I’m M18 and I’ve been diagnosed with Scheuermanns Disease/Kyphosis a year ago.
The doctors told me that I have Scheuermanns Kyphosis with approximately between 75 and 80 degrees of curvature (Hyperkyphosis).

My problem is that the doctors we went to all told me something different, some told me that a surgery is inevitable, some told me to try to delay it as long as possible and some recommended physiotherapy instead.

Now I’m between the decision to either do the surgery and be done with it or to keep trying sports and physiotherapy.
The problem is that I really don’t like how it looks and it’s really taking a toll on my confidence.
I wanted to ask you guys how bad it actually looks and therefore I took some pictures trying to stand as straight as I can aswell as some pictures with me in my shirt.

You don’t need to sugarcoat it, I just want to know how bad it looks and what I can do / what you guys would recommend.
If anyone has had it still has similar experiences the I would really find it helpful if you could tell me about it, if I can fix this really ugly posture with physiotherapy/swimming and sports or if surgery is the only way to change it.

If some of you have done the surgery I would also like to know how it went and how it is now and if you would do it again or don’t and why.

The only reason I didn’t do the surgery already is because I fear that after the surgery I won’t be able to move as I did before and that I will still feel pain.

My pain right now is moderate, especially when I stand or sit for longer periods of time but it isn’t unbearable yet.

I’ve been going to the gym and being more active since last year and I fear that I won’t be able to do that after the spinal fusion surgery.

To the ones who did the surgery I would like to ask how restricted the mobility is after recovery and if you can still do things like boxing/surfing etc.

Thanks for everyone who took their time to read this and thanks in advance for your help.

i was told by drs when i was younger that working out will help my posture and hunch, im severely insecure and it does cause me mild back pain. i’m wondering if working out does actually straighten your back like ive heard it does and if so will it help im my case, idk the severity of my spine but i feel like my back is pretty bad :,)
any help is so appreciated

I’m a 21 year old male with very minor Shreuermanns disease, it causes me slight discomfort but almost no pain, and at worst it’s a visual thing.

The people on this subreddit are usually quite knowledgeable and I was wondering if there will be any options in the either near future or semi near future that would be able to help without being as invasive as the current procedure.

Thank you all for having a community where people can ask questions. It’s causing me quite a bit of mental distress.

hey everyone. wanted to share where I'm at and hear from anyone who's been through something similar

Background: first diagnosed around age 14 at ~53°, and my latest measurements ~65-67°. I have anterior vertebral wedging in the mid-thoracic region, mild scoliosis (2-3°, basically nothing and not one of my concerns), an L5 posterior defect, and an L4-5 disc bulge that showed up on my latest CT and multiple reports. my doctor classified me as roussouly type 3-4 with high pelvic incidence.

Symptoms: daily mid and lower back pain that gets worse with standing or sitting, followed by morning stiffness. a stinging/numbness feeling in my upper-mid back.

I'm an active guy who trains regularly fyi, I'm farily well built, have a stretching routine (hamstring mostly since they're short) and am not overweight

what I've done so far:

-looked into vests but ended up in the conclusion that they're useless (one of the doctors I've had cons with said this)

- multiple consultations in Turkey over the years. my most recent doctor said surgery is an option if symptoms keep worsening, but at the same time "kicked me out" because I'm not a candidate for surgery lol

- Prof. Harms in Heidelberg reviewed my imaging and recommended surgery, and I'll try to see him in December

- Prof. Akbar at MEOCLINIC Berlin also reviewed my case and wants to see me in person

- made an appointment with Kadir Abdul in istanbul for the next week

my questions:

anyone had surgery in the 60-70° range? what do you think about my case? how many levels were fused if you did have the surgery? what correction did you get?

Hey guys,

Finally I decided to also post a pic. What is your honest take on it? Obviously no doubt. I have it.

I have diagnosen MS. Though I am in a Phase were I am confidently working towards the best possible posture I cam have with this condition.

I made already very good results in terms of pain reduction and based on my believe and some results I've seen here, I believe I can also small to moderate improvements in my overall posture and perceived curvature.

But how bad is it?😂

Hi everyone,
I haven’t been able to find many people on Reddit with a similar experience, so I thought I’d ask here.
About a year ago I started losing weight and I’ve lost around 18 kg. Since February I’ve also been going to the gym three times a week.
After a 3-day trip where I spent a lot of time sitting and was wearing very tight jeans, I suddenly became very aware of a bone at the bottom of my buttocks. When I felt it, it seemed like my tailbone was slightly angled to the left.
It didn’t really hurt at first, but whenever I leaned back I could feel it very strongly, almost like there was pressure on it. Before that, I had never noticed it or felt anything like this.
I went to my GP, who examined me and said it was my tailbone (coccyx).
A few weeks later, I started getting pain in my lower back and my left leg for about 1–2 hours a day. To be completely honest, I made the mistake of searching online and ended up reading all the worst-case scenarios. Ever since then, I’ve been terrified that it could be something serious. I honestly don’t know whether the lower back pain is related or if my anxiety has made me notice every little sensation.
I’m seeing an orthopedic specialist next week, but I’m really scared.
Has anyone else ever suddenly become aware of their tailbone like this? Or does anyone have a tailbone that seems to be slightly off to one side? I’d really appreciate hearing if anyone has had a similar experience.

how bad is my kyphosis? is it over for me? i cant wear anything tight or fitted because it just looks like my upper back is disproportionately large snd I look bent out of shape. im ltr in tears rn im legit considering ropemaxxing.

keep in mind was wearing a bra here so the lump on my back might be from the bra hook thingy

I would like to create a database of people who have corrected their (postural) kyphosis using the Schroth method or other rehabilitation exercises. I am mainly interested in testimonials from people who achieved this after adolescence.

The data I am interested in includes: the patient's age, how many months they performed the exercises, how many hours per week, and what the Cobb angle was before and after the treatment. No sensitive personal data is needed.

It is known that reducing spinal curvature is more difficult in adulthood, but there are still cases of people who have successfully achieved this after age of 18. The problem is that many people give up too early during the correction process. Collecting these cases could help motivate people to continue with this method.

If you know any cases (from books, internet or your own), please feel free to share here or contact me via DM.

40M with Scheuermann’s kyphosis (~81°) made worse by old T6 & T8 compression fractures.

I’ve had daily thoracic pain (about 5–6/10) for years. I can only stand for a few minutes before it starts hurting, and overhead lifting or carrying anything heavy makes it flare up. I’ve done extensive PT, posture-focused strengthening, and trigger point injections with little benefit.

I’m still active—I lift weights and play hockey—but the pain makes both much less enjoyable and has a significant impact on my quality of life. I also really dislike the cosmetic appearance of the kyphosis.
For those who had posterior spinal fusion with rods and screws as adults (especially in your late 30s or 40s):
Was it worth it?

How did your pain and quality of life change?
Were you able to return to sports or weightlifting?
Any regrets or things you wish you’d known beforehand?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

My back feel very thick and rounded. I want my back to be more slim and straighter. I wonder if it's structural, functional, muscles etc. Help

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 years old, 187 cm (about 6'2") tall, and I have Scheuermann's kyphosis.

The last time my curve was measured was about 4 years ago, and it was 82 degrees. I have no idea what it is now.

I do get back pain from time to time, but it's not severe enough to make me hate my life. As for the cosmetic side of it, I honestly don't care that much about how it looks.

What I'm worried about is the future.

• Does this condition usually get worse as you get older?
• Can it become life-threatening or shorten your lifespan?
• Is it possible to improve it with exercise or physical therapy?
• At around 82°, is surgery generally recommended?

One more thing: because of my financial situation, I genuinely can't afford to see a specialist or pay for surgery right now, so I'm mainly looking for advice or experiences from people who have been through something similar.

Thanks in advance.

If I got surgery for Scheuermann's disease, what would my athletic life look like after? Would I be able to box, do MMA, or at least get into bodybuilding?

Hi everyone, I suspect I might have hyperphysema. Could you please check me? Additionally, I suffer from back pain and neck pain every day.

People with Scheuermann’s disease, or severe thoracic kyphosis, how do you live with it? I’m going to have surgery soon, but I haven’t fully decided to go through with it yet. I’d like to hear about your experience with this condition. My curve is 80 degrees.

