Postural Kyphosis: How to Care for Your Child

Postural kyphosis (kye-FOH-sis) is a rounding or hunching of the back that most often happens in teens when they slouch a lot. Learning to sit and stand up straight and doing exercises to make the back stronger can help improve posture and prevent back pain.

• Avoid positions that encourage them to slouch. They should have good back support when sitting, and keep books and electronic devices at eye level when possible.

• If your teen has back pain, have them:

  • Get up to stretch and move around often.

  • Sit on a firm surface with good lower back support.

  • Use heat or ice on the back for 20 minutes at a time. Wrap the heat pad or ice pack in a towel or cloth so it is not directly touching the skin.

  • Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as advised by the health care provider.

• Be sure to schedule and keep any physical therapy (PT) visits the health care provider prescribed.

• If your teen needs to follow up with the orthopedic specialist (a health care provider who treats bone problems), schedule visits as planned.

• Your teen gets new or worse back pain.

Why do teens get postural kyphosis? Postural kyphosis happens when someone slouches a lot. This "bad" posture makes the back muscles and the bones in the spine get used to that position. 

How can you tell if a teen has postural kyphosis? Teens with postural kyphosis have a smooth, round shape of the upper back. It can look like a hunched back. It usually isn't painful. Unlike with other types of kyphosis, someone with postural kyphosis can straighten the spine when asked to stand up straight.

A health care provider knows a teen has postural kyphosis after checking the spine in different positions, but may order X-rays to make sure.