Scoliosis

GENERAL INFORMATION

Scoliosis is a type of condition that usually affects children, teenagers, and young adults. It actually can happen to anyone but most commonly in those referred above. Scoliosis will cause the spine to curve in the wrong direction, usually more lateral (sideways). If not noticed or taken care of when younger, it can progress as the person tends to get older, and actually may also become more painful.

SYMPTOMS

When checking for symptoms of scoliosis, take these findings into affect. If you notice the person leaning to one side more than the other, uneven shoulders and ribcage, and in younger children, when the school nurse does the annual screening, they will be able to notice if when they bend over if the spine is straight or moves to one side more than the other.

TYPES OF SCOLIOSIS

There are actually four types of scoliosis that a person can get. The first one is Idiopathic which actually means it occurs without any notice to the person. This occurs in about 80 percent of scoliosis, and is the most common in girls. The next kind is congenital which means it is present at birth which has occured during the pregnancy. The third kind is neuromuscular which occurs in children who usually have spinal bifida or cerebral palsy. The last kind is called adult or degenerative scoliosis which is usually found later in life by someone who might have osteoporosis or other bone diseases causing this to happen.

TESTS

Some tests that can be done for scoliosis are x-rays, plumb line test which is used to see if the spine lies straight, scoliometer which will measure the lumps on the back to tell if its scoliosis. The severity of the curve can be determined by either a MRI or an xray. The sooner it is taken care of, the less likely it will become progressive and become more painful to the patient.