spine into a better alignment and this will hopefully provide lifelong correction.

There are no good studies showing that chiropractic treatment leads to long-term resolution of kyphotic deformities. There is some good evidence that chiropractic treatment helps with acute back pain episodes and possibly muscle spasms resulting in deformity, but there is no evidence that it provides any long-term sustainable treatment or cure.

No. Cervical Kyphosis should not cause any hair loss. Cervical kyphosis describes a deformity of the neck spinal bones in which the curvature is no longer directed backwards but starts tilting forwards. It should have no effect on hair growth. There may be associated symptoms with sums types of rheumatologic diseases where the ligaments of the spine and soft tissues are inflamed and this may possibly contribute to similar problems with hair production. But otherwise there are no specific diseases which cause cervical kyphosis and hair loss.

There is a disease known as Klippel-Feil syndrome where patients have congenital abnormalities with their cervical spine sometimes leading to kyphotic deformities and they have a low hairline as a result of malformation of the neck region. However this is something that the patient would be born with.

Could Kyphosis in neck hair loss?

No. Cervical Kyphosis should not cause any hair loss. Cervical kyphosis describes a deformity of the neck spinal bones in which the curvature is no longer directed backwards but starts tilting forwards. It should have no effect on hair growth. There may be associated symptoms with sums types of rheumatologic diseases where the ligaments of the spine and soft tissues are inflamed and this may possibly contribute to similar problems with hair production. But otherwise there are no specific diseases which cause cervical kyphosis and hair loss.

There is a disease known as Klippel-Feil syndrome where patients have congenital abnormalities with their cervical spine sometimes leading to kyphotic deformities and they have a low hairline as a result of malformation of the neck region. However this is something that the patient would be born with.

Cerebral palsy patients can either have kyphosis or lordosis depending on where there muscle spasm or muscle weakness is. The majority of cases these patients tend to have kyphosis due to their constant sitting position and tighter anterior muscles. However there are definitely cases where the muscle contractures and spasms are around the posterior spinal region this may lead to hyper lordosis, especially around the pelvic region and neck.

Kyphosis can be classified depending on the underlying cause, or the pattern of the kyphosis, or the location. In terms of location there are generally only three locations were we would consider kyphosis to be abnormal and this includes the neck regional, the lower lumbar region, when it is excessive, the thoracic region or rib cage area as well. In terms of the pattern of kyphosis it can occur over a small segment region where it can be referred to as junctional kyphosis or can occur over a long stretch. Otherwise we can classify kyphosis by the etiology, meaning the underlying cause.

The most common cause of kyphosis in adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis.

Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood.

Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults. Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis.

However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare. Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

The core muscles are the most important to focus on when treating kyphosis. Of course there are other important factors including the location of the deformity and the tilt of the pelvis. If you have a posteriorly tilted pelvis then it is important to stretch out the hamstrings as well as the iliotibial band to decrease the deformity. In regards to the location, if the kyphotic deformity is closer to the neck region then strengthening the trapezius, rhomboid, and neck muscles are important.

Otherwise the most important core spinal muscles are multifidus and the abdominal muscles. Remember that stretching of the counter balance muscles is just as important as strengthening the supporting muscles. This means that you may have to stretch out the chest and abdominal muscles as well as the hamstring and iliotibial band muscles.

Yes. Postural Kyphosis is definitely reversible. Unlike other types of kyphosis postural kyphosis suggest that the curvature of the thoracic spine is within normal limits. More importantly it also means that the spine is flexible and that the patient can correct it by simply improving their posture. Therefore the main treatment for postural kyphosis is physical therapy with postural training. Sometimes be used the this is only recommended in children who are still growing.

Yes there are some types of congenital causes for kyphosis. However the majority of patients presenting with kyphosis, especially in adult hood unlikely due to vertebral wedging or due to traumatic causes. On the other hand a large majority of kyphotic deformities in children are due to congenital or developmental causes.

