Swayback vs. a Hump: The Difference Between Lordosis and Kyphosis Lisa Marie Conklin
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Kyphosis vs. lordosis
A quick look at your back will tell you that your spine curves, at least a little bit.
Normally, your spine will curve inward in the neck (cervical) and low-back (lumbar) regions, a curvature called lordosis. The outward curvature of your spine, specifically in the upper and mid-back (thoracic region), is called kyphosis.
Both of those curves are totally normal. It is only when these curves are excessive that we have a problem, says Joseph Davey, MD, chief of pediatric orthopedics at the University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.