Scoliosis - Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

By Author: Stephen Thomas
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

Scoliosis is basically an unusual curvature in the spine wherein the spine curves towards one side. The condition also makes vertebras to twist on each other like a cork and screw. Although this condition affects children above ten years of age, but it has been seen that infants can also suffer from scoliosis. Scoliosis calls for immediate and regular follow ups with orthopedics to make sure it is contained and rectified well in time.

CAUSES:

In most of the cases, the back doctors are not able to determine the exact reason behind scoliosis. But in patients where the reasons are identifiable, the following two things can happen:

1. Functional scoliosis: In this type of scoliosis, the curvature in spine forms as a result of some other problem. It is a temporary condition and in this case the spine is normal but becomes bent due to an external reason.

2. Structural scoliosis: In this case, the spine is abnormal unlike the above mentioned type. Here, the curvature in the spine can be caused by various diseases such as muscular dystrophy, connective tissue problems, birth defects or metabolic diseases. ...
...

SYMPTOMS:

The symptoms of scoliosis arise due to a curvature in the spine. Following are listed the various warning signs associated with scoliosis. Read on…

One of the hips or shoulders can get raised higher than the other.

The head can move a bit away from the center and seem somewhat tilted towards a particular side.

A person affected with scoliosis can walk with a rolling gait.

Both the sides of the body do not appear on the same level and seem different.

A scoliosis patient can also suffer from back pain and get tired easily while doing tasks that require chest and belly movement.

TREATMENT:

The first step for treatment of this disease involves its diagnosis. Most of the schools conduct various tests to determine whether any child is suffering from scoliosis. One of the easiest ways to check is by asking a child to stand with his feet straight and knees joined. He is then made to slowly bend and touch his toes. If any problem is found, the school immediately informs the parents so that they can consult an orthopedic doctor to get proper treatment for this problem.

If the doctor also finds that there might be a possibility of scoliosis, he can again conduct the above mentioned physical examination in the child after four to six months to check if there has been any further alteration. Most of the children do not require treatment for scoliosis in cases where the curvature is not too noticeable, i.e. less than 25 degrees.

However, if the curve is more than 25 degrees but less than 30 degrees, a back brace might be used by the doctor for treatment. On the other hand, a curvature of more than 45 degrees might be corrected with a surgery.

The treatment options basically depend on the degree of curvature and age of the child. A child with a minor curvature who has stopped growing might not require any corrective treatment but a smaller child who is yet in the growing stage will have to undergo treatment.

http://www.orthotexas.com