Yes, postural kyphosis is definitely reversible. Unlike other types of kyphosis postural kyphosis suggest that the curvature of the thoracic spine is within normal limits. More importantly it also means that the spine is flexible and that the patient can correct it by simply improving their posture. Therefore the main treatment for postural kyphosis is physical therapy with postural training. Sometimes be used the this is only recommended in children who are still growing.

No. The terms kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis are all terms used to describe the direction of curvature of the spine. Kyphosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity.

The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

The most common cause of a rapid onset kyphosis is usually due to trauma. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults. Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis. However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare and take several months to present with a deformity.

Overall in older adults, the most common cause of increasing kyphosis is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine.

The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood.

Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but often relies on additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies to help guide physicians in making a correct diagnosis.

Spontaneous Kyphosis generally suggests that there is no specific underlying cause for the development of the spinal deformity. The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in older adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Otherwise, there are several other ‘spontaneous’ or idiopathic causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity.

These can include metabolic bone diseases, traumatic injuries, inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, infectious causes and neuromuscular abnormalities.

Cervical kyphosis is where the neck region of the spine loses its normal lordotic curve (meaning that it no longer occurs backwards), but instead begins to curve forward (kyphosis). In general we use the term kyphosis to describe an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side it looks like their head is tilted forward and downward. The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”.

When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the cervical spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back and turtle-neck deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side but around the neck region it should curve backwards and the cervical or neck region of the spine normally has a lordotic curve. However, when there is trauma, degeneration, or injury to the cervical spine, it begins to flex forward in a kyphotic pattern.

This is not normal and the underlying cause should be evaluated to prevent further deformity of the cervical spine. If the cervical kyphosis is excessive it can lead to other deformities of the lower spine which tries to accommodate. It can also result in severe symptoms including pain as well as tension on the nerve roots and spinal cord resulting in weakness or numbness in the legs or hands.

If very severe it can even result in problems with gait and walking as well as visceral functions like bowel movements and urination. However the majority of patients tend to have pain symptoms or even sometimes headaches around the neck region to begin with prior to developing these other symptoms.

Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood. We do not know why the spine did not develop normally but it can often be associated with other congenital abnormalities including malformations of the kidney, heart, limbs, and abdominal organs. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood.

The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in senior adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine.

The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities.

These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults.

Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis. However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare.

Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in senior adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis.

Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood.

Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults. Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis.

However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare. Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

The best-known surgeon who specializes in kyphotic deformities of the spine is Dr. Vedant Vaksha.

The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in senior adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine.

The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities. These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood.

Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults. Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis.

However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare. Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal.

However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Unfortunately we do not know what causes excessive kyphosis in the majority of cases. However there are some specific causes which can be diagnosed by clinical examination and diagnostic imaging like MRI or CT scans.

Neck or cervical kyphosis is where the neck region of the spine loses its normal lordotic curve (meaning that it no longer occurs backwards), but instead begins to curve forward (kyphosis). In general we use the term kyphosis to describe an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side it looks like their head is tilted forward and downward. The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”.

When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back and turtle-neck deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side but around the neck region it should curve backwards. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body).

The cervical or neck region of the spine normally has a lordotic curve. However, when there is trauma, degeneration, or injury to the cervical spine, it begins to flex forward in a kyphotic pattern. This is not normal and the underlying cause should be evaluated to prevent further deformity of the cervical spine.

Cervical kyphosis is where the neck region of the spine loses its normal lordotic curve (meaning that it no longer occurs backwards), but instead begins to curve forward (kyphosis). In general we use the term kyphosis to describe an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side it looks like their head is tilted forward and downward.

The term Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back and turtle-neck deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at it from the side but around the neck region it should curve backwards. There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). The cervical or neck region of the spine normally has a lordotic curve.

However, when there is trauma, degeneration, or injury to the cervical spine, it begins to flex forward in a kyphotic pattern. This is not normal and the underlying cause should be evaluated to prevent further deformity of the cervical spine. The term mild kyphosis likely refers to a small amount of deformity meaning that the curve is no longer lordotic or curving backwards but has just begun to start bending forward.

Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side. Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal.

However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). So a normal amount of thoracic kyphosis should generally be between 40 and 60° when measured on an x-ray.

The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis in senior adults is due to simple aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape. As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine.

The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis. Otherwise, there are several other causes for spinal kyphosis which not only depends on the location of the kyphosis (meaning where the kyphotic curve is in terms of the spine, as in the rib cage or lower back segments, or in the neck), but also the degree of deformity. Congenital causes include malformations which may be divided into failure of formation, failure of segmentation, or nerve abnormalities.

These are unlikely to the present in adults since they are usually picked up during childhood. Developmental causes include achondroplasia and Scheuermann’s disease, as well as other types of metabolic bone disease, of which the latter can present later in adult hood. Traumatic causes include spondylosis as well as vertebral fractures and ligament injuries, and these are the second most common cause among adults.

Likewise, there are both infectious and inflammatory causes that include rheumatologic disorders like ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis, as well as infectious causes like bacterial infections or tuberculosis. However the infectious and inflammatory causes are generally rare. Finally there are neuromuscular disorders that include strokes, neurologic diseases, and muscle disorders like Duchenne’s muscular atrophy. The underlying cause for the kyphosis can be challenging to diagnose and not only requires clinical evaluation but can often require additional diagnostic imaging and neurologic studies.

There is no specific tone in kyphosis. It can be due to neuromuscular disorders where there may be increased tone resulting contractures of some muscles, otherwise it can also be due to decreased tone and weakness resulting in an inability to maintain normal posture.

This depends on the location of the kyphosis. If the kyphosis is around the upper spinal region then it may be due to tight end pectoralis muscles or abdominal muscles. On the other hand if it is at the lower lumbar region then the iliopsoas muscle may be contracted.

The core muscles are the most important to focus on when treating kyphosis. Of course there are other important factors including the location of the deformity and the tilt of the pelvis. If you have a posteriorly tilted pelvis then it is important to stretch out the hamstrings as well as the iliotibial band to decrease the deformity. In regards to the location, if the kyphotic deformity is closer to the neck region then strengthening the trapezius, rhomboid, and neck muscles are important.

Otherwise the most important core spinal muscles are multifidus and the abdominal muscles. Remember that stretching of the counter balance muscles is just as important as strengthening the supporting muscles. This means that you may have to stretch out the chest and abdominal muscles as well as the hamstring and iliotibial band muscles.

Although kyphosis can occur anywhere along the spine, the majority of cases of kyphosis tends to occur around the thoracic region of the spine. This is the area around the rib cage.

The majority of cases of kyphosis tends to occur around the thoracic region of the spine. This is the area around the rib cage. The spine is made up of bony blocks called vertebral as well as spongy discs which lie between each of these bony blocks. With aging and degeneration of the spine, the discs and vertebral blocks begin to change shape. The spine is made up of 33 blocks which usually maintain a rectangular shape. With aging and degeneration, these blocks become increasingly trapezoid or wedge-shaped in appearance.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common causes for the wedging is osteoporosis where the bone is weak and over time results in increasing and repetitive loads on the spine’s vertebra so that they generally take up a more wedge shaped appearance. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side.

There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray).

Kyphosis is an excessive amount of forward bending of the spine so that when you look at a person from the side, it appears that they have a humpback shape to their spine. The term scoliosis comes from Greek and means “twisted” or “crooked”. Kyphosis comes from the Greek work kyphos meaning “hump”. When we talk about kyphosis in relation to the spine, we typically mean that there is an excessive amount of curvature resulting in a hump-back deformity. The spine normally curves when looked at from the side.

There is either a kyphotic (meaning it curves forward toward the head and toes) or lordotic curve (meaning it curves backward away from the body). When we are born, we all have a single long kyphotic curve. This is normal. Once we begin to raise our heads and stand, we then begin to develop the lordotic curves.

