Scoliosis Of The Spine – Back Pain Management

Hello and welcome. This site is dedicated to providing useful information on Scoliosis and all other types of back pain problems.

Scoliosis of the spine is the term used to describe the sideways curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is a condition that may be present at birth or it can develop in later life, when the condition is present at birth it is usually classified as congenital, whilst Scoliosis that develops later in life is it usually classified as either idiopathic or neuromuscular. The condition is most commonly observed in teenage girls.
The condition can also be broken down further into two types; structural and not structural.

Structural scoliosis is best described as a permanent or fixed curvature of the spine, this type of slices is present within the spine and as a result is very difficult to treat and in most cases it cannot be treated.

Non-structural scoliosis is commonly caused by a condition that is outside of the spine; as a result it is possible to treat this type of scoliosis with specific exercises and stretches, or the use of a brace, or in some cases surgery.

The condition can affect the sufferers appearance, A sufferers back may appear to be curved left to right or vice versa in a “c” or “s”shape, the condition may also result in a different in shoulder heights, or the prominence of one part of the back. This is because as the vertebrae in the back become twisted they tend to pull the ribs out of place.

Scoliosis is estimated to affect about 3 in every 100 people in the USA, and upto 12million people world wide. It may also run in the family.

If scoliosis is left untreated it may cause cardiac respiratory or digestive problems later in life.

Scoliosis Treatments

It is also important to note that currently the most researched and successful cure all for Scoliosis is surgery, a back brace is also commonly used on sufferers, the brace may provide temporary curvature correction; however the curvature tends to return once the use of the brace has ceased.

Specific treatments for scoliosis are dependent on certain factors including an age, and the extent the curvature of the spine.

In general there are currently four different types of treatments available for Scoliosis:

Surgery

Surgery for scoliosis is usually only performed in the most extreme cases.
The most common type of surgery used on scoliosis sufferers is called spinal fusion surgery. It is a complex technique that involves first straightening spine through the use of metal implants shaped like hook’s and rods.Then using a bone graft to fuse the implants into place.

The patient may have to return to the hospital regularly after having surgery in order to have the implanted rods lengthened as they grow up; this operation is usually performed through a small incision in the back. The implanted rods will eventually be removed once the patient has reached full maturity.

Bracing

In moderate to extreme cases of scoliosis a brace is commonly used. It is important to note that a brace is not a cure… but instead it is used to prevent the spine from forming any continued curvature. A patient fitted with a brace will usually be required to wear the brace for around 23 hours a day. The brace may have to be worn right up until the patient reaches maturity (usually between the ages of 15 and 17).

Bracing for scoliosis needs to be done carefully, typically, a cast of a patient’s back curvature will be created, from that cast a brace will be constructed that is designed specifically for the patient’s needs.

Casting

For cases of scoliosis in younger children a cast is sometimes used, a cast is preferred over a brace because it is not intrusive and does not require surgery in order for it to be fitted; the cast is fitted externally to the patient. Any cast being used to treat scoliosis will need to be changed regularly as the patient grows up. If a child is under two years of age the cast will need to be changed once every 2 to 3 month’s, it is also likely that a removable brace could be needed to continue the treatment beyond using a cast

Observation

Whilst technically not a treatment, Simple Observation may be prescribed in cases of slight scoliosis, this is because the condition can often correct its self as a patient grows up. Any course of observation should include regular ex-rays to carefully monitor the spine’s curvature.

Beyond these four treatments it is common for some alternate therapies to be used in conjunction with the original treatment. These alternate treatments could include Reflexology, Acupuncture, Physiotherapy or Osteopathy.

On this site you will find useful information on the causes and treatments of many types of back ailment. More recently, there has been an online back pain management course that has popped up that has been approved by doctors and other medical practitioners in the field of back pain treatment. Feel free to read about this course here.

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