Posts Tagged ‘Upper back’

Kyphosis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment for kyphosis

Kyphosis describes the exaggerated curve of the spine that results in a rounded or hunched back. It means rounding forward of shoulders and upper back. All people have some degree of kyphosis, a C curvature in the thoracic spine. It is a progressive spinal disorder. In some cases, though, this C curvature is exaggerated, causing problems in posture, affecting range of motion, and often causing pain. This condition is more common in boys than girls.
Our spinal cord is protected by means of small bones called vertebrae, which are stacked vertically, one upon another. A healthy spine has three natural and normal curves, which are, one inward curve at the neck, an outward curve in the middle of the back and a curve in the lower back.
When the curves are too far out from their position, the condition is called kyphosis.

- Patients with postural kyphosis can generally correct the kyphosis by making a conscious effort to do so.
- Patients with structural kyphosis when bends forward, the angular gibbus can be seen. The patient cannot consciously correct his posture.

What are different causes for Kyphosis ?

- Muscle imbalance in the upper back and neck.
- The muscles in the back of the neck are shortened and tight.
- The muscles at the back of the shoulders and upper back are weakened and stretched.
- poor development of spine.
- Injury.
- Poor posture.
- Infections.
- De-generative diseases of bones of the spine.

What are different symptoms of Kyphosis?

- Tiredness.
- Back Pain.
- Stiffness in back and neck.
- Hunch back.
- Difference in height.
- In severe cases, there is a difficulty in breathing.
- Tight back and thigh muscles.
- In case it has affected the spinal chord, there is numbness, tingling sensation, muscle weakness, chest pain, bladder and bowel disturbances.

What is the treatment for kyphosis?

Treatment will depend on the reason for the deformity.
- Massage to the upper back and neck can reduce the pain and tension.
- Massage and stretching techniques for the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck.
- Strengthening exercises.
- The patient typically wears the brace until skeletal maturity is reached.
- Surgical Treatment is done in cases of severe deformity, patient not responding to above treatment, spinal cord damage.

Two types of surgery are performed:
- Instrumentation is a kind of surgery, which uses screws and wires to hold the spine straight.
- Fusion is another kind of surgery done to join the bony segments of the spine.

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The most common trouble areas of human body

There are five general categories of ache area : neck, shoulders, trapezius, upper back, mid-back, and lower back.
- The Neck : Pain and stiffness in the neck is rooted in the in the interaction between the seven vertebrae of the neck and the muscles that move those vertebrae. Tension headaches are often related to tension in the neck, the neck routine exercises are compulsory to do.
- The Shoulders : Shoulder pain can be a problem with the joint that connects the arm to the shoulder which can often be dealt by surgery or micro-surgery, or to pain in the uppermost extreme left and uppermost extreme right parts of back next to the shoulder area can be treated by hot water therapy routines.
- The Trapezius muscles : These are small triangular muscles on each side of lower neck, covering an area of the size and shape of a coat hanger. It is a versatile trouble spot. Tension in these muscles can cause headaches and pain running up the neck, as well as upper and middle back pain.o
- The Upper Back : It is the area from the shoulder blades up into the neck. Trapezius tension is one of the main cause of upper back pain. Tightness in the rhmboids can cause persistent pain between the edge of the shoulder blade and spine.
- The Middle Back : It is the area that extends from the top to the bottom of rib cage. Tension in long thin muscles that run from base of skull to the pelvis or the tightness in lower portions of trapezius muscles can cause pain in the middle back.
- The Lower Back : It is the area from the bottom of your rib cage down into your buttocks. It occurs in the region where five lumbar vertebrae of the lower back join the solid bone of the sacrum.
- The tight shoulders,flabby tummy : Tight muscles in the upper and lower back interact with weak stomach muscles to create a problem. Tight shoulders jam joints in the area. Flabby tummies make muscles in lower back work without balance or support.