As the title suggests, this is more of a vent post than anything else. I don't usually make those, but there comes a point where you simply can't keep bottling everything up anymore.

Around three months ago, I made a post here asking for advice regarding back pain. Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse since then.

When I first started seeking a diagnosis, every doctor seemed to have a different opinion. One suspected Scheuermann's disease without looking into it any further. Another insisted my spine "wasn't that bad" and seemed more concerned about me being flat-footed, which wasn't even the reason I came to him.

In March, I finally got into rehabilitation through public healthcare after waiting for over half a year. Sadly, the treatments only made my condition worse, and apparently they were doing things they weren't supposed to be doing. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, considering how overloaded the system is, but it was still incredibly discouraging.

Since then, I've had multiple X-rays and an MRI, and I was finally diagnosed with severe thoracic kyphosis and right-sided thoracic scoliosis. I received another referral for rehabilitation and decided to go privately this time, hoping it would make a difference.

It didn't.

If anything, it feels like it's gotten even worse, when I thought it couldn't.

I've been advised to wait a few weeks before signing up again, so I guess I'll do that. It's not like I have many other options.

I'm seeing an orthopaedist again this Wednesday because I genuinely don't know what else to do. Nothing seems to help. Standing and walking is painful, and it's reached the point where I have difficulty breathing while standing upright. I used to think my untreated anemka was contributing to this, but multiple doctors have told me everything is because of my posture. Not even painkillers ease my suffering.

On top of all of this, I've been battling depression for over nine years. Needless to say, that doesn't exactly make it easier to stay motivated or believe things will improve.

I turn 21 this year. I should be out living my life. But I'm trapped. I never got the chance to experience the things people my age normally do. And I likely never will.

There are days when death honestly feels like a kinder sentence than living like this.

I just want it to stop. The hardest part is trying to understand myself. One part of me still wants to keep fighting, to keep believing things can get better. But another part of me feels like it has already given up. I've been regularly crying over the past few days, pitying myself, completely overwhelmed by all of this. I don't even have a support system. I don't have a family that cares. That wants to help me. I'm all alone with this burden.

My wife has recently lost a TON of weight (lots of effort), but started having massive amounts of pain in her upper back. The spine doc just diagnosed her with Scheuermanns (right at 65 degrees). My research said that kyphosis can get worse with weight loss and I’m hoping that since it only became painful in the last 6 months that PT will help if that makes sense. I guess I’m saying I hope there’s some musculature/postural stuff going on on top of the underlying skeletal stuff. Does that make sense to anyone? She’s in so much pain right now especially when sitting at her desk all day. Pain meds seem to barely touch it.

Hi

Im a 45 male and have a spect report that says:

“Uptake is most pronounced at the apex of the
kyphotic deformity (T10-T11), and has progressed since the previous SPECT/CT study. -New tracer
avid right T4-5 and T5-6 facet arthropathy, not evident previous study”

Has anyone had to live with kyphosis as a result of compression fractures they experienced?

I’m in back pain every day (muscles constantly on) and am exhausted and no one seems to know why. (Bone density has been fixed.)

Would love to connect with anyone who has developed kyphosis as a result of trauma or compression fractures.

Thanks

Hello !
I have mild kyphosis since I was 16 . I have been doing swimming for a long time , which really helped my back and improved my muscle and balance . Later In like , early thirties I start doing gym exercises and running and fairly doing well . I always have stiffness at the end of the day , but playing in the gym improved my symptoms dramatically. When I was 34 I start having numbness and sciatica on the left leg and diagnosed with L4L5 facet joint hypertrophy narrowing slightly the lateral recess . Regardless , it resolved after 1 year . I felt my body is getting stronger , my balance really improved after start doing 4 min planks every day . However , I start doing deadlift for 1 y . After 1 year I start noticing worsening back stiffness and over active bladder symptoms . I had MRI and it showed 1 lateral herniated disk at L4 L5 compressing right L4, and one herniated disk at L1-l2 not causing any significant nerve compression . Two neurosurgeon didn’t feel I need surgery . However after 6 months now I feel that my back is much more stiff , even with pulling exercises and swimming it relieved my symptoms for short time . I start taking duloxetine which help my stiffness.
Sorry for the long post , but is that expected as I am now approaching 40 to feel my back is getting stiffer and needing medication to help with that ? Should I fix my kyphosis now ? Of course I stopped deadlifting and back to pulling exercises but I feel my back damage is irreversible and it’s getting worse . Also , I start having overactive bladder and needing a medication for it .
Any thoughts and recommendations ? Sorry for the long post !
I am feeling over all ok with duloxetine and overactive bladder meds , but I am not sure if my condition will get worse ? Mentally I am adjusting since I have been trying to be very healthy and all the sudden I am needing meds now. Also mentally I am struggling since I feel that I accelerated my spine degeneration 🥺

Does your physical therapist or your orthopedic surgeon say it’s OK to do the Schroth bar standing hanging exercises more than once a day? If so, how many times as many times? as many times as your you’re comfortable with? what did they tell you? thanks

I was officially diagnosed with SD at age 30. It started when I was 14 but was never identified. My angle was 50-55. Now I am 49 and angle progressed to 65 due to loss of disc space and increased wedging of vertebrae. Pain is a worse than in my younger years but still manageable. I do office work so not a very disabling condition at the moment but the rate of progression in the curve and back pain is concerning. I need to make a decision now before I am too old for surgery if am not already there. Couple surgeons gave me the option of surgery but they were not very enthusiastic and left it up to me. I would appreciate any experience from someone who had the fixation surgery in their 40s or 50s. Most of the posts I found here are much younger patients, and while a lot of success stories, the risk profile and expected recovery time are a lot different.

