The etymological root of kyphosis is found in kýphos, a Greek word that can be translated as “convex”. Kýphos derived in kýphōsis, which came to our language as kyphosis: an atypical curvature of the spine in the dorsal area.
Let us remember that the vertebral column is the axis of the skeleton of vertebrates such as humans. It is composed of short bones known as vertebrae, which are articulated with each other and are located in a row. The adjective dorsal, for its part, refers to the back or the back.
To understand what kyphosis is, we must know that the spinal column has normal curvatures that are classified as physiological. Other curvatures, on the other hand, are abnormal (pathological). Kyphosis, according to the definition provided by the dictionary of the DigoPaul, is a pathological curvature.
Kyphosis implies that the spine curves more than usual, suffering a decrease in its ability to move inward. Even this decrease can be absolute. The person suffering from kyphosis, therefore, has the body bent, in a harmful posture.
One of the words that is often used in these cases to describe the appearance of the patient is “hump”, precisely because their crouched posture produces an outline of the back that in profile can be perceived as that of a humpbacked person.
With regard to the causes of kyphosis, which can occur in people of all ages less frequently in newborns, there are many and we must divide them into at least two groups. On the one hand, there are those that correspond to kyphosis in adults, which may be the following:
* degenerative diseases that affect the spine, such as arthritis or disc degeneration;
* fractures that have occurred due to osteoporosis (which are called compression osteoporotic);
* miscellaneous injuries;
* spondylolisthesis, that is, one vertebra sliding over another towards the front.
On the other hand, we have the following causes, which are not necessarily included in cases of adult kyphosis:
* some endocrine diseases, that is, hormonal type;
* problems in connective tissue;
* tuberculosis or some other similar infection;
* muscular dystrophy, a series of inherited problems that cause weakness in the muscles and abnormal decrease in muscle tissue;
* neurofibromatosis, a condition that leads to the formation of tumors in the tissue of the nerves;
* Paget’s disease, which involves the deterioration and abnormal reconstruction of bone tissue;
* polio, a disease of the nerves that can cause partial or total paralysis;
* scoliosis, another disorder that generates an abnormal curvature in the spine, in this case in the form of the letter S or C;
* spina bifida, a congenital defect that prevents the correct closure of the vertebral canal and the spinal column before birth;
* presence of certain tumors.
The most common kyphosis is called postural kyphosis. As the name implies, it is due to poor posture. This kyphosis does not usually cause discomfort or inconvenience. The congenital kyphosis, however, is already present at the time of birth and in some cases requires surgery.
The Scheuermann kyphosis caused by the disease of that name, generates pain and various disabilities; It appears during adolescence and arises as a result of several consecutive bones of the spine squeezing each other. The cause of Scheuermann’s kyphosis is not known.
In addition to lower back pain, kyphosis can lead to fatigue, extreme sensitivity, and even trouble breathing. That is why your treatment is always important.
