Kyphosis - Symptoms & Treatment

Kyphosis are commanly women's chest problem that occure etween ages 12 and 16. Kyphosis is also known as Hunchback. A normal spine, when viewed from behind appears straight. Kyphosis is a curving of the spine that causes a bowing of the back, which leads to a hunchback or slouching posture. Spine is divided into thoracic vertebrae, sacral vertebrae, cervical vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae. Thoracis vertebrae are attached to ribs.

Symptoms of Kyphosis

The following are the most common symptoms of kyphosis. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• difference in shoulder height
• the head bends forward compared to the rest of the body
• difference in shoulder blade height or position
• when bending forward, the height of the upper back appears higher than normal
• tight hamstrings (back thigh) muscles
• Mild back pain
• Excessive fatigue
• Hunchback, roundback or slouching posture
• Tenderness or spinal stiffness.

Causes of Kyphosis

Kyphosis are spinal deformity as Connective tissue disorders, Cancer or tumors and Postural kyphosis which that occur at any agebetween 16 to 20. although it is rare at birth. Kyphosis is a spinal deformity that can result from trauma, developmental problems, or degenerative disease. Adult kyphosis may result from:

• aging and associated degeneration of intervertebral disks, atrophy, and osteoporotic collapse of the vertebrae
• endocrine disorders, such as hyperparathyroidism and Cushing's disease
• prolonged steroid therapy
• other conditions, such as arthritis, Paget's disease, polio, compression fracture of the thoracic vertebrae, metastatic tumor, plasma cell myeloma, or tuberculosis.
• Infection (such as tuberculosis )
• Neurofibromatosis
• Connective tissue disorders
• Muscular dystrophy
• Spina bifida (a birth defect involving incomplete formation of part of the spine)
• Disk degeneration
• Certain endocrine diseases
• Paget's disease
• Polio
• Tumors

Treatment ofKyphosis

Treatment depends on the cause of the disorder:

• Multiple compression fractures from osteoporosis can be left alone if there is no neurologic problems or pain, but the osteoporosis needs to be treated to help prevent future fractures. For debilitating deformity or pain, surgery is an option.
• Kyphosis caused by infection or tumor needs to be treated more aggressively, often with surgery and medications.
• Structural kyphosis can be provided according the age, symptoms and how the curve in spine is, in rare cases.
• kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are effective to treat kyphosis.
• Scheuermann's disease is initially treated with a brace and physical therapy. Occasionally surgery is needed for large (greater than 60 degrees), painful curves.
• Surgery can be preferred in only major cases.
• Congenital kyphosis requires corrective surgery at an early age.