Symptoms and treatment of Scoliosis

Description

Scoliosis is a side-to-side curve of the spine. It is most often diagnosed after the age of 10 years or in the first years of adolescence. The spine can curve to both sides, and in different parts of the back. The experts don't know the cause of the majority of the childhood of the scoliosis.

The majority of the scoliosis is mild. But some curves worsen as children grow older. If the curve is very bad, the scoliosis can cause pain and breathing problems. A bad curve of the spine can push in the lungs and make it hard to breathe.

Health professionals see the growth of children who have mild scoliosis, with follow-up visits a few times a year. This most often includes X-rays and a physical exam to see if the curve is getting worse. Many people with scoliosis do not need treatment.

Some children may need to wear a brace to stop the curve from getting worse. Others may need surgery to correct the curve.

Symptoms

The symptoms of scoliosis can include:

Change of posture.
Shoulders that is not uniform.
A shoulder blade that looks bigger than the other.
The waist is not.
One hip higher than the other.
One of the sides of the rib cage pushing forward.
One of the sides of the rear stand when leaning forward.

Most cases of scoliosis, the spine rotates or twists, as well as the curvature from side to side. This causes the ribs or the muscles on one side of the body protrude beyond those on the other side.

When to see a doctor

See your health care professional if you see the signs of scoliosis in your child. A slight curve could be slowly and do not cause pain. You and your child might not know it exists. Sometimes, teachers, friends, and colleagues are the first to realize that a child of the scoliosis.

Causes

The experts don't know what causes the most common type of scoliosis. But the condition can run in families. The following can cause some types of scoliosis:

Certain conditions of the muscles and the nerves that leave the body to move, called neuromuscular disorders. The conditions include cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy.
The birth of the conditions that affect the shape of the bones of the spine shape.
The surgery of the chest wall as a baby or surgery to remove the bone at the back of the spine.
Disorders of the spinal cord.

Risk factors

Risk factors for developing the most common type of scoliosis include:

Being the age of 10 years or more. The symptoms most often begin in the early years of adolescence.
Be assigned to women in childbirth. Both sexes get scoliosis in the same proportion. But the people assigned female at birth have a higher risk of the curve getting worse and in need of treatment.
Having a family history. Scoliosis can run in families. But the majority of children with scoliosis do not have a family history of the disease.

Complications

Most people with scoliosis have a mild form. In a growing child, the scoliosis may worsen. Worst scoliosis, at times, cause complications, including:

Breathing problems. The spine may press against the lungs. This may make it more difficult to breathe.
Back problems. The people who receive the scoliosis as children may be more likely to have chronic back pain as adults. This is more often true for the curves that are great and not treated.
Changes in the way the body looks. As the scoliosis gets worse, it may cause changes in the body. These changes may include the hips and the shoulders that is not uniform, the ribs that stand out, being short, and a change of the waist and trunk to the side.

Diagnosis

To diagnose scoliosis, the health professional can take a medical history and ask about the growth of the last times. During the physical exam, the health care professional can have your child standing and leaning forward from the waist, arms hanging down. This is to see if one of the sides of the rib cage stands out more than the other.

The health care professional also may do a test to check the nervous system, called a neurological exam. The test checks:

The muscle weakness.
Numbness.
Reflections.

Imaging tests

X-rays can confirm the diagnosis of scoliosis and the extent of the spinal curve. The children that are growing more frequent X-rays every six months to see if the curve is getting worse. This can cause the radiation of X-rays to worry about.

To reduce this risk, your health care professional may suggest a special type of X-ray images that you use the lowest dose of radiation. Most of the medical centers that specialize in the care of scoliosis offer this type of images.

Some of the children to obtain an x-ray of the hand to show how much more they will grow. The X-ray of the hand of the sample if the growth plates are open and continues to grow.

You might have an mri scan if your healthcare provider suspects that an underlying condition, such as spinal cord problem, is the cause of the scoliosis. Mri does not use radiation.

Treatment

The treatment of scoliosis depends on the size of the curve, and how much more the child is likely to grow. Even children with small curves may need regular tests to see if the curve is getting worse as they grow. Older teens who have mild curves usually do not need treatment.

A moderate or large spinal curve may need bracing or surgery. You can depend on:

The maturity of the child. If the bones have stopped growing, the risk of the curve getting worse is low. The supports have the most effect on children, whose bones are still growing. A health care professional can check the maturity of the bones with the x-rays of the hand.
The size of the corner. Large curves are more likely to get worse with time.
The people assigned female at birth. Have a higher risk of the curve from getting worse, that the people assigned male at birth.

Keys

Children with scoliosis moderate whose bones are still developing can wear a corset. The key to most of the time does not cure scoliosis, or the inverse of the curve. But you can maintain a moderate curve from getting worse.

