2024-01-31 19:23:29
Age-related slouching, also known as kyphosis, occurs when muscle fibers age and become wasted. This causes the muscles around the spine to weaken, making us less able to stand upright and resist gravity.
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Kyphosis can be prevented by maintaining an active lifestyle and regular exercise. It is important to strive for this throughout your life, as it is much easier to avoid kyphosis by staying active as you age.
Vitamin D deficiency and impaired calcium absorption by the kidneys can also worsen this process, sometimes leading to the development of osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become weak and porous. Vertebrae can collapse under their own weight due to bone loss, leading to compression fractures.
Most of these fractures do not cause pain, so we often do not notice them. However, as they accumulate and the compressive effect on the vertebrae increases, difficulties may arise in maintaining an upright posture. This effect is often enhanced by degeneration of the intervertebral discs; they begin to dry out and become less elastic.
The spine is made up of 23 discs, and even losing a few millimeters of them can result in decreased height.
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