What is kyphosis?
If your mom ever told you that if you kept slouching you could get stuck in that position, she was right to a point. The everyday choices you make about posture and body position, even things as simple as sitting or standing, have a very real impact on postural kyphosis.
The key to understanding this condition is in its name: the natural curve in the thoracic spine, the section between the lower back and the neck, is called kyphosis. If that curve is exaggerated by poor posture, as opposed to a traumatic injury or medical condition, it's called postural kyphosis.
The good news is that if the condition is caused by poor posture, it can be treated, or at least improved, by encouraging habits that contribute to good posture. It's not just about standing upright, experts say some common symptoms of kyphosis can be rounded forward shoulders, back pain, fatigue, tight hamstrings, and a stiff spine. In rare cases and over time, kyphosis can also progress to symptoms including numbness or tingling, loss of feeling, and shortness of breath.
Although thoracic kyphosis can be improved by doing exercises at home, it's always best to address these kinds of things under the supervision of medical professionals, because they can examine you to make sure nothing else is contributing to your symptoms.
A quick look around your classroom or office is usually all it takes to spot someone with a kyphotic posture. You will see many people with rounded backs or excessive curvature of the upper spine. And it can happen at any age.
Although some cases are caused by osteoporosis or other spinal abnormalities, in many cases this rounded posture can be corrected with the right combination of stretching and strengthening. We recommend trying these exercises to target the postural muscles (shoulder blades and vertebrae).
7 exercises and stretches to correct posture
Do Stand Up Row
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the standing row exercise is effective for targeting the middle and lower trapezius. These muscles help to draw together (retract) and lower (depress) the shoulder blades, combating the development of kyphosis.
- Secure a resistance band around the back of the doorknob and close the door so it is firmly attached.
- Holding one end of the band in each of your hands, stand a few feet from the door so the band is taut.
- Simultaneously pull each end back while bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. The movement should mimic the movement of rowing the oars of a boat.
- Hold for a second or two before returning to the starting position, making sure not to shrug your shoulders up as you complete the movement.
Stretch your pecs
Although weakness in the shoulder blade muscles can play a role in the development of kyphosis, a lack of flexibility can also be to blame. According to a May 2013 review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tightness in the pectoralis minor (the chest muscle that attaches to the front of the shoulder) can cause the shoulder blades to round or protract.
The following stretch can help improve flexibility in this important postural muscle.
- Stand in the middle of a doorway with your palms facing forward and your arms extended out to the sides and slightly below shoulder level.
- With your palms in contact with each side of the door frame, slowly lean forward until you feel a low to moderate level pull in the front of your shoulders or chest.
Try some "T" lifts
As we said before, the middle and lower trapezius are important postural muscles. Experts have found that the T-shaped exercise (also known as raised horizontal abduction) is an effective way to strengthen this area using just a bed and hand weight.
- Lie on your stomach with your arm hanging over the edge of a bed or table.
- Begin by lowering your shoulder blade without tensing your neck muscles.
- Keeping the scapula fixed, raise the arm out to the side until it is parallel to the ground and the palm of the hand is facing down.
- Hold this position for a second before lowering back down. Perform three sets of eight repetitions on each side up to three times per week.
Add chin exercises
Although chin-ups don't directly affect the mid (thoracic) spine, they do target other neck muscles that tend to be weak in people with a hunched posture. This exercise helps strengthen these muscles (called the deep cervical flexors) and can help reverse the forward head posture that often accompanies a hunched back.
- Sit in a chair and look into a mirror.
- Place a finger on your chin. Without moving your finger, retract your neck and chin back away from your finger. If you are completing the movement correctly, it will look like you are pulling out a double chin.
- Hold this position for a second or two before relaxing.
back extensions
This exercise gives you an opportunity to practice the scapular retraction and drop you've been working on, while also strengthening your spinal erection muscles, which help extend and stabilize the length of the spine.
- Lie on your stomach on a yoga mat, towel, or other comfortable surface. To start, keep your arms at your sides.
- Check to make sure your chin isn't sticking out: you should be looking down at the ground, not straight ahead.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down, as you have been practicing, and lift your shoulders a few inches off the ground. This shouldn't be a big move; your abdomen will remain in contact with the ground.
- Hold this position for a slow count of three, then repeat. As you progress, you can increase the wait time and the number of repetitions.
- Eventually, you'll be able to do this exercise with your arms extended directly overhead (like Superman flying), which makes the workout that much more difficult.
act like superman
In addition to the shoulder blade muscles, the small muscles that line each side of the spine can also help improve posture. These structures, called the erector spinae, help extend the back and prevent kyphosis. The Superman exercise is an effective way to target these spinal muscles.
- Lie on your stomach on the floor with a rolled towel under your forehead and both arms extended overhead.
- Begin by raising your right arm and left leg in the air without lifting your head off the towel.
- When you can't lift your arm and leg any higher, hold the position for about three seconds before lowering them back to the ground. Repeat the movement with the other arm and leg.
high scapular retraction
A June 2016 systematic review, published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, reviewed existing studies to identify which exercises produced the optimal ratios of muscle activity in the scapular stabilizers. High scapular retraction was among the best for the lower trapezius.
- Stand facing a wall, right next to the wall. Extend your arms up along the wall, keeping them as straight as possible.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades down and together; it may help to imagine that you are squeezing a pencil between them. You can also have a friend place a finger between your shoulder blades and try to squeeze them, just make sure you go down, not up.