The cervical spine refers to the neck region of the spine that supports the body. In a relaxed position, the typical cervical spine has a “C” shaped curve called lordosis. The opening of the curve goes toward the back of the neck.
Kyphosis is the opposite of lordosis. Cervical means relating to the neck. While the human anatomy has curves, cervical kyphosis is either an abnormally straight neck spine or one that’s bent backward. The straighter or more pronounced the neck spine is, the more serious the condition tends to be with more side effects.
Treatment depends on whether there is pressure on the spinal cord. If so, the physician may recommend surgery. If the issue is pain and appearance, then the physician will most likely recommend physical therapy.
Here is an extreme example of a patient who came to me for correction of a previous attempt at surgery which failed to correct her severe Kyphosis and spinal cord compression. After the much more extensive surgery that I performed, she began to recover strength in her arms again and her ability to walk improved.
