- Scoliosis symptoms
- How to confirm scoliosis
- Types of scoliosis
- Scoliosis Treatment
- Physiotherapy
- Vest
- Surgery
Scoliosis is a lateral deviation of the C or S-shaped spine. Despite being more common in young people and adolescents, children can also be affected, especially when other neurological changes, such as cerebral palsy, are present and the elderly can develop scoliosis. due to osteoporosis, for example.
Most of the time, scoliosis is idiopathic, which means that its exact cause cannot be identified, being related to several factors such as genetics, lack of physical activity, poor posture and being seated or lying with a crooked spine for a long time.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of exams and treatment may include physical therapy, vests or surgery, in the most severe cases.
Scoliosis symptoms
It is possible to suspect scoliosis in the spine when the person has:
- A deviation in the C or S-shaped spine; One shoulder higher than the other; Shoulder blades, which are the back bones that are also popularly called 'wings', sloping; One side of the hip is tilted upward; One leg it is shorter than the other.
The diagnosis must be made by the orthopedic doctor based on observation of the spine, conducting imaging tests, such as x-ray or magnetic resonance, in the most severe cases.
How to confirm scoliosis
To confirm scoliosis, the following test can be performed initially:
- Stand upright with your legs hip-width apart and lean your body forward to touch the floor with your hands, keeping your legs straight. If the person is unable to put their hands on the floor, there is no need to strain too much. In this position the professional can observe if a higher region of the spine appears on one side. If it is possible to observe this 'high', called gibosity, this indicates that there is scoliosis on the same side.
When the person has scoliosis symptoms, but does not have gibosity, scoliosis is mild and can be treated only with physical therapy.
The x-ray of the spine must be ordered by the doctor and must show the spine vertebrae and also the hip, important to assess the Cobb angle, which indicates the degree of scoliosis the person has, which helps to define the most appropriate treatment. indicated.
The first image is the test and the second shows an X-ray of the spine with scoliosis:
Types of scoliosis
Scoliosis can be classified according to its causes and the affected region.
According to the cause of scoliosis, it can be:
- Idiopathic, when the cause is not known, it happens in 65-80% of cases; Congenital, in which the baby is already born with scoliosis due to malformation of the vertebrae; Degenerative, which appears in adulthood due to injuries, such as fractures or osteoporosis, for example; Neuromuscular, which happens as a result of neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, for example.
Regarding the affected region, scoliosis can be classified as:
- Cervical: C1-C6 Cervico-thoracic: C7-T1 Thoracic or dorsal: T2-T12 Thoracolumbar: T12-L1 Lumbar: L2-L4 Lumbosacral: L5-S1
In addition, one must know whether the curvature is to the left or to the right; and C-shaped, which indicates that it has only one curvature, or S-shaped, when there are 2 curvatures.
Scoliosis Treatment
The treatment for scoliosis can be done with physiotherapy, wearing a vest or spinal surgery, depending on the type of scoliosis that the person has, and its degree:
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is indicated to treat scoliosis of 10-35 degrees of curvature and can be done through therapeutic exercises, Clinical Pilates exercises, spinal manipulation techniques, osteopathy and corrective exercises such as the postural reeducation method.
Vest
When the person has between 20-40 degrees of curvature, in addition to physiotherapy it is also recommended to wear a special vest called Charleston which should be worn at night while sleeping, and the Boston vest, which is to be worn during the day to study, work and do all activities, and should only be taken for the bath. The vest should be recommended by the orthopedist and in order to have the expected effect, it must be worn for 23 hours a day.
Surgery
When the spine has more than 30 degrees of curvature in young people and more than 50 degrees in adults, surgery is indicated to reposition the spine vertebrae on the central axis. Surgery is usually indicated for children or adolescents, which is when the results are best and the treatment is most effective. Surgery can be done to place plates or screws to centralize the spine.
Find out more details about each scoliosis treatment.
Learn how to do exercises at home to correct scoliosis:
