Spinal Fractures and Posture You may have seen the image of an
older woman with osteoporosis – bent forward with a hump at the
top of her spine – and you worry that this is in store for you.
Unfortunately, there was a time when osteoporosis went
undiagnosed in the elderly and there were no drug therapies
available. Many older women did develop this type of posture.
Luckily, this situation is changing. People are being diagnosed
earlier and prescribed drug therapy, which reduces the risk of
fractures. This in turn reduces the risk of this stooped posture
and hump (known as “kyphosis”). An individual can develop
kyphosis as a result of experiencing numerous compression
fractures in the spine. Each time a vertebra fractures in this
way, it can “compress” so that the spine begins to round forward
and each fracture contributes to a slow change in posture.
Individuals whose posture does change can find ways to alter
their clothing so that clothes hang evenly and create a
lengthening effect that minimizes the visual