• Question: Why do older people's back sometime hunch?

    Asked by bethj to Carolyn, Peter, Richard, Sara, Siana on 16 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Richard Unwin

      Richard Unwin answered on 16 Nov 2015:


      Not all old peoples backs will do this, but some do, and it’s because the bones that make up the spine, the vertebrae, become weaker and brittle and can squashed (or even get tiny fractures, which are diagnosed as ‘back pain’) into slight wedge shapes that make then lean forward.

    • Photo: Siana Jones

      Siana Jones answered on 16 Nov 2015:


      There is some good news Beth:) : You can counteract this decline in bone weakness (and muscle weakness which also contributes to the hunch) with exercise. Regular strength and conditioning training increases muscle strength and power, aerobic capacity, and bone density.

      For women its extra important to maximise bone density because after the menopause (about50-60 years old), hormone changes (drop in oestrogen) result in bones rapidly becoming less dense and more porous (osteoporosis). The best defence is to start this decline with strong bones.

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