Q: My 21 years old sister is a petite college student. Her backbone bends a little forward around the lower neck due to which her standing and sitting posture is not straight (as it should normally be). Please let me know if exercises would suffice to straighten her backbone or should we see some specialised doctors for that?

A:If your sister’s complaints are 7 years old and there are no other complaints of pain, fever, weakness of muscles, difficulty in breathing, it is only a postural problem. I would still suggest, you get an X-ray done to know so that proper exercises can be taught and we don't miss out anything. If the X-ray report gives any findings which necessitate a specialist’s opinion, go for it. Otherwise physiotherapy treatment on the following lines should suffice:

1. Get the curve inspected and measured for further records.
2. Get the posture evaluated too.(whole spine and legs.)
3. General body relaxation.
4. Passive correction by the therapist.
5. General free mobility and strengthening exercises for the whole spine and abdominal.
6. Deep breathing exercises.
7. Balancing exercises.
8. Stretching of soft tissues that have caused the postural deviation.

Depending on the evaluation, your sister may need a brace too for some time. It may be inconvenient or cosmetically unappealing, but she should not give up wearing it till the therapist advises you to do so. There is a remote possibility of undetected hearing or visual problem. So I would suggest you to have those check-ups done too.