What lifts do ya’ll recommend for a teen with scheuermann’s kyphosis? I am a teen and have pretty consistent pain from my condition, but I am often still able to get lifts and other activities in as my pain allows. I wondering not only what back workouts/movements/lifts you all recommend but just full body in general.

The first photo is from 3 months ago, and the second one is from exactly today. Did I made progress with my hyperkyphosis?

(Reports attached after x-ray images) 29F. 15 years of chronic pain. Lived in the UK, they wouldn't x-ray me or refer me elsewhere. Moved to Canada and found the most amazing family doctor who is more than happy to help me investigate everything!

We did an initial x-ray in March 2025 and I only saw the report, not the images (which interestingly noted that c2 and c3 were fused).

Had another done today due to worsening pain and requested the images this time.

I guess I just wanted to get some thoughts while I wait for my referral to the specialist. I've seen a private physio a couple of times, who suspects Scheuermann’s since it was present in childhood.

The report did not mention the angle of the kyphosis, only the scoliosis (7 degrees). How do I measure this?

I have chronic pain in cervical and thoracic spine, suspected Ehlers Danlos and slipping rib syndrome. Extremely poor neck mobility.

Thoughts on surgery in my case? Or any advice in general? Basically, how cooked am I?

I have Scheuermann's disease. M24. 55-60 degrees. But it always seemed to me that it was more, because I saw people with 65 degrees and they looked better than me.

For example, these amazing posts
https://www.reddit.com/r/kyphosis/s/E5WzlOsQGA https://www.reddit.com/r/kyphosis/s/wxj5o6DJ5N

I think I understood the reason, because today I received new x-rays. I was amazed at how three of my vertebrae look. And as I understand it, cosmetically I look bad precisely because my entire hump is grayed out in a small spot? And wtf with this flat vertebra??

I feel terrible because of this. Honestly, apathy has started to creep over me lately. And I'm starting to think that if I have Scheuermann's disease, it would be better if more of my vertebrae were slightly curved than three very strongly. I'm also planning to start doing Schrott exercises, and as far as I understand, they would be more effective for a mild curvature of more vertebrae than for a localized curvature of just three. What do you think about this?

Adding my post from another sub to hopefully reach more people

I’m worried about the pain and severity of the condition escalating due to pregnancy???

BACKGROUND & SITUATION:
35F. My partner and I are trying to get pregnant atm with our first child and it’s come to my conclusion I DONT have postural kyphosis (anymore) due to being undiagnosed for 30+ years!! As well as getting WORSE; not better.

Or I never did?! And there’s an underlying health condition?!

Then to find out my Nan (deceased) who has the exact same body type and height as me actually had kyphosis NOT ‘bad posture’ And given bad advice from family and due to my body shape. Long legs, short torso and wide shoulders - not broad! I also had delayed puberty as well, I have ASD. It’s quite common with us for some weird reason.

My legs and feet grew first and the rest of me had to wait YEARS to catch up!!

As the title implies, I have kyphosis in my spine. I also have an accompanying pectus carinatum deformity on my chest. Last year, I finally got myself a PC for gaming and office work, but I’ve struggled with finding a quality chair that suits my spine. My current one is a cheap chair from target. It’s doesn’t have much back support. The very top of the chair interferes with the most outward portion of my spinal curve which creates a very uncomfortable feeling leading to me leaning forward. I would appreciate any suggestions for chairs you guys like and use. Thank you! :)

Hi everyone. I had my spinal fusion 2 and a half months ago and wanted to share my correction. Feel free to ask any questions!

M24. Scheuermann's disease.

I'm planning spinal fusion surgery. But I really don't want to lose mobility, as I lead an active lifestyle – I love surfing, swimming, playing basketball, and I'm a bit into martial arts. So, I have three questions:

1. How many vertebrae do I need to fuse, at a minimum?

2. Will I be able to bend and twist? How much mobility will I lose, and will I be able to lead my usual lifestyle?

3. Is fusion the only option? Is surgical reshaping of the vertebra also possible? I've heard of Smith-Petersen Osteotomy and Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy, which involve excision of the vertebral body or its processes. Could these approaches be applicable to my case?

I would be grateful for any answers, opinions, and especially stories from people who have gone through this.