The most common type of corset is made of plastic. It forms to the body. This support fits under the arms and around the rib cage, lower back, and hips. It is difficult to see beneath the clothes.

The majority of children who have a key to the wear and tear of 13 to 18 hours a day. A corset works better the more it is used. Children who wear braces can take part in most activities. If needed, children can take off the corset to play sports or do other physical activities.

There are devices that are designed to be worn only in the evening. That may work for some types of scoliosis.

Children who have stopped growing, you may no longer need the device. The people assigned female at birth more often stop growing at the age of 14. The people who are assigned male at birth, more often they stop growing at the age of 16. But the age varies from person to person.

Surgery

Scoliosis may worsen with time. This is more likely in children who are still growing. For great curves, your healthcare provider may suggest scoliosis surgery to help straighten the curve and prevent it from getting worse.

Surgical options include:

The spinal fusion.In this procedure, surgeons join 6 to 12 of the bones in the spine, called vertebrae. Then they can't move by themselves. The surgeon places the pieces of bone or a bonelike material between the vertebrae. Surgeons perform this procedure through an incision in the posterior part of the spinal column, called an incision. The cast of the area of the spinal column, where the scoliosis was treated becomes rigid. Most people can return to sports in 3 to 6 months after surgery. The surgeon puts metal rods, and special screws in the vertebrae to hold that part of the spinal column straight and still. That allows the old and the new bone material of fuses.
Vertebral body tethering. Surgeons perform this procedure through small cuts, called incisions. A surgeon places the screws along the outer edge of the spinal curve and the threads of a strong cord through the screw. Tighten the cable straightens the spine. As the child grows, the spine can be straightened even more. This procedure allows the spine to move as usual.
The expansion or growth of the bars.If the scoliosis gets worse quickly at an early age, surgeons can connect one or two rods along the spine. The bars to expand, so that they get longer as the child grows. Some bars extend your account. For the other bars, a health professional makes the bars more every 3 to 6 months with a magnetic remote control in a clinic. The bars rarely need to be made not with the surgery two times a year.

The spinal fusion. In this procedure, surgeons join 6 to 12 of the bones in the spine, called vertebrae. Then they can't move by themselves. The surgeon places the pieces of bone or a bonelike material between the vertebrae.

Surgeons perform this procedure through an incision in the posterior part of the spinal column, called an incision. The cast of the area of the spinal column, where the scoliosis was treated becomes rigid. Most people can return to sports in 3 to 6 months after surgery.

The surgeon puts metal rods, and special screws in the vertebrae to hold that part of the spinal column straight and still. That allows the old and the new bone material of fuses.

The expansion or growth of the bars. If the scoliosis gets worse quickly at an early age, surgeons can connect one or two rods along the spine. The bars to expand, so that they get longer as the child grows.

Some bars extend your account. For the other bars, a health professional makes the bars more every 3 to 6 months with a magnetic remote control in a clinic. The bars rarely need to be made not with the surgery two times a year.

Complications of spine surgery may include infection or, rarely, damage to the nerves. The spine can keep the curve above or below the site of the surgery.

Lifestyle and home remedies

There are No known activities of the cause or correction of the scoliosis. Most people with scoliosis do not have to restrict what we do. Carrying a heavy backpack is not the cause of the scoliosis.

Exercise or sports can improve the overall health and well-being. A healthy diet with enough calcium and vitamin D may also help the health of the bones. Physical therapy can help to strengthen your back, relieve pain and improve posture.

Alternative medicine

Studies do not show that the following treatments for scoliosis to help fix the curve:

A procedure that uses controlled force to move the joint beyond its range of motion, called spinal manipulation.
Soft keys.
Electrical stimulation of the muscles.
The dietary supplements.

Coping and support

Coping with scoliosis can be tough for teens. They are dealing with many physical and emotional changes and social problems. A diagnosis of scoliosis can add distress.

Be careful of friends can help a child or teen cope with scoliosis, bracing or surgical treatment. Encourage your child to talk to friends and ask for their support.

You can try a support group for parents and children with scoliosis. The people in the group can share tips and help you connect with other people who have problems as you and your child.

Preparing for your appointment

Your healthcare team will check for scoliosis in a well-child visit. Many schools have programs of screening for scoliosis. A physical examination before joining a sport you can display the scoliosis.

If someone tells you that your child may have scoliosis, consult your health professional to confirm the condition. Your health care professional may refer you to a specialist in the treatment of children with scoliosis, called a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.

What you can do

Before the appointment, write a list that includes:

The details of any of your child's symptoms and when they began.
Your child's medical history.
Your family's medical history.
Questions you want to ask the health care team.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care team may ask you some questions, such as:

Your child's symptoms that cause pain?
Your child has difficulty breathing?
Does anyone in the family has been treated for scoliosis?
Have your child's growth has accelerated in the last six months?
Does your child get periods? When do you start?