Question
Greetings! I have a topic in thesis regarding posture defects. I just want to make myself clear about this. Can lifestyle cause postural disorders like scoliosis or is it completely caused by heredity alone?

Answer
Shaine,

Scoliosis is a term used to describe the side-to-side and rotational distortion the spine undergoes in young folks, usually females, and with no known cause uncovered (as of yet).   Some people get a mild scoliosis in their youth that goes unnoticed.   Scoliosis can progress a few degrees as the years go by in adults.   Postural defects, other than scoliosis, include such items as excagerated neck or middle back curves, or a forard carry of the head off the shoulders.   The latter, forward head carry, is one of the most common postural deformities in modern society, and it is hypothesized that it is developmental (watching t.v, computers, too much sitting, etc).   There are other deformities, one that comes to mind it the "widows hump" or Dowager's hump, the prominent hump seen most often in women at the top of their back (you can google this).   This is also a congenital deformity - heredity.   I've not seen any research to prove that lifestyle will change this or any other congenital posture defect.

'Hope this was helpful.

Dr. G