Kyphosis

Kyphosis, a type of spine curvature disorder, is characterized by an abnormally rounded upper back with typically more than 50 degrees of curvature. It can also be referred to as roundback or hunchback. This condition is different from scoliosis, but these two disorders can co-occur.

If you feel that you or a loved one may have a form of kyphosis, the NYSI experts are here to help. With the combined effort of our specialists, pain management, physical therapists, and orthopedic and spine surgeons, we have the expertise to offer you a comprehensive treatment plan. Schedule a consultation with us today.

Why Choose New York Spine Institute?

Quality Care

We are proud to offer our patients state-of-the-art treatment for kyphosis diagnoses. We only provide the highest-quality care from renowned specialists.

Industry Leaders

Alexandre B. de Moura, M.D., FAAOS, is the medical director of our facility, who has led our team for years with the knowledge and expertise needed to treat multiple forms of spine curvature disorders.

Multiple Languages

To help our patients all over the world, our specialists speak a number of languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Russian.

Understanding the Causes of Your Kyphosis

Kyphosis is a larger-than-normal forward bend of the spine, and it is most commonly found in the upper back. There are different types of kyphosis:

Post-traumatic kyphosis: Following a traumatic injury, this form of kyphosis can affect the mid to lower back after a vertebra or vertebrae fracture.
Age-associated kyphosis: This form of kyphosis can happen during the aging process and results from conditions like weakened muscles, osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease or spine fractures.
Scheuermann’s kyphosis: Also called juvenile kyphosis, this disorder develops during adolescence and can continue into adulthood. It can result from a stiff spine and an abnormal shape of the vertebrae.
Congenital kyphosis: Some patients are born with this disorder when the front edges of vertebrae in the upper back do not develop as they should. Kyphosis is rare at birth.

Diagnosing Your Kyphosis

Depending on its severity, kyphosis can cause these symptoms:

Back pain
Weakened back muscles
Difficulty walking
Difficulty standing from a sitting position
Acid reflux or other digestive concerns if the digestive tract is compressed

If you have a rounded back and experience any of those symptoms, your doctor may conduct a physical exam. During this, you’ll bend at the waist and reach toward your toes so your doctor can see your spine from the side. A kyphosis diagnosis can then be determined with an X-ray, a CT scan when an X-ray is not sufficient enough, or a biopsy to rule out tumors, infection or other underlying causes of a compression fracture. You might also undergo bone density or nerve tests. Low bone density can lead to age-associated kyphosis, while numbness or tingling may indicate nerve impulses aren’t traveling from your spine to your hands or feet due to a spinal condition.

Treatment Options for Kyphosis

Kyphosis treatment varies with your age, the issues you’re experiencing with your spine and other medical conditions. At NYSI, we take surgical and nonsurgical approaches to addressing kyphosis.

Using a Spinal Brace for Kyphosis Symptom Treatment

If you and your spine doctor are leaning toward a conservative approach, you can utilize pain management in the form of a kyphosis posture corrector or brace.

Bracing helps alleviate back pain by taking the strain off your back muscles. It can also help slow the progression of your kyphosis, but it cannot reverse spine curvature.

Physical Therapy for Kyphosis Symptoms

A customized physical exercise plan can address your kyphosis. Flexibility, stabilization and mobility exercises can help ease pain and strengthen the back muscles that support the spine. We can educate you on proper posture and other steps to take to improve your musculoskeletal health. If you choose to use back support for kyphosis, we can also train you on using the assistive device during physical therapy sessions. We’ll go over how to put on and take off the brace.

Surgical Treatments for Kyphosis

While we emphasize observation and bracing, we can also offer surgery when required. We take a forward-thinking surgical approach that uses breakthrough technology to provide the best possible spinal care available today. When a noninvasive treatment is not viable for your form of kyphosis, surgery may be necessary for pain relief and to improve a misshapen spine or decompress the nerve roots. If a fracture caused your kyphosis, you may be a candidate for kyphoplasty. During this procedure, the doctor will inflate a balloon-like device in the affected vertebra and fill it with a cement-like material, which then hardens and strengthens the fractured bone.

We’ll go over what to expect before and after your surgery based on your specific condition, treatment and other needs.

Need a Consultation for Your Kyphosis?

Our specialized divisions provide diagnostics, pain management, physical therapy, surgical care and other treatments. We can create a customized plan for issues ranging from routine spinal disorders to complex adult and pediatric spinal concerns. Request an appointment to visit us at one of our Greater NYC or Long Island locations.

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