Kyphosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Kyphosis is a condition in the spine where the vertebrae in the thoracic spine take a rounded shape that is slightly leaning forward. Besides the visual signs, there are other symptoms that affect the functionality of the spine. 

There are different types of kyphosis:

• Postural kyphosis
• Congenital kyphosis
• Scheuermann’s kyphosis 

Causes

There are many causes and risk factors for the appearance of kyphosis, some of them are congenital, but this condition can also happen due to habits, accidents, or age.

• Osteoporosis. It refers to the decalcification of the bones making the vertebrae more prone to fractures and deformity.  
• Disc degeneration: the discs are the soft cushion in-between the vertebrae. These can deteriorate or lose consistency hence, allowing the vertebrae to distort and contract.
• Cancer at any level can debilitate the vertebrae and cause compression among them.
• Spondylolisthesis is a condition where a vertebra slides to the front of another.
• Poor posture.
• Scheuermann’s disorder: this is a developmental disorder that appears during childhood and can stay present until adulthood.
• Age is another factor that influences the appearance of kyphosis. With age, muscles lose strength affecting mobility and increasing the risk of injuries in the spine.
• Fractures can also affect the spine’s balance making it prone to deform. 

Symptoms

The most evident sign of kyphosis is the typical hunch that appears on its patients. This curvature represents an aesthetic issue that can be more evident in patients with more severe kyphosis.

Additionally, patients can feel back pain, fatigue in the body, difficulty breathing, stiffness, and sensitivity in the spine. 

Furthermore, patients with kyphosis can present some long-term issues such as:

• Numbness and tingling in the legs
• Digestive and respiratory issues: the curve formed by the spine puts pressure on the organs of the digestive and the respiratory systems. In the case of the digestive system, this increases acid production or can make it more difficult to swallow food. On the other hand, in the respiratory system, the pressure in the lungs can make it more difficult to breathe.
• Kyphosis also weakens muscles progressively. This can affect the patient’s ability to carry out some physical activities. 

Treatment

Generally, kyphosis can be treated with physiotherapy, and the doctor usually recommends wearing an orthopedic brace. Additionally, the doctor will recommend painkillers if the patient presents pain symptoms. 

However, in more severe cases where the pain and other symptoms are more intense, the doctor could advise a spine surgery. This surgery consists of the insertion of some bone pieces among the vertebrae and then some bars to hold them together. The objective of this procedure is to align the curvature and keep the vertebrae from continuing to compress.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119