In total there are 5 segments of the spine and they are distinguished by their curve; the top of the spine has a lordotic curve and this region is called the cervical spine, then the next segment has a kyphotic curve and is called the thoracic spine, the next is the lumbar curve which has a lordotic curve, followed by the sacrum which is kyphotic and the coccyx which is really an extension of the sacrum but in theory should have a more lordotic curve since it is a vestigial tail.

Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine and this is perfectly normal. However, when people talk about kyphosis, they typically mean that the thoracic spine region is excessively kyphotic (typically over 60 degrees when measured on xray). Of course, it is possible to have kyphotic curves in the cervical and lordotic regions, but this is uncommon. In regards to scoliosis, this term refers to a side to side curvature of the spine when looking straight ahead at a person.

The person can have both a kyphosis as well as a scoliosis deformity, or simply a kyphotic deformity. Unfortunately we use the term kyphoscoliosis to indicate that there is an abnormal curve and it does not signify whether the patient has either one or both kyphosis and scoliosis.

Kyphosis can occur anywhere along the spine. However, the majority of cases of kyphosis tends to occur around the thoracic region of the spine. This is the area around the rib cage.

The majority of cases of kyphotic deformities are found along the thoracic spine region which includes the rib cage area. However kyphotic deformities are also found within the neck region and the lower lumbar spine. However these are much less common and are usually attributed to an underlying disease or injury, while any thoracic kyphosis can be due to simple aging.

This depends if it is postural or secondary to an underlying abnormality. Postural kyphosis has an ICD 10 code of M40.00. While the other hand secondary kyphosis has an ICD 10 code of M40.10. There are further codes depending on the region involved.

There are no specific muscles which become lengthened with chronic kyphosis. Instead the muscles atrophy meaning that they shrink in their size. However the number of muscle cells do not change.

Patients with metabolic bone diseases and osteoporosis are at risk for developing thoracic kyphosis. The spine is made up of bony blocks called vertebral as well as spongy discs which lie between each of these bony blocks. With aging and degeneration of the spine, the discs and vertebral blocks begin to change shape. The spine is made up of 33 blocks which usually maintain a rectangular shape. With aging and degeneration, these blocks become increasingly trapezoid or wedge-shaped in appearance.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common causes for the wedging is osteoporosis where the bone is weak and over time results in increasing and repetitive loads on the spine’s vertebra so that they generally take up a more wedge shaped appearance. Other people at risk include patients with neuromuscular disorders where they are unable to maintain the posture of their spine.

The spine is made up of bony blocks called vertebral as well as spongy discs which lie between each of these bony blocks. With aging and degeneration of the spine, the discs and vertebral blocks begin to change shape. The spine is made up of 33 blocks which usually maintain a rectangular shape. With aging and degeneration, these blocks become increasingly trapezoid or wedge-shaped in appearance.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common causes for the wedging is osteoporosis where the bone is weak and over time results in increasing and repetitive loads on the spine’s vertebra so that they generally take up a more wedge shaped appearance.

Kyphotic deformities of the spine develop in older people due to osteoporosis and changes in the shape of the spine bones that occur with aging. The most common cause of increasing thoracic kyphosis among adults is due to aging which results in increasing vertebral wedging. As we grow older the spine, which is made up of 33 blocks called vertebra, no longer maintain their rectangular shape. Instead these blocks become increasingly trapezoid in shape.

As a result of this mild degree of wedging within several blocks, it results in a more rounded for kyphotic appearance of the spine. The most common cause for the wedging is osteoporosis where the bone is weak and over time as a result of the increasing and repetitive loads on the spine’s vertebra and generally takes up a more triangular shaped appearance.

The progression of a kyphotic deformity depends on the underlying cause. In general, the majority of people will develop increasing thoracic kyphosis over their lifetime. This is a normal part of aging and can be due to changes to our posture as well as changes in the consistency and shape of the spinal bones known as vertebra. However, the degree of the deformity and severity depends on the underlying cause. It should be noted, that when there is a significant amount of kyphosis, progression and worsening of the deformity can increase at a faster rate.