Scoliosis Q & A

What is a scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a condition typically seen in children over 10 years old, in which their spine bends to the side instead of being vertically aligned.

In most cases, the cause of a child’s scoliosis isn’t known, in which case it’s referred to as idiopathic scoliosis. About 10-15% of cases are due to identifiable causes:

Congenital scoliosis

Babies whose spinal development doesn’t progress as it should may be born with congenital scoliosis.

Neuromuscular scoliosis

Children who have cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, or other conditions that affect nerves and muscles may develop neuromuscular scoliosis.

You may hear or read that scoliosis is due to poor posture, but this isn’t true. It’s not possible to prevent scoliosis, but there are effective treatment options available.

Does scoliosis cause any complications?

A great many people who have scoliosis lead normal lives, playing sports and pursuing many different activities with few, if any, problems. Most people who have scoliosis don’t experience pain or discomfort unless the curvature is pronounced.

Problems may arise from scoliosis if the curvature in the spine is severe, in which case, the spine may press on the heart and lungs.

What treatments are available for scoliosis?

If you or your teen isn’t affected by having scoliosis, treatment may not be necessary, but you should visit Camelback Spine Care for periodic checkups to measure the curvature of the spine and review how you’re managing the condition.

Bracing can help in milder cases, but if the bend in the spine is above 45 degrees, then surgery may be beneficial to avoid pressure on the heart and lungs.

Our team prepares for surgery by measuring how flexible the spine is using specialized X-rays. These X-rays allow our team to calculate how much they can straighten the spine during the procedure. In most cases, the doctors can reduce the curvature to under 25 degrees.

The surgery involves straightening the spine and fusing the vertebrae into place to correct the curvature without putting any pressure on the spinal cord or affecting other parts of the spine. This type of surgery is an effective solution to excessive spinal curvature caused by scoliosis.

If you’re concerned about your child’s spinal alignment, call Camelback Spine Care today to arrange a consultation with our team or book an appointment online.