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Widow's Hump

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GadaboutGran Mon 19-May-14 10:32:28

Does anyone have any experience of having treatment for this? Would it do any good for a 90 year old. My mother has just noticed with horror that she has a pronounced hump on her back. She was diagnosed with osteoporosis some years back when her ribs broke while driving & rubbing them with Vick didn't work! She takes the lowest dose of calcium tablets but denies she still has it. If we dared mention it and the hump we were shouted down & told it was bad for her psychologically. I also took it as an inevitable part of getting old & the GP has never said anything, not that she sees her often. Now Mum has recognized the hump I've looked it up & see there are treatments, but not sure if it's worth it or if they would be offered for someone of 90. She is very fit, lives very independently, does her own garden etc but is beginning to slow down. She says she'll never go into a M&S dressing room again. Denial has always served her well!

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GadaboutGran Fri 23-May-14 17:53:23

Thanks everyone. I only dared mention it to my mother because she bought it up - & to stop me feeling guilty for not saying anything in case there was something she could do. Anyway I got a mouthful of abuse when I suggested she mentioned tot he GP next time she goes. She said 'What hump?' so I won't tread where angels fear to again & just watch I don't get it. She also said, "What broken ribs?" & I swear I couldn't have made that one up either. No wonder I've got a complex about never being believed! Still she had to admit she did take Calcium tablets for a while because she had to tell me she gave them up because they made her feel so awful. The world of denial can be a happy place but her knees might not be so bad if she'd taken a little advice & got them checked after she fell. And I can never say, 'I told you so'.

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GadaboutGran Fri 23-May-14 17:56:44

PS Yes, web-sites call it Dowager's Hump but I didn't want to be accused of being posh - I'd always known it as widow's hump. There are treatments like the balloon one JessM mentioned plus exercises etc, so if you're not in denial & still young it's worth checking. Useful info Micelf.

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