How can Scoliosis be treated?

An abnormal curvature of the spine is known as scoliosis. It is typically diagnosed in childhood or the early years of adolescence. The curvature can be found in any part of the spine, but the most common regions are the upper spine and lower back. It is more common in women than men, and scoliosis is not always noticeable. Some people in this condition may lean to one side or have uneven shoulders and lower back due to the curvature of the spine.

The angle of the curve may be small, large, or somewhere in between. Anything seen on an X-ray to be more than 10 degrees off the normal curve is considered scoliosis. The letters “C” and “S” can describe the curve on a graph.

The spine’s normal curves occur at the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions in the so-called “sagittal” plane. These natural curves help position the head over the pelvis and lessen the mechanical stress experienced during movement. Conversely, scoliosis is a spinal curvature in the frontal “coronal” plane.

What is sagittal and coronal plane?

The coronal plane is a vertical plane parallel to the shoulders, from the head to the feet, which divides the body into anterior (anterior) and posterior (posterior) sections. The sagittal plane divides the body into right and left halves. The axial plane is perpendicular to the ground, the coronal and sagittal planes, and parallel to the sky plane.

Although the degree of curvature is measured in the coronal plane, scoliosis is a more complex three-dimensional problem involving the following planes:

• Coronal plane
• Sagittal plane
• Cross-section

Causes of Scoliosis

Clear causes exist for some forms of scoliosis. These curves are divided into structural and nonstructural categories by doctors.

• The spine seems to be curled but functions normally in nonstructural scoliosis.
• Having one leg longer than the other, muscle spasms, and inflammations like appendicitis are a few causes of this.
• Scoliosis frequently disappears when these conditions are treated.

The curve of the spine is rigid and unchangeable in structural scoliosis. some causes are:

• Cerebral palsy
• Muscular dystrophy
• congenital disabilities
• Genetic disorders such as Marfan syndrome and Down syndrome

Risk factors

The risk factors for scoliosis include:

• Age : Signs and symptoms often start during a growth spurt just before puberty. You may notice your child’s hips are uneven or that the straps of their backpack are easy to slide off one shoulder.
• Gender : Females have a higher risk of scoliosis than males.
• Genetics : People with scoliosis often have a close relative with the condition because it is a genetic disorder.

Symptoms of Scoliosis

If you have scoliosis, you might lean to one side when you stand. You could also have:

• A visible curve in your back
• Your shoulders, waist, or hips look uneven.
• A shoulder blade that looks larger
• Ribs protruding more on one side of the body than the other

In addition to visible symptoms, scoliosis can result in:

• Lower back pain
• Back stiffness
• Pain and numbness in your legs (due to pinched nerves)
• Fatigue from muscle tension

Types of Scoliosis

Idiopathic scoliosis is scoliosis that known causes cannot explain. In 80% of cases, the doctor may be unable to find the exact reason the spine is curved.

Congenital scoliosis begins in early infancy as a baby’s back develops. Problems with tiny bones in the back called vertebrae can lead to curvature of the spine. Doctors may be able to spot it when the child is born. However, they may not realise they need it until they reach their teen years.

Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by spina bifida, cerebral palsy, or a spinal cord injury. These conditions might sometimes damage your muscles, so they can’t support your spine correctly. That can cause your back to curve.

Degenerative scoliosis is a condition that affects adults. As you get older, the discs and joints in your spine start to wear out. This can cause back pain.

Treatment for Scoliosis

If the scoliosis is mild, the person may not need treatment. However, your doctor might watch you and take X-rays to see if the problem is getting worse. If you or your child need treatment, your doctor may suggest:

Braces: In kids still growing, wearing a brace around the torso can stop the curve from getting worse. They’re usually made of plastic. Many kids wear them 24 hours a day. You can’t see them under clothes.

Spinal fusion surgery: In this operation, your doctor puts pieces of bone or another similar material between the bones in your spine to help keep them together. They use hardware to hold the bones until they fuse or grow together. The surgery can improve the curve in your spine and help to prevent it from worsening.

Spine and rib-based growing operation: This is done to correct more serious scoliosis in children who are still growing. The doctor attaches metal rods to your spine or ribs. As you grow, the doctor may need to adjust the length of the rods depending on the child’s growth.

Scoliosis Prevention

There is no way to prevent scoliosis from developing. There is no evidence that childhood sports injuries cause scoliosis. Likewise, if your child is at school, you may be concerned about the weight of the textbooks they are carrying; heavy backpacks can cause back, shoulder and neck pain but do not cause scoliosis.

What is the best way to maintain good posture?

There is no correlation between a person’s posture and their risk of developing scoliosis. But a curved spine can cause noticeable tilt. So if your child cannot stand upright, ask your doctor to examine their spine.

FAQ

1. What is the main cause of scoliosis?

Doctors don’t know what causes the most common type of scoliosis, which appears to involve hereditary factors. Occasionally, scoliosis can also be caused by accidents or other physical injuries. In addition, some types of scoliosis can be caused by problems with the muscles or the brain.

2. What are the 4 symptoms of scoliosis?

• Uneven shoulders.
• One-shoulder blade appears more prominent than the other.
• Uneven waist.
• One hip is higher than the other.

3. Can scoliosis be cured?

While scoliosis cannot be fully “cured”, it’s possible for the patient to live the rest of their life “scoliosis free” as long as the curve is caught early enough to be corrected.

4. What are the 3 types of scoliosis?

The three categories of scoliosis. Idiopathic, congenital, and neuromuscular.