In a modern industrial country a baby with the poor bone development that Quasimodo displayed at birth would receive surgical treatments to straighten the spine and correct other serious bone problems. Today babies with kyphosis can be helped to normal posture. The main way to prevent most back and spine problems in adults is to sit properly and to lift heavy objects so that stress is on the leg muscles instead of the back muscles. Often it helps to sleep on an especially firm mattress with a flat pillow or a small, rolled pillow that supports the neck. Women should avoid high-heel shoes if backache is a problem.
Some back problems are more common in one sex than the other.
Osteoporosis occurs more often in older women, while ankylosing spondylitis tends to strike young men.