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The most common symptoms for patients with an abnormal kyphosis are the appearance of poor posture with a hump appearance of the back or “hunchback,” back pain, muscle fatigue, and stiffness in the back. Most often, these symptoms remain fairly constant and do not become progressively worse with time.

In more severe situations, the patient may notice their symptoms worsening with time. The kyphosis can progress, causing a more exaggerated hunchback. In rare cases, this can lead to compression of the spinal cord with neurologic symptoms including weakness, loss of sensation, or loss of bowel and bladder control. Severe cases of thoracic kyphosis can also limit the amount of space in the chest and cause cardiac and pulmonary problems leading to chest pain and shortness of breath.

Kyphosis often produces no symptoms. Sometimes, mild, persistent back pain develops. Kyphosis may be noticed only because it alters the body’s appearance. The shoulders may appear rounded. The upper spine may appear more curved than normal, or a hump may be visible. Mild kyphosis that does not produce symptoms is sometimes detected only during a routine physical examination. A doctor confirms the diagnosis by taking x-rays of the spine, which show the curve and the deformity of the vertebrae. Later in life, kyphosis is caused from osteoporosis, bone weakness, and crumbling forward. The stress caused by kyphosis produces such symptoms as an increase in musculoskeletal pains, tension headaches, back aches, and joint pains.Back pain, pain down the legs, and changes in bowel and bladder habits are not commonly associated with kyphosis. A person experiencing these types of symptoms requires further medical evaluation by a physician. The symptoms of kyphosis may resemble other spinal conditions or deformities, or may be a result of an injury or infection. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.

If the condition is of a mild nature, then there are as such no noticeable kyphosis symptoms. But severe cases are indicated by the affected person developing a slouching posture or a hunch back. The patient may begin to feel his spine becoming stiff or undergoing tenderness. In addition to all these, the patient may also suffer from back pain which can be mild or severe and he may suffer from back pain with movement. A forward posture of the head is also one of the visible kyphosis symptoms, and so is a difference in shoulder height. Other than these, chest pain, tight hamstrings (one of the tendons at the back of the knee), breathing difficulty and fatigue are the other symptoms which can accompany the condition of a rounded back. These may be regarded as thoracic kyphosis symptoms, as it is the thoracic spine which is mostly affected. However, in some people, the neck (cervical spine) may also develop a kyphotic curve, i.e., an outward curve. So in this case, the cervical kyphosis symptoms include limited neck movements, neck pain, weakness in arms or legs, difficulty walking, loss of grip strength, low bowel control and paralysis. As a whole, the symptoms will be similar in both the cases of kyphosis.

Kyphosis treatment depends on the nature of the symptoms of the condition. Cases which are mild and require less aggressive treatment include exercises, pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy and managing the underlying causes. More severe cases where the kyphosis symptoms show no signs of improvement and keep on worsening, may require the act of bracing and sometimes surgery, as the last option. These two methods help in curbing the progress of the deformity.

Kyphosis Common Symptoms:

1.Difficulty breathing

2.Round back appearance

3.Tenderness and stiffness in the spine

4.Fatigue

5.Mild back pain

6.Early fatigue to the back and legs

9.Difficulty standing with an upright posture

8.Back pain

Kyphosis describes the exaggerated curve of the spine that results in a rounded or hunched back. Kyphosis may develop for several reasons. Postural kyphosis in children and adolescents may be related to habit and posture rather than underlying spinal deformity. In contrast, structural kyphosis refers to a round-back posture that is not reversible by paying attention to your posture and making an effort to sit and stand up straight. In adolescents, structural kyphosis may be caused by initial spine development with a rounded shape that is made worse by further growth. In the elderly, compression fractures characteristically result in loss of height and kyphotic deformity.