Episode 63: Can Scoliosis Happen Suddenly?

Understanding Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a progressive condition of the spine characterized by a sideways curvature of 10 degrees or greater, including rotation. Progression of scoliosis is almost always guaranteed, but the rate of progression varies significantly.

Factors Associated with Scoliosis Progression:

• Growth – happens at the onset of puberty. It's rapid, unpredictable, not linear but cyclic growth. During this stage, curves can progress very fast.
• Spinal Degeneration - can lead to the progression of scoliosis, but it tends to be slow initially. Something could happen to cause the spine to start to deteriorate or degenerate. It starts as a small curve but if not corrected will cause further degeneration.

Phases of Progression:

• Puberty: Scoliosis curves tend to progress rapidly during puberty, with some cases even doubling in size in less than six months.
• Middle Years: The progression rate during this phase is relatively slow and linear, typically around half a degree to one degree per year.
• Late Stage Life: Scoliosis progression tends to increase as patients age, with curves potentially progressing 7-10 degrees per year.

Treatment Options:

• Traditional Treatment: Limited options exist, especially for adult cases, with a focus on observation or waiting for curves to worsen before considering intervention. The most common recommendation would be to use the Boston Brace, a squeezing style brace to try to stop the spine from worsening in this stage.
• Conservative Methods: These alternative approaches offer more options for managing scoliosis and aim to reduce the curvature and slow down or reverse progression.
  • Scoliosis-Specific Chiropractic Care: Specialized chiropractic techniques focus on reducing the curve to lessen the likelihood of progression.
  • Scoliosis-Specific Exercises (SSEs): Customized exercises designed for each patient's curve type, age, and abilities to manage and reduce scoliosis progression.
  • Scoliosis-Specific Therapy (SST): Corrective therapy aimed at reducing the curve and improving flexibility.
  • Corrective Bracing: Different from traditional bracing, corrective bracing aims to reduce the curve in combination with the other three approaches mentioned above.

Predicting Progression

• Riser Sign: In children, the growth plate on the hips, known as the Riser Sign, indicates the potential for growth and progression.
• Size of Curve: Larger curves have a higher likelihood of progression compared to smaller curves.

Having known all these, Scoliosis is a progressive condition of the spine that requires proactive management. Watching and waiting do not benefit scoliosis patients, as curves tend to worsen over time. Regular evaluation, proactive treatment, and reducing the curve size quickly are recommended to prevent further progression.

For more information on how you can treat scoliosis, check out Dr. Tony Nalda’s podcast.

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