What Is the First Treatment for Kyphosis?

Kyphosis is an increased forward curve of the upper or middle spine. It can be flexible or more fixed, and it may relate to posture, growth, vertebral shape, injury, or another spinal condition. Assessment helps identify the cause and whether the curve changes when you move or adjust position.

Physiotherapy may include back and abdominal strengthening, chest and hip flexibility work, breathing awareness, and practical advice for sitting, lifting, and activity. Postural Correction Therapy can help you practise a more supported position, but it should not be treated as a promise that every spinal curve can be reversed. A growing child may be monitored differently from an adult with a fixed curve.

Arrange an examination if the curve is new, progressing, painful, or affecting activity. Follow a prescribed exercise plan and avoid forcing the spine into a painful position. Keep a record of changes in pain, stamina, balance, and breathing, as these details help guide follow-up. Bracing is reserved for selected situations and is not automatically appropriate for every type of kyphosis.

Get urgent assessment for new weakness, numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe pain after trauma, or difficulty breathing. Seek timely review for a rapidly changing curve, unexplained weight loss, fever, or pain that repeatedly wakes you. These signs may point to a cause needing investigation beyond routine posture work.

Ask what type of kyphosis you have, whether imaging or follow-up is needed, and which exercises are suitable. Ask whether Postural Correction Therapy has a role, how progress will be judged, and when a brace such as Scoliosis Bracing would be considered.