What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis causes the spine to have an abnormal sideways curvature, It is a condition that normally affects children. This is usually found in “S” or “C” shape and takes place most often during the growth spurt before puberty. Scoliosis can affect any part of the spine, but most commonly parts are the level of chest and the lower back.
Scoliosis Possible Causes:
Scoliosis usually starts to develop in children just before and during the puberty, Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is a three-dimensional spine deformity characterized by lateral (>10°) and rotational curvature of the spine. The most common form is called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), which normally becomes evident in the initial adolescent years in almost 3% of children under age of 16 and has a genetic tendency. Less common scoliosis types are sometimes caused by cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, neurological diseases, birth defects, or spinal injuries.
Scoliosis Risk Factors:
While girls and boys are equally at risk. But girls are at extremely higher risk of the condition worsening and needing treatment, scoliosis normally develops during the period of adolescence so Age is the most important risk factor.
Scoliosis Signs & Symptoms:
Following are the common Scoliosis symptoms
- The children who suffer from Scoliosis their shoulders will become uneven, and they may become more prominent than the other children
- child is suffering from scoliosis, There will be a change in his/her appearance. His/her waist may become uneven or one hip may become higher than the other.
- In some Scolioses cases, the spine twists, causing the ribs on one side to stick out.
How is Scoliosis Diagnosis?
The doctor physical examines the child and checks for the spinal curves (may use a Scoliometer), muscle strength, sensation and reflexes. In order to assess the spinal curvature, the spine specialist may advise x-rays (Scoliogram). If the doctor wants to investigate an underlying condition, MRI and/or CT scan scans may also be advised.
Scoliosis Treatment Options:
To understand the available treatments for scoliosis
Speak to the spine specialist at Al Biraa Clinic. Effective treatment of patients with scoliosis should be able to reduce the risk of a curve progressing to a point where surgery is indicated or, for severe curves, to be able to identify patients who would benefit from surgery before the deformity progresses to a degree that increases the risks associated with surgery.
Brace treatment for Scoliosis
Brace treatment for adolescent moderate scoliosis (25-40°) has been the most prescribed non-operative method of treatment. Other means for non-operative treatment of scoliosis have also been studied. Specific exercises used to supplement brace wear or prevent progression in mild curves have been reported.
A randomized clinical trial of patients with mild scoliosis of 10-20° has shown that scoliosis specific exercises may prevent progression to the level of deformity that would result in brace treatment. High-quality studies have established that non-operative treatment with bracing and exercises may reduce the number of patients progressing to a surgical level.
To be effective, however, these treatments need to be applied to smaller curves prior to skeletal maturity. This places emphasis on the need for earlier detection of scoliosis.
Cases of severe and progressive spinal deformities, despite conservative treatment, can be treated thorough different surgical techniques, including the use of the new magnetic growing rods device for early-onset scoliosis, anterior, posterior or combined spinal approaches for spinal correction and fixation, among others. If detected and operated at the appropriate timing, at the specialized center, the surgery can achieve better correction of the deformity, with less risk of complications.
