Hunchback - Diagnosing kyphosis

Kyphosis can usually be diagnosed by examining your spine and taking an X-ray.

Examination

During the examination, your GP may ask you to do a number of exercises to assess whether your balance and range of movement are affected.

Your GP may also ask you to lie down so they can see whether the curvature of your spine is caused by bad posture or by a structural problem.

Although it is not always the case, if your spine straightens when you lie down, it is likely that your kyphosis is caused by poor posture (postural kyphosis).

However, if your spine stills curves while you are lying down, it is likely that kyphosis is due to a problem with the structure of your spine, as found in the Scheuermann's or congenital types of kyphosis.

X-ray and scans

An X-ray can usually confirm the diagnosis and determine the cause of the kyphosis.

Further scans are usually only be required if complex treatment, such as surgery, is being planned, or if you have additional symptoms that suggest your nervous system has been affected, such as numbness in your arms or legs.

If you need additional scans you will probably have a:

• computerised tomography (CT) scan – where a series of X-rays are taken to build-up a detailed three-dimensional image of your spine
• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan – where strong, fluctuating magnetic fields are used to produce a detailed image of the inside of your spine

Adults

If you develop kyphosis in adulthood, it is likely that you will need some additional tests to determine the underlying cause.

The tests you will be referred for will depend on any additional symptoms that you have. They may include:

• blood tests – which can check for infections such as tuberculosis
• a bone density scan – which is a special type of X-ray to assess how strong your bones are; this can be useful for diagnosing conditions that cause weakening of the bones, such as osteoporosis or Paget’s disease
• CT and MRI scans