Defining Scoliosis: Meaning and Implications of the Condition

With current estimates at close to seven million people currently living with scoliosis in the United States alone, and as the leading spinal condition among school-aged children, it needs to be taken seriously and addressed with proactive treatment.

Defining scoliosis clearly can help with awareness and early detection. Scoliosis is a highly-prevalent spinal condition that causes the spine to bend unnaturally to the side and rotate, and as a progressive condition, treatment is about managing an ongoing condition.

The implications of a scoliosis diagnosis will depend on a number of factors, including condition type, severity, patient age, and curvature location.

What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a progressive spinal condition that causes the development of an unnatural lateral spinal curve that rotates.

There are a number of spinal conditions that cause a loss of healthy spinal curves, but scoliosis has the unique characteristics of vertebral rotation and being progressive in nature.

Progressive conditions are virtually guaranteed to get worse over time, and while we don't know what causes the majority of scoliosis cases to develop, we do know how to treat it, and we do know what makes it progress: growth.

Scoliosis treatment is shaped by a number of key patient/condition variables such as condition type, severity, patient age, and curvature location; when scoliosis is diagnosed, conditions are further classified based on these variables.

The Four Main Types of Scoliosis

Because there are different types of scoliosis, treatment plans need to be fully customized.

The main type of scoliosis is idiopathic scoliosis with no known cause; scoliosis types associated with known causes are considered atypical and can be particularly severe: neuromuscular scoliosis, degenerative scoliosis, and congenital scoliosis.

Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by the presence of a larger neuromuscular condition such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy.

Degenerative scoliosis is caused by natural age-related spinal degeneration and affects older adults.

Congenital scoliosis is caused by spinal malformations that develop in utero so babies are born with the condition.

When it comes to successful scoliosis treatment, the condition's underlying cause has to be addressed; otherwise, only its symptoms are being treated, and not the condition itself.

When it comes to the implications of a scoliosis diagnosis, quality of life can't be discounted, and this is shaped not only by severity and type, but also the condition's effects.

Living With Scoliosis Symptoms

Scoliosis symptoms will vary from patient to patient, and these are what the implications of daily life with scoliosis involve.

As an asymmetrical condition, the effects of scoliosis start as the spine becomes increasingly unstable, unbalanced, and misaligned.

The main effects of scoliosis are postural changes, mobility changes, and pain; in childhood scoliosis, postural changes are the main symptoms of scoliosis, and in adult scoliosis, it's scoliosis pain.

Scoliosis doesn't become a compressive condition until skeletal maturity has been reached, so for adults, pain caused by compression can disrupt daily life.

Like all scoliosis symptoms, postural changes increase with progression.

Postural Changes

The more severe scoliosis is, the more noticeable its effects are going to be.

As the condition's asymmetrical forces disrupt the body's overall symmetry, postural changes can include:

• The head not centered over the torso
• An uneven eye line
• Uneven shoulders
• Uneven shoulder blades
• Development of a rib cage arch
• Uneven hips
• Uneven waist
• Arms and legs hanging at different lengths

Scoliosis can also cause mobility issues.

Mobility Changes

Scoliosis can also disrupt movement, gait, balance, and coordination as the body's center of gravity is continuously disrupted by the unnatural spinal curve and its progression.

Common mobility changes include gait, balance, and coordination.

The spine's natural and healthy curves make it stronger and more flexible, and unnatural and unhealthy spinal curves can weaken the spine and make it more rigid and less flexible; this also makes the curves more difficult to correct.

Mobility changes will also become more noticeable as progression occurs, and the longer scoliosis is left untreated, the more complex it will be to treat.

A spine that's aligned and has its natural curves in place is one that can more evenly absorb and distribute mechanical stress.

The meaning and implication of a scoliosis diagnosis is that the condition's effects at the time for diagnosis don't indicate that's where they'll stay, not without the help of a proactive treatment plan.

