Scoliosis affects six million Americans.
Scoliosis occurs during the last growth spurt before puberty. The condition causes an individuals spine to curve sideways or away from the middle, where the spine is located. Scoliosis ranges from mild to extremely severe. The latter causes the spine to curve into the chest and hinders the lungs from properly functioning. Treatments for scoliosis vary. According National Scoliosis Foundation (NSF), about six million people in the US have scoliosis.
Definition
Scoliosis is a spinal deformity. It typically affects adolescents ages 10 to 15 years old before the onset of puberty. With this condition, the spine moves from the center, or middle of the back, towards the side of the body.
Symptoms
Scoliosis symptoms appear throughout the body, not just the spine. For instance, shoulders are uneven or one appears higher than the other shoulder. One hip and waist is more prominent than the other.
As the condition advances, an individual's spine worsens. Besides a spinal curve, the spine twists or rotates, according to the Mayo Clinic. Once this occurs the ribs on the affected side protrude out.
Scoliosis causes difficulty breathing once the spine intrudes in the area of the lungs. Back pain is another symptom of scoliosis.
Causes and Risk Factors
There are three main scoliosis causes, according to Medline Plus. With neuromuscular scoliosis, diseases like spina bifida, cerebral palsy and polio causes the spine to curve. Other conditions that involve muscle problems, such as paralysis, also cause scoliosis.
Scoliosis that is present in individuals at birth is called congenital scoliosis. This means there was a problem with the way the vertebrae formed during fetal development.
When physicians can't find the cause of the scoliosis, then it's called idiopathic.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are risk factors associated with scoliosis besides age. Although both sexes develop mild scoliosis, girls develop the severe form at a higher rate. Another risk factor is family history. The condition is genetic.
Tests
A physician generally performs three tests to confirm a scoliosis diagnosis. The doctor requests x-rays from the front and side of the body. These x-rays show the degree of the spinal curve. A scoliometer screening also measures how badly the spine curves.
A MRI is generally ordered when a doctor sees something unusual in the x-rays or if neurologic changes have been indicated.
Treatment
There is no cure for scoliosis.
Scoliosis treatment varies according to the location of the spine, size and the expected growth of the person. Fortunately, according to Medline Plus, idiopathic scoliosis with a spinal curve less than 20 degrees requires no treatment. The individual, however, must return to the physician every six months for check-ups.
Cures 25 to 30 degrees in an individual still growing require bracing. The braces do not correct the curve, but help to straighten the spine.
For an individual with a 40 degree spinal curve or higher needs surgery. The spinal fusion surgery doesn't totally correct the spine, but prevents the curve from worsening.
Tags: spinal curve, spine curve, according Medline, according Medline Plus, cause scoliosis