Overview

• Lower back pain affects more than 60% of people over a lifetime and is identified as the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• The spine consists of 33 vertebrae across five regions, and its natural forward and backward curves can become exaggerated and symptomatic.
• Hyperkyphosis, often tied to osteoporosis and poor posture, is two to four times more common in women and can impair breathing or swallowing.
• Scoliosis involves sideways curvature or vertebral rotation with causes that include congenital changes, trauma, infection, or neurological disorders.
• Spondylolisthesis may compress nerves and trigger sciatica, while ankylosing spondylitis can stiffen the back into a rigid ‘bamboo spine’; management spans exercise, posture work, osteoporosis care, bracing in youth, and surgery for severe cases.