What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is not a disease—it is a descriptive term.

Scoliosis affects 2% of women, 0.5% of men in the general population and over 80% of scoliosis cases, however, are idiopathic. All spines have curves. Some curvature in the neck, upper trunk and lower trunk is normal. We need these spinal curves to help the upper body maintain proper balance and alignment over the pelvis. However, when there are abnormal side-to-side (lateral) curves in the spinal column, we refer to this as scoliosis. On an x-ray, the spine of an individual with a typical scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line. It is typically classified as Congenital, Idiopathic and Neuromuscular.

Congenital scoliosis is caused by vertebral abnormalities that are present at birth; the curvature may not be noticed for several months to several years, depending on the severity of the bone deformity and growth abnormality. Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of scoliosis. The word idiopathic means “cause unknown”. Idiopathic scoliosis is broken down into four categories based on age: (1) infantile: children ages 3 and under, (2) juvenile: 3-9 years old, (3) adolescent: 10-18 years old, and (4) adult: after skeletal maturity. It is partially hereditary although it is not necessarily passed to each generation. This does mean that if scoliosis is present in the family, children should be checked for it. Scoliosis is most common during the adolescent growth spurt but can occur in younger ages. Neuromuscular Scoliosis is the curvature of the spine with a disorder of the neurological system such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or muscular dystrophy or spinal cord injuries. The curvature of the spine is progressive, and worsens during growth spurts. Many patients require a wheelchair due to other neurological conditions. As the trunk muscles weaken, the spine collapses into a C shaped curve making it difficult for the patient to sit upright. Progressive curves may affect the child's ability to be seated comfortably, thereby affecting their quality of life and function.

My goal with this blog is to be able to educate people who aren’t aware of scoliosis and how people are affected by it. I also want to make other young women, and men, feel like they’re not alone and they can have a place where they can talk and feel comfortable talking to people in the same situation. Growing up with scoliosis I never had anyone to talk to about it and I had to deal with the emotional and physical problems that came with it.