What can I do about curved/hunched back in 13yo DS

[EllenPooleSearch]

My DS is 13 and over the past year it has become more and more noticeable that he has a curve in his back. It’s there all the time but most obvious when he sits on a chair, as his back is almost C shaped! It’s not just me that can see it - other people have commented, and when DS looked at photos of himself sitting he was quite shocked.

I have reminded him many times to think about his posture, but he says sitting straight feels uncomfortable, and he inevitably relapses after about 30 seconds. He has been to the GP, who says there’s no obvious physiological cause, and nothing really we can do except keep reminding him.

Aside from the fact that reminding isn’t working, excess nagging from me obviously also isn’t ideal for building a positive relationship with a teenager! But I am worried that if we don’t tackle this now, he will end up with an actual hunch - his paternal grandfather has a very noticeable one, and his dad is well on the way to having one too (which he hates), which is why I thought there might be some hereditary cause.

Is there anything else we can try? A back support garment of some kind? Some exercises? Some kind of chair support? Anything?? I hoped the GP might refer him to physio but she didn’t (in fact I got the impression she thought it was a non-issue). Is it worth looking for a private physio? Thanks very much for any advice.

X-ray should show amount of curvature of spine and whether vertebrae are wedge shaped typical of Scheuermann’s Kyphosis.

Unfortunately, all too often you have to really press NHS hard and insist on second opinion/further action.

Yes it can show on an xray. Sheuremanns (sp) was spotted right away on my ds. We had an xray in the walking centre after a back injury in sport.

OK thanks very much everyone! It sounds like a physio appointment is the way to go.

Edited to add: and try to get an x-ray just in case.

That was my thought.

Too long on screens

Depends upon how much is working his posterior chain, rather than his chest and quads - if they're very strong but he isn't equalising the work on his posterior muscles, they'll be pulling him forwards. Does he do backstroke at all? That encourages a good position for his back and shoulders in the 'reaching' (I'm not a swimmer, I don't know the correct phrase) and the turn.

ETA: Whilst I've been able to encourage girls to improve their posture in a nice way through a 'like a ballerina' thing, the thing I've said to men to get both a laugh and improvement is 'Lead with your six pack' (normally followed by them going 'This is...Sparta!'), as they're standing up, lifting up their ribcage to 'show' it, drawing back their shoulderblades and not tilting their pelvis back.

Definitely get him to a physio, that's the way to fix posture issues. And if it is scoliosis then a physiotherapist is much better at diagnosing that than a GP. My DD had regular physiotherapist check ups throughout primary school due to mild scoliosis, though luckily it never progressed enough to need treatment.

By precaution. I’d be running, not walking for an Xray.
my Dd’s scoliosis was discovered too late for the corset solution that could have stopped progression. Years of pain & 4 back surgeries later… its my biggest regret.

I would think you need to see someone who has more experience than a GP

We have ankylosing spondylitis in our family. You can get an mri of the spine for a few hundred pounds. A good physio might advise it if they suspect anything. But I wouldn't put it down to posture unless you've had tests done.

Push for a referral or go privately, my kids scoliosis was missed by NHS, picked up privately and the consultant popped her on his NHS waiting list for surgery which they had last year. We paid £400 for a private consultation with x-rays. Worth every penny

Ask for a second opinion OP - referral to an orthopaedic specialist. If it’s noticeable then l think it goes beyond posture problems. I think at the very least it’s questionable for the GP to have dismissed it without even an X-ray.

And your medical qualifications are ?

A GP is perfectly competent to screen for when further investigations are required and in children they’d usually have a low bar for this. OP I wouldn’t worry your son unnecessarily. A physio will also have the need for more investigations in their mind too. They would be my first port of call.

I've got no issues with GPs. Ours is lovely. But the clue's in the name. GENERAL practitioner.

I've always had quite bad posture. I went to a chiropractor who took xrays and he said my neck was so curved that I must have been in a car accident.

The only time I improved it was when I did strength training at the gym. My neck became very straight (and extremely strong - I remember putting a dress on and wondering why it was choking me - the muscle around my neck had grown). My posture and core improved a lot. I could Plank for four minutes straight without having even practised after lifting weights for six months.

I would definitely investigate further re anything serious, get recommendations for exercises, but also highly recommend the muscle building route to support the head - essentially the head is extremely heavy and like a bowling ball on the neck. Lifting weights is also highly efficient at getting results.

Exactly. Hence why they refer on as needed if they have any uncertainties. In this case they haven’t, which OP can take as reassurance. A physio is well placed to assess as well, and is the next best place for her to go with her son’s issue. They can also refer on if they feel anything else is warranted. There is no need to dramatise something which is almost certainly entirely benign and just needs some advice and exercise prescription.

I'd want an x-ray to rule out any other issues and then likely a course of physiotherapy with some follow-ups to confirm progress and adherence.

Assuming we are thinking poor posture and not scoliosis, try a back brace. It forces the wearer to be more upright? Goggling back brace for posture will bring up lots of styles.

Is he taller than average, i notice a lot of teens these days who are tall are all slouching over.

I wouldn't in this day and age take a GP not referring as reassurance. It can mean that they've got nothing appropriate to refer you to in any timely way.

Physios are great if you can find someone who gels with your child.

And as pp said if child will do the exercises! That's where we always struggle.

Our GP was staring in the face what we now know we’re clear symptoms of my husband’s lung cancer, and wasted precious time testing for trapped nerves and referring him for physio. By the time he was prepared to listen to our worries my husband had collapsed and was admitted to ITU as an emergency and died a week later. Forgive me if l don’t share your confidence in their competence where OP is concerned - especially as they haven’t even requested an X-ray.

Dramatise - possible scoliosis, or kyphosis ?

Please push back for further investigations to rule this out. It can be missed in teenagers

Me too!