Question
My 15 year old granddaughter has a hump at the top of her back, right a the back of the neck. I have looked at Cushings Disease info, but she has no other symptoms, other than she is about 15-20 lbs overweight. She has had this hump since she was about 6-7 yrs old, has been checked by the MD and seen by a chiropractor. There has been no concern. She is aware of it and bothers her. What are treatments?  Any help is appreciated. Thank you, Mollie

Answer
cushings disease, kyphosis, humpback, cervical curve, thoracic curve,

Hello Mollie,

If you and your granddaughter are concerned, it is a concern.

Second opinions are valuable.  A different set of eyes sometimes sees different things.

First, you mention cushings; has your MD and/ or your DC addressed this concern specifically with you?- have they evaluated for that possibility?

Then, your granddaughter is overweight; are you attempting to work on that?  Exercise, avoid processed fast 'teenage' foods- could help the distribution of her body weight as well as make her healthier overall.

Then, the mechanical aspect of the 'humpback' or 'hunchback'.  I trust the Doctor of Chiropractic has taken appropriate Xrays as well as performed physical exam.  We view postural aberrations more seriously then other professions.  A metaphor we use every day is-
'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree'.  If your granddaughter has an observable hump or hunch--- it should be treated while she is young, flexible, fixable.  I would visit a second doctor for another chiropractic opinion.

A simple stretch exercise that I recommend to my patients, of any age, to prevent progression of thoracic kyphosis is:
--- roll up a towel,  place upon the floor or a FIRM bed, lay upon the towel on your back, place the apex of the curve upon the towel, lay back, relax, let your spine drop (droop) over the towel, breath, relax and let the shoulders drop back; stay for a few minutes; stretch like this a couple of times per day.

If you are concerned,,, get answers.  If you are concerned, get a second opinion. If you are concerned, it is a concern.

If the second opinions concur with your current doctors, then you may be overly cautious with your granddaughter--- but get different eyes to take a look and assuage or confirm your concerns.

I hope this helps.
I wish you luck and Good Health Naturally.
Your Staten Island Chiropractor signing off,

Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com       (email newsletter)
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info
http://www.DocDolan.net