About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you or your child has signs or symptoms common to kyphosis, make an appointment with your family doctor or primary care provider. After an initial evaluation, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of spine disorders.
Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- List any symptoms you or your child has had, and for how long.
- Write down key medical information, including any other health problems and the names of any medications you or your child is taking.
- Note any recent injuries that may have caused back damage.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions you want to be sure to ask your doctor.
For back-related signs and symptoms, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is the most likely cause of these back problems?
- Are there any other possible causes?
- Are any diagnostic tests needed?
- Should a specialist be consulted?
- If you're making a referral to a specialist, should I or my child follow any restrictions in the time leading up to that appointment?
- What over-the-counter pain medications would you recommend, if needed?
Questions to ask if you are referred to a specialist include:
- Do I or does my child have kyphosis? What type?
- How severe is the defect?
- What treatment approach do you recommend?
- If you're recommending a brace, how often and for how long will it need to be worn?
- Am I or my child a candidate for surgical treatment? Why or why not?
- How often should I or my child be seen for follow-up exams?
- If the first treatment isn't effective, what will you recommend next?
- What is the long-term outlook in this case?
- Do I or my child need to follow any activity restrictions?
- What other self-care measures do you recommend?
- Can you recommend a local support group and educational materials?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- What symptoms have you noticed?
- When did you first notice these symptoms?
- Have these symptoms gotten worse over time?
- If symptoms include pain, how severe is the pain, and where is it located?
- When is the pain you've described most likely to occur?
- Do symptoms include fever, chills or unexplained weight loss?
- Do symptoms include weakness, numbness, difficulty walking, or changes in bladder or bowel habits?
- Do symptoms include fatigue or shortness of breath?
- Have you or your child recently had any back injuries or engaged in repetitive activities that strain the back?
- How much are these signs and symptoms affecting you or your child's well-being, including self-esteem and the ability to participate in typical daily activities?
- Have any close biological relatives had similar signs and symptoms or been diagnosed with a spine disorder?
- Have you or your child recently been treated for any other medical conditions?
- What medications are you or your child currently taking, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs as well as vitamins and supplements?
- Kyphosis (roundback) of the spine. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00423&return_link=0. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Kyphosis. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178504199-3/939924608/1584/290.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50041-6--cesec146_1870. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Spiegel DA. The spine. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178504199-7/0/1608/1580.html?tocnode=54487234&fromURL=1580.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50680-0--cesec14_12497. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Kyphoplasty. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00388. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Thomas MA, et al. Scoliosis and kyphosis. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178504199-10/939961186/1678/200.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50145-0--cesec17_2442. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on