How Do I Prevent Kyphosis? (And How Zero Gravity Chairs May Help)
While all of our spines have a natural S-shaped curvature to them, kyphosis is a medical condition where the spine has been affected to curve at a more severe angle. This condition is commonly seen as a rounded or hunched over appearance. While there is no way to exercise full kyphosis prevention, there are a few methods and techniques that may help with how to prevent kyphosis in some adults.
Today, we’re taking a look at how to prevent kyphosis as best as possible. From exercises to lifestyle adjustments, these techniques may help prevent its development in some or stop its progression in others. For medical advice or kyphosis to see if you’re at risk or what treatments may be best, consult your doctor.
What is Kyphosis?
Kyphosis is a curvature of the spine that causes the top of the back to develop a rounded appearance. A curve of more than 45 degrees is considered excessive and may be a sign of kyphosis. While some people with kyphosis may show no symptoms other than the physical affectation of a more rounded back, others may experience:
- Back pain or stiffness
- Spine tenderness
- Chronic fatigue
The most common of these is chronic back pain. As kyphosis is often considered an age-related disease, these chronic back pain symptoms can be particularly troublesome for older adults as their spines are forced to compensate for the excess curvature. Without kyphosis prevention techniques, it may continue to worsen over time, eventually making it more difficult to breathe or digest food properly.
What Causes Kyphosis?
Before we hop into how to prevent kyphosis, it’s important to understand some common causes. Some of the most common causes of kyphosis include:
- Age
- Poor posture
- Abnormally developed vertebrae
- Spinal injury
- Osteoporosis
A big part of how to prevent kyphosis or keep it from worsening is to recognize the importance of spinal care to your overall health. Taking care of your spine is crucial to the majority of our internal body systems. It can affect how well we breathe, improve digestion, enhance how the body heals itself, and is the foundation for supporting all our mobility and flexibility.
Learning How to Prevent Kyphosis
Kyphosis prevention techniques are meant to help prevent its development or slow its progression. Unfortunately, there are no guaranteed ways for how to prevent kyphosis completely, as some risks for the condition have been shown to be genetic.
While it’s important to consult a doctor before beginning any new routines for how to prevent kyphosis or keep it from progressing further, a few adjustments you may try include:
- Practicing good posture
- Finding natural remedies for osteoporosis
- Using a zero gravity chair for spinal health
- Exercising regularly
How to Fix Postural Kyphosis
On your journey to learn how to prevent kyphosis, you’ll find there are different types that may develop. Postural kyphosis, also called “round back,” is often a result of poor posture. While kyphosis is most often associated with older adults, this may begin in adolescents and younger adults due to bad sitting habits. Have you ever experienced lower back pain from sitting too long? Chances are the reason is poor posture!
There are a number of activities to improve posture that you can do. Simple exercises like planking, seated rotations, and glute bridges can be done at the gym or from the comfort of home!
Practicing good posture as part of how to prevent kyphosis comes down to which chair you’re using, as well. Having an ergonomic work chair for a home office setup is a method many adults can easily put into practice. For relaxing at home, knowing how to buy a good recliner that will offer you lumbar support and facilitate good posture is important, as well. For example, zero gravity chairs may help you sit up properly while in the upright position and help alleviate pressure from the lower back when reclined.
When comparing a zero gravity chair or recliner, you can see how the former is far more beneficial for your spinal health.
Kyphosis Prevention by Treating Osteoporosis
One of the common causes of kyphosis is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects an average of one in two women and one in four men with an estimated 54 million adults living with osteoporosis in the United States alone. This means part of learning how to prevent kyphosis is finding natural remedies for osteoporosis that you can adopt in your daily life.
Some of these lifestyle adjustments include:
- Trying a vitamin D supplement
- Managing stress levels
- Staying active
- Using a zero gravity chair to alleviate pressure along your body
A vitamin D supplement (along with making sure you get enough calcium) can help protect bones and keep them as strong as possible. This is an important part of kyphosis prevention or worsening as the spine may be forced to take on excess pressure as spinal curvature increases.
Using a Zero Gravity Chair for Kyphosis Prevention
As you’ve been able to see at this point, the potential health benefits of zero gravity chairs extends their usefulness as part of how to prevent kyphosis. These tools may help provide chronic back pain relief, are popular for sciatica treatment at home, and allow you to relax and de-stress while your body heals.
One way you may be able to use zero gravity chairs as part of how to prevent kyphosis is with herniated disc treatment. Whether it’s part of how athletes take care of their bodies or for older adults to recover efficiently, having a tool for how to heal a herniated disc more quickly can make a difference in your spinal health. Faster recovery means less chance for lasting damage.
You can also use zero gravity chairs for spinal decompression at home. Spinal decompression is the gentle stretching of the spine to alleviate lower back pain and facilitate spinal healing. Discs are able to rehydrate as oxygen and nutrients are transported throughout the body more efficiently due to improved circulation.
Bonus features of zero gravity luxury recliners such as vibration or air pressure massage and heat therapy may also help with how to prevent kyphosis. These functions enhance your zero gravity chair experience by reducing muscle tension and painful spasms, keeping the body loose and relaxed. They’ve also been shown to improve your mood and relieve pain by causing your body to release endorphins.
Exercises to Prevent Kyphosis
Doing a variety of exercises to prevent kyphosis may help with the condition, as well. Regular exercise can keep bones strong and muscles flexible. While it may not be enough for full kyphosis prevention, doing full body workout exercises on a regular basis may be an effective method for reducing the effects of kyphosis in the early stages.
The most effective exercises to prevent kyphosis are ones that strengthen your core muscles and improve spinal health. Common exercises to prevent kyphosis include:
- Shoulder squeezes
- Step ups
- Thoracic spine foam rolling
As you can see, commonly referenced exercises to prevent kyphosis are those that will also help improve your posture. At their core, it's about stabilizing your spinal column and strengthening it. Regardless of which exercises you do, make sure you have a post workout recovery routine in place to prevent muscle soreness and stiffness afterward.
We hope this guide for how to prevent kyphosis or keep it from worsening has given you insights into new techniques to try. As with any changes in your health routine, it’s important to consult your doctor before beginning any of these methods. From practicing better posture to choosing a zero gravity chair to relax and recharge, these simple lifestyle adjustments could make a huge difference in your overall health and well being.
For more information on the potential health benefits of zero gravity chairs and how they may help, check out these additional resources:
