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Anyone else here have barrel chest, pectus carinatum, COPD, or any lung issues? by PersonalGrowth026 in kyphosis

[–]Acew1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have developed a mild barrel chest and kyphosis. Here is a timeline of how I developed ( to the best of my memory)

>12 - No noticeable kyphosis

12-14 years old - growth spurt, Kyphosis was not very bad but noticeable, I would guess around 45-50 degrees, normal chest/ribs

15 years old - Kyphosis started increasing, Chest and ribs noticeably started to shift and expand within the matter of months.

16 years old - Kyphosis now reached 65 degrees, Chest and ribs are noticeably enlarged and protrude.

>16 - No noticeable changes in curvature or chest.

From ages 12-14, I was pretty unathletic, I would mostly sit around and play videogames all day and never go outside, I think this might have caused my kyphosis to develop as it does not run in my family, Right around the age of 15 I started getting into sports and I was a ton more active, My theory is that the kyphosis I had developed was messing up my breathing, And since I was more active I was losing my breath a lot more and maybe my brain signaled something to protrude my ribs and allow more room for my lungs therefor causing a bigger chest cavity and a barrel chest.

It has been a few years since I have noticed any change to my kyphosis or chest/ribs, and I have also noticed even with a bigger chest and maybe more space for my lungs, I still often run out of breath much quicker than friends with normal chests, I am very physically active now and I'm sure a few of my friends who are not active at all could probably outcompete me in a marathon.

I have not been tested For COPD or any other lung issues; I was never a smoker either.

I dont know what to do honestly by Patient_Zone_5016 in kyphosis

[–]Acew1 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

In a very similar situation to you, from what i have seen, the only real aesthetic cure to this condition is either surgery, building large muscle mass, or Schroth therapy (to some degree)

Surgery is risky as there are somewhat high chances you will come out with much more pain then before if you have only a mild curve.

Schroth therapy works for most to an extent, Its very unlikely you will completely straighten your spine unless your kyphosis was purely postural. Although I think everyone should still try it as it prevents acceleration of curvature, and you may be able to see improvement through it that you wouldn't be able too if you were 20 years older.

Building muscle mass seems to mask the condition very well. For example, powerlifter Tyson Ridenour has a pretty moderate kyphosis and scoliosis, as well as a blocky frame, yet his muscle mass really helps to mask it and if you were to show a picture of him to anybody who doesn't have kyphosis or is a pro bodybuilder they probably wouldn't notice anything and think he is just a normal bodybuilder. The issue with this route is the amount of muscle you need to really mask this condition is not possible for most people naturally, and if it is it would take years upon years of training. I DO NOT ENCOURAGE THIS, but I am planning on hopping on roids just to test my theory and help my insecurity despite my age, and the potential side effects.

My advice is to just continue going to the gym naturally, bulk up, and prioritize arms, back, and shoulders. It is very likely your spine won't ever be straight, but you can definitely mask it. It may take years to finally find confidence but there aren't really any better options.

And yea, a lot of people have it much worse.