Many men and women with prevalent hyperkyphosis are treated with osteoporosis antiresorptive or bone-building medications because they have low bone density or spine fractures. While osteoporosis treatment helps to prevent incident spine fractures, no medications have been shown to improve hyperkyphosis.
Treatment for Posture Problems. Postural kyphosis can be reversed, and you may want to see how far a commitment to not slouching will take you before you try other options. Beyond that, your doctor may recommend certain exercises, physical therapy, and/or a firm bed.
In cases of existing kyphosis, adults can improve spinal alignment by doing exercises that strengthen the abdominals and the extensor muscles in the back (the ones that help you stand and lift objects). However, surgery is needed to correct severe spinal deformities, Ibrahim says.
Postural correction training through stretching and strengthening exercises to help reduce the hyperkyphotic curvature and prevent the condition from advancing.
In younger adults, the “normal” range falls between 20 and 40° of curvature using the Cobb angle measurement of kyphosis. After the fourth decade of life, the kyphosis angle begins to worsen and increase above 40°, leading to an excessive kyphosis curvature, known as “age-related hyperkyphosis” [1].
If left untreated, kyphosis can become severe and cause significant spinal deformity. The goal of treating kyphosis is to prevent further curving and relieve symptoms, but it cannot be cured.
Why is exercise important? Exercise, combined with good posture and chiropractic care, may help improve your rounded upper back. A 2019 review of studies on the effects of exercise on kyphosis suggested that exercise may have positive effects on the angle of the thoracic kyphosis.
Sleeping On the Side
If this is your default sleeping position, put a pillow between your knees so it perfectly aligns with the rest of your spine. You can also try hugging a firm pillow against your front to prevent you from slouching while you're asleep.
Chiropractic can often help resolve kyphosis that is caused by poor posture. If your kyphosis is due to trauma or other issues, chiropractic can still provide much-needed relief from many of your symptoms—including pain and stiffness.
As described above, the normal thoracic spine can has a curvature, or kyphosis, of between 20 to 40 degrees. A greater (or lesser) degree of curve is considered a spinal deformity. When the thoracic portion of the spine curves 45 degrees or more, it is considered a problematic type of thoracic kyphosis.
With age, these discs harden and lose flexibility with the inevitable result of compressed total length of the spine and a forward tilt called kyphosis. These aging changes together are called senile kyphosis and are considered a normal part of aging. Muscle mass also changes with age with a process called sarcopenia.
Soft, circular disks act as cushions between spinal vertebrae. With age, these disks flatten and shrink, which often worsens kyphosis.
This is because light weights can help you keep your muscle tone, which encourages a healthy metabolism to help stave off age-related weight gain and also promotes energy, balance, can improve your posture in your 60s and more. So keeping your muscles engaged and strong is important!
Cut down on activities that have led to poor posture, too. Take breaks from computer and TV time, and exercise more. "In six to 12 weeks," says Doshi, "you'll see an improvement in your posture."
Conclusions: Mechanical massage and manual therapy effectively improve thoracic kyphosis angle, thoracic extension range of motion, and thoracic extension strength.
Side-Lying Thoracic Rotation Exercise
TheraBand Resistance Bands or Theraband Resistance Tubing can also be used in this exercise to improve kyphosis. Side-lying thoracic rotation exercises increase your torso mobility while improving stability in your lumbar spine and the rotator cuffs in your shoulders.
The three most common types of kyphosis are postural kyphosis, Scheuermann's kyphosis and congenital kyphosis.
You should sit up straight and walk tall because rounding your shoulders—for whatever reason—can give you a form of kyphosis and even pain. Keep your chin up. More precisely, keep it level. Look straight ahead, not down.
It adds stress on your back and neck, making it hard for your spine to maintain its natural curve. Sleeping without a pillow can keep your head flat. This may reduce some stress on your neck and promote better alignment. But this doesn't apply to other sleeping positions.
The forward curve is rounded. If asked to stand up straight, a teen with postural kyphosis can do so. Physical therapy, and in some cases, bracing, can correct the muscular and structural imbalance in the back.
There are a number of exercises that can help reduce thoracic kyphosis, especially in cases where it's caused by posture problems. Exercises to reduce postural kyphosis focus on strengthening the muscles of the torso, especially those around the spine.
Poor posture in childhood, such as slouching, leaning back in chairs and carrying heavy schoolbags, can cause the ligaments and muscles that support the vertebrae to stretch. This can pull the thoracic vertebrae out of their normal position, resulting in kyphosis.