Ever wondered why you’ve been hunched at a very young age? You could have something called Scheuermann’s disease.
It is a developmental disorder of the spine that begins usually before puberty.
It occurs mainly in the thoracic spine and has distinct features where the vertebral bodies are wedged shaped rather than block shaped which causes the excessive rounding at the mid back. Due to the skeletal deformity nature, getting the spine back to normal cannot be achieved.
Pain in the back may also be present as well as movement restrictions, particularly in extension. However the main concern for young individuals can be in the aesthetics component in which they can have a quite hunched appearance. Hence medical help should be sought as soon as possible. As a delay can have long term costs and adolescents who don’t receive treatment may have pain as adults, not only in their backs but shoulders and neck!
It is best to get checked out as they can also just be suffering from bad posture, which is more manageable!