Symptoms
How We Can Help You for Kyphosis
The doctors in the Stanford Medicine Spine Center have the experience needed to accurately diagnose and effectively treat kyphosis, the condition where rounding of the spine causes a hunched back.
We help relieve symptoms, which most commonly include a difference in shoulder blade height or position, bending forward of the head, tight hamstring (back thigh) muscles, and, less commonly, pain in the back or legs and changes in bowel or bladder habits.
Our team always emphasizes the least invasive treatment approaches possible. We provide physical therapy, exercise training, and bracing. We also offer medication and other strategies for pain relief. If these more conservative options don’t fully meet your needs, we also excel at all surgical procedures, from the common to the most complex.
Stanford Medicine Spine Center patients with kyphosis also may have opportunities to participate in research studies of new treatment approaches not yet available anywhere else.
What We Offer You For Kyphosis
- Center of Excellence for advanced care of all spine-related conditions.
- Nationally recognized expertise in treating all types of kyphosis, no matter how complex.
- Precise diagnosis options including the latest imaging technology.
- Team-based treatment planning that brings together orthopaedic surgeons, neurologists and neurosurgeons, pain management specialists, rheumatologists, physiatrists, and others to tailor care to your needs.
- Advanced treatment options emphasizing noninvasive approaches whenever possible, including exercises, physical therapy, and medication therapy, and, when needed, spine surgery.
- Comprehensive support services including care coordination from diagnosis to treatment to follow-up.
- Active research program to develop new diagnostic and treatment advances.
Treatments for Kyphosis
The team members of the Stanford Medicine Spine Center use the most advanced techniques to effectively treat kyphosis symptoms and stop or slow the progression of deformity. We have experience with all treatment approaches and emphasize minimally invasive techniques whenever appropriate.
Our team includes doctors from orthopaedics, neurology, rheumatology, physiatry, and other specialties, working together to help ensure you receive an accurate diagnosis and the most effective treatment possible.
Kyphosis can be painful. It also can affect your appearance. We’re here to help treat both how you feel and how you look.
Choosing the most effective treatment
Although kyphosis can cause pain and result in a curved posture, it may not have effects on other parts of the body. So, treatment may focus on pain relief, posture support, or both, depending on each person’s unique condition.
Your doctor will help you choose the best treatment based on:
- Your age, medical history, and current health status
- The severity of your condition
- The projected future course of your condition
- Your tolerance for medications and other treatment options
- Your personal preferences
Emphasizing minimally invasive options
Early, precise diagnosis and treatment are key to receiving timely care, relieving symptoms, and stopping or slowing the progression of kyphosis.
To monitor your condition, we recommend regular, repeated examinations.
To treat your condition, we recommend nonsurgical approaches whenever appropriate:
- Exercises to strengthen core muscles
- Braces: Your doctor can help you decide on the right type of brace and how long to wear it.
- Physical therapy
- Medication to relieve pain
- Lifestyle changes, including weight reduction and smoking cessation
Surgical treatment when absolutely necessary
Surgery is a fairly rare treatment for kyphosis. We have extensive experience with all surgical procedures for kyphosis but use this option only when imaging tests show that the curve is severe, continuing to progress, or not responding to braces or other treatments.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies that are currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future.
What is Kyphosis?
Kyphosis is rounding of the upper spine that causes a person to have a hunched back.
In cases of severe kyphosis, the curvature can press against the nerve that runs through the spinal column and cause paralysis.
Kyphosis associated with bone thinning (osteoporosis), often seen in older people, is called a dowager's hump.
Treatment for kyphosis depends on the patient’s specific condition. Options range from exercise and physical therapy to bracing to medication to state-of-the-art surgery.
Our Clinics
The Stanford Medicine Spine Center is staffed by world-class spine specialists from neurosurgery and orthopaedics, who work together to offer you the world’s most advanced and effective treatment options—including those that don’t involve surgery. Our goal is to safely get you back to your normal lifestyle as soon as possible, and maintain long-term spinal health.
To schedule an appointment, please call 650-725-1125.