Scoliosis: Causes, Tests and Treatments
John Hewitt MA
Mohamed Awad MD
Smashwords Edition
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Copyright 2011 John Hewitt MA and Mohamed Awad MD
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Contents
Two: Why do you get Scoliosis?
Three: Common symptoms for Scoliosis
Four: How can I know if I have Scoliosis?
Six: Surgical treatments and risk associated with it
Seven: Exercises for Scoliosis
Appendix A: Internet Resources / Further Reading
Appendix B: Complete Directory of Holistic Physicians Listed By State
Scoliosis is a disorder in which your backbone becomes curved at the wrong angles. Its name is derived from the Greek work ‘skolios’ which means ‘crooked.’ The normal shape of your backbone is such that it is bent forward in the middle and backward at the top and bottom. When you view a normal backbone from the side, you can see the curve. And when you view from front, it looks straight. But if you acquire scoliosis, this means that your backbone develops more curves, which give your backbone an abnormal shape. The curves may develop at both the top and bottom of the backbone. This results in a backbone which has the shape of a ‘C’ or an ‘S.’
Scoliosis may occur due to a number of reasons. One reason can be there is a problem somewhere else in the body, such a muscle spasm or one leg being shorter than the other. This affects the backbone in such a way that you acquire scoliosis. Another cause for this disorder is that during fetal development, the bones of the backbone do not develop fully or normally. For example, the bones of your backbone either do not develop completely or they are not separated from each other well enough. Such a problem usually occurs with people who are born with other birth defects. A scoliosis that is acquired at the time of birth is much more severe and more careful and diligent treatment is needed in those cases.
Scoliosis is prevalent among two percent of females and 0.5 percent of males. This means that females are more likely to suffer from this disorder. In America, about 20 million people suffer from scoliosis. It can be acquired by birth or at a very early age but normally, scoliosis is acquired after the age of 10. Scoliosis is hereditary and there’s a high chance that if you have scoliosis, one of your children may also have this condition.
It is very important to diagnose scoliosis as early as possible. This is because if you get scoliosis while your bones are still growing, your scoliosis will get severe over time. And the severity of your backbone curve will worsen as long as your bones are growing. So if the diagnosis was late, you have given your backbone curve a lot of time to get worse. On the other hand, if you diagnose it soon after you acquire scoliosis, you may be in the position to apply a number of treatment methods such as braces to stop the worsening of your backbone curve or even improve the curve.
Two: Why do you get Scoliosis?
In about 65% of people with scoliosis, the exact cause is unknown (idiopathic). About 15% are congenital (caused by abnormalities in backbone at birth). Approximately 10% are secondary to another condition, such as physical trauma, cerebral palsy, or spina bifida. The most basic reason for idiopathic scoliosis is hereditary. One of your parents has scoliosis and as a result of that, you also suffer from this disorder. But the severity of the condition may vary from one generation to another. For example, one of your parents may suffer from a severe form of scoliosis but you experience only mild symptoms.
Normally, scoliosis is categorized into three types: functional, neuromuscular and degenerative. How each of these types of scoliosis is acquired differs from type to type.
Functional: In this type of scoliosis, there is no problem with your backbone. The backbone has a normal structure. But there is a problem somewhere else in the body. This can be a shorter leg or a muscular spasm. This problem affects the body and the backbone in such a way that you end up acquiring scoliosis. This type of scoliosis is treated through observation. The doctor first observes your condition and tries to find out the root cause of your scoliosis. Once he finds that, he treats you accordingly. For example if your scoliosis is a result of a short leg, he may place a wedge in your shoe to make both legs equal.
Neuromuscular: This type of scoliosis is acquired at the time of birth. In neuromuscular scoliosis, the patient is born with different disorders such as birth defects. This may make the body and bones weak. This also leads to a problem in the development of the backbone. The backbone either does not develop fully or develops abnormally. For example, the bones of the backbone either do not fully develop or if they do, they are not properly separated from each other. This results in a ‘C’ shaped curve of the backbone. Due to weak bones, a person suffering from this type of scoliosis is unable to keep his back straight. As it is acquired at the time of birth, this type of scoliosis is much more severe and needs to be treated more aggressively. Any delay in treating this condition can worsen it and may lead to other health problems such as impaired functionality of heart and lungs.
Degenerative: Functional and neuromuscular scoliosis are usually acquired by young people, children and teens. But degenerative scoliosis is acquired mostly by the adults. It is usually caused by a condition known as spondylosis. In this condition, the bones of the backbone are displaced so that extra pressure is exerted on the spinal nerves in the backbone. Such abnormality of spinal nerves along with the abnormal growth of a bone can lead to scoliosis.
Another potential reason for scoliosis is due to a spinal tumor. An example is osteoid osteoma. This is a tumor which causes pain in the back. Due to this pain, the patient keeps leaning towards the other side so that there is minimum pressure on the tumor and thus, less pain. This leaning all the time may lead to scoliosis.
Scoliosis can also be categorized according to the age group in which it occurs: If it occurs in a person less than three years old, it is called infantile idiopathic scoliosis. Scoliosis of this type is usually acquired by birth. If a person acquires scoliosis during the age bracket of three to 10 years, it is called juvenile idiopathic scoliosis. And people who are over 10 years when they suffer from scoliosis suffer from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. This is the most common type of scoliosis.