Scoliosis

Symptoms:

  • A noticeable sideways curvature of the spine.
  • Lopsidedness of shoulders, waist or hips.
  • Mismatched shoulder blades one sticking out more prominently than the other.
  • Back pain and exhaustion following long periods of standing or sitting occasionally.
  • Limited lung volume and breathlessness in severe cases.

Causes:

  • Idiopathic – the most frequent kind usually occurring during adolescence.
  • Congenital – present at birth because of unusual development of vertebrae.
  • Neuromuscular disorders – involving muscles and nerves that keep the spine healthy.
  • Degenerative scoliosis – caused by aging in adulthood.
  • Spinal injuries or tumors rarely.

Risk Factors:

  • Having a family member with scoliosis.
  • Passing through the rapid growth stage of adolescence.
  • Numerous neuromuscular diseases present since childhood.
  • Age-related degeneration in adults (degenerative scoliosis).
  • Female gender since progression is more frequent in teenage girls.

Ways to Manage:

  • Monitoring by regular exam and x-ray to assess progression of the curve.
  • Braces worn during growth period to ensure that a minor to moderate curve does not become worse.
  • Physical therapy aimed at improving posture, flexibility and core strength.
  • Pain management in adults with degenerative scoliosis through medications or injections.
  • Activity modification and ergonomic modifications for comfort.

Recommneded Exercises:

  • Specific physical therapy for scoliosis (like Schroth method) under professional supervision.
  • Core strengthening exercises for proper spinal alignment.
  • Gentle stretching exercises to maintain flexibility in the concave side of the curve.
  • Breathing exercises to aid breathing in case of larger curves.
  • Low impact exercises like swimming and walking to remain active without spinal strain.

Surgery is an option mainly in cases of larger curves, continued progression of the curve regardless of braces, and scoliosis which is causing pain and respiratory problems.

  • Spinal fusion with instrumentation – the usual surgical procedure to correct and stabilize the curve.
  • Growing rods – employed in young patients to allow correction of the curve during spinal growth.
  • Vertebral body tethering – motion preserving surgery in selected cases of young patients.