I am 60 years old and have a kyphotic posture, which of course did not develop overnight. I bought a posture corrector belt that supposedly activates muscles and corrects posture. I’ve been wearing it for the past two days, but something doesn’t feel right to me.
Therefore, I kindly ask for your opinion on this matter. I don’t feel very good in it; it feels tight from all sides, my back muscles hurt, and I feel like it pushes my head even further forward.

I’m afraid it will do more harm than good. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I need to get used to the belt. Your opinion is very important to me, so if you can spare a few minutes for a brief answer, I would be truly grateful.

There are no braces or belts for correct posture (it’s all marketing). Corrective braces used for scoliosis are effective, but only during the rapid growth phase, i.e., in adolescence. Everything after that is just torture devices that, at best, will bring no changes, and in all others, at least transient pain. Prolonged wear of such products directly weakens the muscles of the neck and thoracic spine and restricts the mobility of the small joints in them, which means they cause new disturbances in the long run. This happens in the same way that muscles in a leg immobilized by a cast weaken due to, for example, a fracture. Some of these braces, worn briefly during acute pain, can be helpful, but they are not corrective and cannot change the condition of your spine.

Therefore, changes in the shape of the spine cannot be corrected after the end of growth (except surgically). However, pain and discomfort can be alleviated through physical therapy methods, manual therapy, and especially through proper and regular exercise. Therefore, I recommend that you find an experienced physiotherapist in your area who will examine you and advise you on how to best help yourself.