If you do develop a painful spinal insufficiency type fracture which has made you shorter and caused you to hunch over then you might be a candidate for balloon kyphoplasty. This is an excellent treatment and I have managed many patients successfully this way. I discuss this in an article I wrote for the Cheltenham Spine Clinic, which I invite you to read.

Mr Caspar Aylott is an internationally-trained consultant spinal surgeon practising at The UK Spine Centre and Cheltenham Spine Clinic. His areas of expertise lie in the conservative and surgical management of back problems, including disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, neck and back pain, sciatica and osteoporotic spine fractures. He also specialises in rehabilitation, minimal access surgery, injections, fusion, non-fusion motion-preserving techniques, and bal... Top Doctors

Mr Caspar Aylott is an internationally-trained consultant spinal surgeon practising at The UK Spine Centre and Cheltenham Spine Clinic. His areas of expertise lie in the conservative and surgical management of back problems, including disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, neck and back pain, sciatica and osteoporotic spine fractures. He also specialises in rehabilitation, minimal access surgery, injections, fusion, non-fusion motion-preserving techniques, and balloon kyphoplasty for spinal fractures. Mr Aylott completed his specialist fellowship training in Nottingham, Bristol and Auckland. He is uniquely dual-qualified in the UK with a degree in both mechanical and materials engineering from Nottingham University and as a Doctor from Leicester Medical School. He also has a Doctorate in Spine. He has published over thirty medical publications and lectures regularly in Europe and Asia on subjects including minimally invasive surgery and spinal biomechanics. His qualifications and experience have allowed him to become a European faculty trainer for surgeons in numerous minimally invasive techniques including dynamic stabilisation and balloon kyphoplasty. As well as practising at The UK Spine Centre, Mr Aylott also runs the Cheltenham Spine Clinic. He passionately believes in the importance of making an accurate diagnosis and communicating this openly and clearly to his patients, enabling a personalised and sensible treatment plan to be outlined.

The key point is whatever your particular spinal 'S' shape and whether you are fat, thin, fair or fertile, from London, Gloucestershire or Timbuktu, your head should be balanced above your pelvis.

Considering your occupation, vary your posture at work frequently and improve your sitting position. Have you had a workspace assessment?

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The rather unflattering term ‘dowager’s hump’ refers to increase rounding and prominence of the upper back at the junction with the neck. Unfortunately, being aristocratic, titled (and widowed) is in no way a prerequisite for said hump!

Physiotherapy can work really well but takes real commitment. The mainstay of physiotherapy includes stretching exercises to improve flexibility through the back, pelvis and hamstrings and strengthening exercises working specifically on extension based spine strengthening.

Our spine is cleverly designed with three main curves when we look from the side. In the neck, we have a cervical lordosis; in the trunk, the thoracic kyphosis and the lower back, the lumbar lordosis.

There are several possible reasons. Either this is your normal spine shape - most likely inherited from a parent or grandparent who has a similar posture (look at those old family photos!) or you have acquired this posture during your life. There are several causes:

Some of us have more curvy backs and some of us have straighter backs, and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. I’ll discuss this further in a future article.

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Yes, in some cases; but we cannot change our genetics and some of us will always be more curvy, like our relatives. Think of it positively as unique and special to you. There is, however, plenty that you can do to maintain a better posture during adolescence and adulthood and also to mitigate the consequences of having a round back.

There is much to consider in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a rounded back. I hope this article has introduced you to some of the best current practice which may help you.

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Kyphosis is the medical term that describes an excessive curvature of the upper part of the spine, causing your back to appear more rounded than normal. We spoke to Mr Caspar Aylott, a highly-regarded consultant spinal surgeon based in London and Cheltenham, to give up an overview of this condition and the treatments available to correct it.

Mr Caspar Aylott is an internationally-trained consultant spinal surgeon practising at The UK Spine Centre and Cheltenham Spine Clinic. His areas of expertise lie in the conservative and surgical management of back problems, including disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, neck and back pain, sciatica and osteoporotic spine fractures. He also specialises in rehabilitation, minimal access surgery, injections, fusion, non-fusion motion-preserving techniques, and bal...

A ‘rounded back’ refers to the middle curve (the thoracic kyphosis) in your back and implies that your spine is more curved than others.

Do you have osteoporosis or does it run in your family? Consider preventative treatments for osteoporosis through diet, exercise, medications to reduce the chance of developing ‘insufficiency type’ fractures in the spine when you are older.

As a spine specialist, I see many people with bad posture. Many patients tell me: ‘My partner tells me I stoop!’, ’friends tell me to stand up straight’, and ‘I hate my hunched back!’ - Do any of these sound familiar to you?

It is easier to prevent spinal fractures occurring than to treat them after they start. Stable, horse, bolted comes to mind!