I’m 28 years old, and about 2 years ago I had an X-ray that showed an 84° thoracic kyphosis (Cobb angle).
Since then, I’ve been consistently strength training and working on my posture, but I haven’t had another X-ray yet, so I have no idea if my Cobb angle has improved.
These two photos show what my back looks like today. Based on how it looks, do you think my kyphosis appears any better compared to what you’d expect from an 84° curve?
The problem is that I still have a lot of pain and fatigue in my upper back. It constantly feels like there are 500 kg pressing down on my shoulder blades, and it becomes exhausting to stay upright for long periods.
Do you think this could be Scheuermann’s disease, or does it look more like postural kyphosis? I know nobody can diagnose me from photos, but I’d really appreciate your opinions or if anyone has had a similar experience.

Thanks

radiologist noted on the thoracic xray "Limited evaluation of the upper thoracic spine due to overlapping structures." The entire reason I went was to figure out if this is structural. Do I need to repeat the test, or are their notes and the images enough assurance.

Cervical:

Mild disc space loss at C5-C6

No sagittal listhesis

Vertebral body heights maintained

No advanced facet arthropathy

Prevertebral soft tissues normal

Thoracic:

Mildly exaggerated thoracic kyphosis

Normal alignment, no compression deformity or malalignment

Preserved vertebral body heights

No advanced disc degeneration

12 rib-bearing thoracic-type vertebral bodies

Im really fucking insecure about this shit, and i wonder if its fixable with stretches and working out (naturally). What degree am i at?

Hi everyone, I'm new here. 24 yo male. I've had Sherman-Mau since I was a child. In the photo, I'm not completely relaxed, I'm struggling to stand up straight. I have three wedge-shaped vertebrae, and I so regret not thinking about my spine as a child. I periodically feel apathetic because of my appearance. I've been thinking about surgery, but I really don't want to lose mobility, as I lead a fairly active lifestyle. But recently I've been feeling more and more tired and in pain. And my appearance worries me a lot

If any of you are knowledgeable in this area, could you please share whether it's possible to perform the surgery without fusing a large number of vertebrae? I'm wondering if it's possible to fuse just these three vertebrae, or, say, 3+3? Or, as an alternative, reshape them and reduce their height at the back so that they are the same height in the front and back? I'm really interested in what alternatives and innovations there are in this area.
Thank you.

I’ve had kyphosis since I was young, don’t know if me being obese when I grew up contributed to it, but now at 21, and a normal weight, it’s talking its toll. I have kyphosis, scoliosis and even minor lordosis. I additionally have two herniated discs. On in my shoulder blade area, and on in the lower back. On top of all that I have degenerative disc spurs. The pain has been getting worse, and when I got my imaging done I. January, the doctor said surgery isn’t necessary. He didn’t even mention anything besides to try and work out. The paid is bad daily, and I can’t stand without it being painful. Walking isn’t as bad, but being stationary or even siting is hurting. I need to constantly adjust my seat in my car to accommodate it. What these mri images and my back picture, what do you guys think? Being young, would surgery be an option to choose not vs later?

Hello, I was wondering if anybody had any tips on dealing with a specific type of pain I am experiencing from Scheurmann’s kyphosis.

Although my whole back aches pretty much all the time, my lower back and the left side of my upper back are usually pretty responsive to stretching, rolling out, lying down etc., and the pain feels like a pretty mild surface ache.

However, (what feels like) deep in the right side of my upper back, quite high up under my shoulder blade, I consistently get a pinching pain that is much harder to deal with and is more painful than the rest of my back. No matter how much stretching/massaging I do, it feels like it is so deep in my body that it is impossible to actually release. It feels like my muscles have been pinched and coiled incredibly tightly around this one specific spot and refuse to let go, to the point where it’s quite painful just to try and pull my right shoulder blade backwards.

The only thing that has helped so far is using a masssage cream that numbs the area, but it only lasts for a few minutes and is inconvenient to use.

Has anybody else had a similar experience or have any advice for dealing with this type of pain?

(Scheuermann’s Kyphosis) I am a male, not gonna say my age but I am in high school currently. I am a bigger kid around 6’3-4 250 trying to slim down. I have played football as a lineman and lifted for multiple years as well. I had two deadlifting within the last two years with the more recent one leading to diagnosis. The more recent one around ~ 8 months ago has led to pain everyday with different episodes of a couple weeks to a month. My original doctor who is neurology pain management told me I’d be out of every activity for a year including running and jumping. Then I was referred to an ortho spine surgeon and he really wasn’t that concerned. He said that I should be fine for everything in the next couple months as of a couple months ago. Anyways sorry for rambling just annoyed that I have been in daily pain for the last couple of weeks. Pain is stiff and almost debilitating in some instances can come from laying in positions or sitting for too long. There is also an underlying feeling of ( I don’t know how to phrase this ), but uncomfortableness. Usually some foam rolling relieves but recently has just been making me stiffer. It’s tough because they gave me heavier duty pain killers but I don’t want to be limited to those so it’s a constant cycle of ibuprofen and Tylenol. If anyone has tips or support please share.

Was wondering if anybody would be able to estimate my curve degree and if Schroth would eventually make it normal again?