The main implication of scoliosis is how it affects long-term spinal health and function, and this is shaped by treatment-response.

Treating Scoliosis Proactively

Treating scoliosis proactively means intervention is started as close to the time of diagnosis as possible, when conditions are at their mildest and likely to be at their most responsive.

Smaller curves are simpler to treat than severe curves, and a proactive conservative treatment approach prioritizes prevention: preventing progression, increasing condition effects, and the need for more invasive surgical treatment in the future.

Here at the Scoliosis Reduction Center®, conservative non-surgical treatment is innovative and integrative; patients benefit from accessing multiple different types of scoliosis treatment under one roof.

Conservative treatment combines the power of chiropractic care, physical therapy, scoliosis bracing, and rehabilitation so treatment plans can be customized and treatment disciplines can be adjusted based on how the spine is responding to growth and treatment.

There are never treatment guarantees, but proactive conservative treatment results speak for themselves, and knowing the early signs of scoliosis can mean early detection and intervention.

Successful conservative scoliosis treatment means minimizing the condition's effects while preserving as much of the spine's natural strength and function as possible.

Spinal Fusion Implications

If scoliosis isn't treated proactively, is left untreated, or is particularly severe and/or atypical, surgery can be recommended, and this is a type of spinal fusion.

The long-term implications of scoliosis are how it shapes the spine's long-term health and function, and it's the long-term effects of a surgical treatment response I want patients to be aware of because they are irreversible.

Once a spine is fused, it's fused for life, and if the procedure fails for any reason, the only recourse is more surgery, and people with scoliosis need to be fully aware of the risk factors associated with different types of treatment so they can make informed decisions.

Spinal fusion surgery involves fusing the curve's most-tilted vertebrae into one solid bone and attaching metal rods to the spine to hold it in place.

Short-Term Risks of Spinal Fusion

The risks of the procedure itself include nerve damage, excessive blood loss, adverse reaction to hardware used, and infection, but the long-term effects are what will determine a patient's level of spinal health.

Long-Term Risks of Spinal Fusion

Long-term effects of spinal fusion surgery can include a spine that's less flexible with a reduced range of motion, an increase in back pain at the fusion site, a spine that's weaker and more vulnerable to injury, and disappointing cosmetic results.

The main motivation behind many scoliosis patients choosing a surgical response involves cosmetic reasons, but spinal fusion can't fully reverse the postural changes associated with scoliosis, nor can it restore a patient's pre-scoliosis body.

Unlike conservative treatment that doesn't just focus on how the condition affects the spine, but also on how it affects the spine's surrounding muscles, nerves, and the entire body, spinal fusion focuses solely on the spine.

Conclusion

An unnatural spinal curvature can cause a number of symptoms capable of disrupting daily life, but with proactive treatment, symptoms of scoliosis can be minimized.

Scoliosis affects all ages, and as a progressive condition, the nature of scoliosis is to become more severe over time, and it's growth that triggers progression.

With progressive conditions like scoliosis, when treatment is started can be a key factor that shapes the impact of a scoliosis diagnosis on a person's life.

Scoliosis can be highly treatable, and with conservative non-surgical treatment, most types of scoliosis can benefit from treatment (idiopathic scoliosis, congenital scoliosis, infantile scoliosis, juvenile scoliosis, adolescent scoliosis, neuromuscular scoliosis, and degenerative scoliosis).

Proactive treatment options can help prevent progression, escalating symptoms, and the need for future invasive spinal surgery.

While the most common type of scoliosis, idiopathic scoliosis, has no known cause, what's most important is how a diagnosis is responded to with treatment.

Once skeletal maturity has been reached, conditions become compressive and can become painful; scoliosis pain involves the muscles, the back, and nerve pain.

Scoliosis left untreated can continue progressing, becoming more severe, and causing potential complications such as digestive issues and breathing problems.

Most cases of scoliosis will respond to treatment, so don't hesitate to reach out for assessment.