DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Posture symptoms

Why: to determine if childhood disorder or degenerative disorder with age.

Why: Children are more likely to have a kyphosis (excessive front curvature of the upper thoracic spine) due to rickets, leukopolysaccharidosis, Hurler's disease, Scheuermann's disease, Pott's disease or Morquio's disease. Adults are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, Paget's disease, Parkinson's disease, osteomalacia, osteoporosis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Why: e.g. female sex, thin build, family history, early menopause, smoking, chronic alcoholism, high caffeine intake, low calcium intake, intestinal malabsorption, physical inactivity, prolonged corticosteroid use, Cushing's syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Acromegaly, chronic renal failure.

Why: of cancers that may spread to bones e.g. breast, lung , prostate, thyroid, kidney, bladder, adrenal, melanoma and colorectal.

Why: e.g. osteoporosis, Paget's disease of the bone, kyphosis, scoliosis, Parkinson's disease, Rickets . Scoliosis may be due to unknown causes or due to poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or neurofibromatosis. Kyphosis may be associated with osteoporosis of the spine, ankylosing spondylitis and Scheuermann's disease.

Why: a history of prolonged use of corticosteroids increases the risk of osteoporosis and resultant fractures.

Why: e.g. osteoporosis.

Why: The presence of a cough with a kyphosis deformity of the spine (excessive front curvature of the upper thoracic spine) would suggest tuberculosis of the spine, emphysema or lung cancer that has spread to the spine.

Why: "round back" or "drooping shoulders" may be commonly associated with other postural defects such as flat feet.

Why: e.g. condition starts at puberty and is twice as common in girls than boys. The teenager becomes gradually more round-shouldered and may complain of backache and fatigue.

Why: e.g. may have acute back pain due to vertebral compression fractures, may develop a progressive kyphosis (becomes more round shouldered and has a Dowager's hump), fractures with minimal trauma.

Why: e.g. stooping posture, coarse hand tremor most marked at rest, rigidity of limbs, slowness in initiating and executing movements and speech, expressionless mask-like face and dementia (in later stages).