Scoliosis is the bending of the spine to the right or left. Although it is associated with a developmental disorder, the cause is unknown. The diagnosis is usually made in childhood. Sometimes the disease can be detected incidentally on a chest X-ray. Due to scoliosis, slippage also occurs in the hip, shoulder blades, and rib cage.
So, Is scoliosis a disability? Actually, it can be called a disability if it is incurable.
What Are The Types Of Scoliosis?
In the medical literature, these diseases are idiopathic when most factors that cause the condition cannot be determined definitively. Therefore, the most common type of scoliosis is “idiopathic scoliosis.” Idiopathic scoliosis is in four groups with age limits ranging from 0 to 18 years.
We use the term infant idiopathic scoliosis for patients between the ages of 0-3, juvenile idiopathic scoliosis between the ages of 4-10, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis between the ages of 11-18, and adult idiopathic scoliosis after the age of 18 years. If we look at the age group where the disease is most common, we can conclude that most patients are diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
Scoliosis detected after birth is congenital scoliosis. It is a type of scoliosis we can understand in ultrasonographic examinations performed while the baby is still in the mother’s womb.
This situation, which occurs due to a problem during the development of the skeletal structure of the spine, may result in a developmental defect related to other systems, such as nerve, excretory and cardiovascular systems, that develop simultaneously.
What Are The Causes Of Scoliosis?
In the vast majority of scoliosis patients, doctors cannot identify the actual cause. However, the presence of individuals with the same condition among family members in 1 out of every three scoliosis patients may indicate a genetic transition. For this reason, parents diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis in their youth must be conscious that this condition can develop in their children.
What Are The Four Symptoms Of Scoliosis?
The symptoms that occur in the case of scoliosis vary with the degree of curvature of the spine. Various signs and symptoms can contribute to the recognition of this ailment:
- Uneven shoulders, shoulder blades, and pelvis bones when viewed from the outside
- One of the two hips appears higher
- Seeing the lateral curving of the spine
- Long-term neck, back, and low back pain
At the same time, depending on this spine change, the rib cage volume decreases. The shrinking thorax volume may prevent the lungs from expanding sufficiently during inhalation and cause respiratory complaints.
How Is Scoliosis Diagnosed?
At the beginning of the steps we take to diagnose scoliosis, we search for conditions known to cause scoliosis, albeit rare. Determining the cause of scoliosis is especially important in the presence of scoliosis that starts before age 10, in the rapid progression of the curvature, and in the presence of symptoms related to the nervous system.
During the examination, the person’s skeletal system with the disease was evaluated. Back pain that does not go away in scoliosis patients (approximately one-quarter of the patients) may be among the complaints. Still, most patients in their age group participate in athletic activities and do not have any other disease other than scoliosis.
We detect the presence of scoliosis by various radiological examinations. X-rays with relatively low radiation exposure, taken from multiple angles, were the first imaging method used. If deemed necessary by the physician, other imaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, can be used for diagnostic purposes.
Imaging methods evaluate the degree of curvature of the spine. To discuss the presence of scoliosis in a person, we need to determine the curvature of at least 10 degrees.
How Is Scoliosis Treatment?
Procedures such as surgical intervention are extremely rare in the treatment of scoliosis. Well, How can I straighten my scoliosis without surgery? The treatment principle consists of observation, appropriate exercise and sportive activities, and follow-up. Although many factors are considered in treatment planning, the degree of curvature is one step ahead of these factors.
In patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who have not undergone treatment, the curvature may increase by an average of 0.5-1 degrees per year. In addition, curvatures in cases of scoliosis that occur during adolescence tend to follow a worse course than scoliosis seen at early ages. For this reason, more aggressive surgical interventions may be needed in advanced-age scoliosis cases compared to adolescent scoliosis.
What Happens If You Don’t Fix Scoliosis?
In untreated scoliosis patients, low back and back pain, nerve damage, and various problems related to organs such as the lungs and heart may appear. In addition to these problems, negative thoughts about a person’s appearance are also an issue that should be emphasized in treatment planning.
It is recommended to continue the follow-up and evaluation with x-rays taken at 3, 6, and 1-year intervals in people with a degree of curvature detected in the spine between 10 and 25 degrees. It aims to prevent the progression of spinal curvature with orthosis, a corset-like structure, but this method has rarely been applied in recent years.
In some early detected cases, this bracing method may come to the fore in treatment planning. Orthoses should be worn for 16-23 hours a day during growth. Regular use in orthotic treatment is an important issue.
What Is The Best Age For Scoliosis Surgery?
There is no specific age range for scoliosis surgery. However, doctors recommend this surgery after the age of 18. If the curvature detected in the spine exceeds 40 degrees, correction of the spine with surgical intervention may be considered. “Is scoliosis surgery a major surgery?” and “How serious is scoliosis surgery?”. Our answer to these questions is, unfortunately, yes, but you may not have a curvature that requires surgery.
Curiosities After Scoliosis Surgery
How long after scoliosis surgery can you walk?
Patients stand up and walk on the second day after surgery.
How long is the hospital stay after scoliosis surgery?
Although scoliosis surgery techniques and patients differ, patients are usually discharged on the fifth day at the latest. They return to school in 3-4 weeks. Backpacking is allowed at the end of the first month.
What should not be done after the operation?
Patients should generally not bend too much and lift heavy loads for three months.
Will I be taller after scoliosis surgery?
Yes, but how long you get depends on the degree of your scoliosis.