Introduction to Scoliosis
- Lindsay Wong
- Nov 2, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 13, 2021
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine and is most common in children and adolescents. Everyone’s spines are curved to a small degree so that they are mobile, but people who have scoliosis have more curved spines. The condition is more apparent in girls than boys in a 7:1 ratio. It affects around 2% of the population, although the condition may be mild for many of them but require treatment for a small proportion of them. Around one-third of scoliosis patients have a family history of scoliosis. There are different types of scoliosis, but the most common type is idiopathic scoliosis, which has no exact cause.
Idiopathic scoliosis usually is not life-threatening. Most curves do not cause serious problems and those affected can lead normal and active lives. However, those with more serious curves may have to be treated for scoliosis. The more serious curves (at least 40 degrees) could compress nerves as the spine is connected to the nervous system. It also causes discomfort and is notable in the posture of the person who has scoliosis. This could in the worst case scenario result in paralysis as the nervous system is connected to a person’s mobility, but these are rare occasions.
Treatment can be done to try and prevent the curvature from becoming more severe. Mild cases of scoliosis do not need to be treated. More serious curvatures may need a brace to ensure the curve does not progress and worsen. Surgery is the treatment for the most serious cases. In adolescents who are not growing anymore, it is likely that the curve will not worsen. However, if the child is still growing, they may have to consider treatment as the curve could worsen when the child grows.
We will dive deeper into specific topics about scoliosis in future blog posts, so stay tuned!
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