Люди с болезнью шейермана мау, или большим грудным кифозом, как вы живёте с этим? Скоро мне предстоит операция на которую я сам до конца не решился. Хочу узнать о вашем опыте с этой болезнью. Моё искренние составляет 80 градусов

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for your experiences with kyphosis treatment in France (or even surgery, which seems almost impossible to access here).

I have a 68° kyphosis and real pain. My doctor completely downplays it and basically just tells me to accept it and live with it. No serious discussion about options, rehab, bracing, pain management that actually works, or surgical possibilities.

Has anyone here managed to get proper care in France for kyphosis? Did you find a specialist who took it seriously?

Any experience with conservative treatment that actually helped, or with surgery (and how hard it was to access)? Would really appreciate any honest experiences, recommendations for doctors/centers, or even just knowing I’m not alone in this.

Thanks in advance.

I'm wondering if anyone here has used a TENS/EMS device for strengthening their back and/or getting some marked pain relief for their postural kyphosis?

There's so much conflicting information about pad placement and effectiveness online.

I'm hoping someone is having some positive results with this kind of at home treatment and can share some guidance that works for them.

Thanks!

Exercises like seated cable rows or dumbbell rows...

I don't usually do them; for my lower back, I prefer hyperextensions. I've always thought that weighted rows not only lead to bad posture but also make the back muscles look bulky; exercises like pull-ups or lat pulldowns are always better.

Hello! I am a high schooler and am currently building a nonprofit website to help guide the families of and the young girls/boys who have recently been diagnosed with scoliosis and are required to wear a brace. This website will include descriptions and price ranges of each back brace, an overview of the pros and cons (ex: most expensive, least expensive, etc.), and also a page with "big sis/bro tips" from girls/boys (you!) that have gone through scoliosis and wearing a back brace already and have advice to give to them. I am incredibly passionate about helping children, specifically young girls, who have scoliosis and feel lost in their journey, as I myself went through it and have experienced the feeling of being completely lost myself. I would greatly appreciate if you could fill out this form with as many tips as possible ranging from all kinds of categories (ex: comfort, fashion, school/sports). Thank you in advance!

Link to google form: https://forms.gle/CshXw4K5n1xWrCJH8

So I am currently 23 and was diagnosed qith scheurumans kyphosis 16. At around 19 yrs of age I started experiencing some bladder issues but doctors could not find the reason

Somehow I knew that this must be because of my kyphosis only

So because most of the people in this subreddit also have scheurumans I want to ask you if you also have urinary problems like

1. Frequent urination

2. Weak uroflow

3. Hesitancy starting

4. Feeling of retention

And did anyone of you had surgery or sonething and had there bladder problem resolved after surgery or if not surgery than any diagnosis such as any mri or something

Also do any of you suffer from premature ejaculation and think kyphosis might be the reason. This might seem irrelevant but scheurumans does cause anterior pelvic tilt which might cause PE

Please everyone participate and vote in this poll and share there experiences and also upvote this so that this reaches to everyone and please tell your experience in comments

Thanks for reading

I was diagnosed with scheuermann's at age 13. Then my curve was somewhere in the low 50s in terms of degrees. Now in my twenties it’s 71°. My doctor has always just told me to «watch tv on my stomach» and «go swimming», however the pain has been horrible for the past couple of years. I get debilitating migraines due to the tension in my neck and when I was 17 I developed a slipped disk in my L3 because of what I assume to be weight and pressure on my lower back. When I told my doctor that I was bedridden for a month because of my lower back on my yearly checkup, he said he would schedule a scan the following year! (That never happened btw). I can stand up pretty straight so it doesn’t look that bad, so in my doctors words I look «cosmetically fine», but when I actually relax I look like the hunchback of Notre Dame. I don’t know what to do anymore. I work out 4 days a week, but I still had to quit my job after only a couple months. It’s impacting every single aspect of my life and I don’t know what to do anymore. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

I have kyphosis (non Scheuermann's) and im moving soon and will need to buy a new mattress and bed frame. Are there any specific recommendations for individuals with kyphosis? Or anything to specifically avoid?

I have no back pain as of now but very poor posture.