The complications of scoliosis

While most people with scoliosis have a mild form of the disorder, scoliosis may sometimes cause complications, including:

Lung and heart damage
In severe scoliosis, the rib cage may press against the lungs and heart, making it more difficult to breathe and harder for the heart to pump. In very severe scoliosis, damage to the lungs and the heart can occur. Anytime breathing is compromised, the risk of lung infections and pneumonia increases.

Back problems
Adults who had scoliosis as children are more likely to have chronic back pain than are people in the general population. Also, people with untreated scoliosis may develop arthritis of the spine.

Different types of curves

Doctors group curves of the spine by their location, shape, pattern, and cause. They use this information to decide how best to treat the scoliosis.

1. Location – To identify a curve's location, doctors find the apex of the curve (the vertebra within the curve that is the most off-center); the location of the apex is the "location" of the curve. A thoracic curve has its apex in the thoracic area (the part of the spine to which the ribs attach). A lumbar curve has its apex in the lower back. A thoracolumbar curve has its apex where the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae join (see "Normal Spine" diagram).

 2. Shape – The curve usually is S- or C-shaped.

 3.Pattern – Curves frequently follow patterns that have been studied in previous patients (see "Curve Patterns" diagram). The larger the curve is, the more likely it will progress (depending on the amount of growth remaining).

A giraffe with scoliosis

I hate to see little kids suffer with scoliosis

What happens if the spine requires surgery?

When a young person exhibits a worsening spinal deformity, surgical treatment may be indicated to improve the deformity and to prevent increasing deformity in the future. The most common surgical procedure is a posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation and bone graft. The term "instrumentation" refers to a variety of devices such as rods, hooks, wires, and screws, which are used to hold the correction of the spine in as normal an alignment as possible while the bone fusion heals. The instrumentation is rarely removed.


A number of factors influence the recommendation for surgery:

1. The area of the spine involved;
2. Severity of the scoliosis;
3. Presence of increased or decreased kyphosis;
4. Pain (rare in adolescents, more common in adults);
5. Growth remaining; and
6. Personal factors.

Operative Considerations
The goal of surgery is to fuse the spine at the optimum degree of safe correction of the deformity. There are always risks that accompany any surgical procedure. These should be discussed with your orthopaedic surgeon. Some important points in planning your surgery are:

1. A comprehensive preoperative conference
2. Donating your own blood (if possible)
3. Good nutritional status before and after surgery
4. Exercise program before and after surgery
5. Positive mental attitude

loving it!!!!!!

What are the different types of treatment

1. Observation- This is for curves that have a small degree measurement when you are growing (adolescent scoliosis), or for moderate size curves (< 40-45 degrees) when you are done growing. For adults, observation and physical therapy are for those patients who have mild symptoms and have curves which are not large.

2. Bracing- This is for curves between 25 and 45 degrees in growing children to prevent further progression of the curve while growth of the spine remains. The goal of bracing is to prevent further progression since the brace cannot correct curves.

3. Surgical Treatment- This reserved for curves which are generally greater than 50 degrees for adolescent patients and adults. Surgery can be performed for smaller curves if the appearance of the curvature is bothersome to the patient or if symptoms are associated with the scoliosis in the adult patient. The goals of surgical treatment are to obtain curve correction and to prevent curve progression. This is generally achieved by placing metal implants onto the spine which are then attached to rods which correct the spine curvature and hold it in the corrected position until fusion, or knitting of the spine elements together.

The signs of scoliosis

1. One shoulder may be higher than the other.

2. One scapula (shoulder blade) may be higher or more prominent than the other.

3. With the arms hanging loosely at the side, there may be more space between the arm and the body on one side.

4. One hip may appear to be higher or more prominent than the other.

5. The head may not be exactly centered over the pelvis.

6. The waist may be flattened on one side; skin creases may be present on one side of the waist.

7. When the patient is examined from the rear and asked to bend forward until the spine is horizontal, one side of the back may appear higher than the other. This test, called the Adams test, is a very sensitive test for scoliosis; it is therefore the most frequent screening test for scoliosis.

Do i have scoliosis?

Determining whether or not you or anyone you know have scoliosis is best done by a physician who will perform a physical examination of your back. The examination is done with you standing in a relaxed position with your arms at your sides. The physician will view you from behind looking for curvature of the spine, shoulder blade asymmetry, waistline asymmetry and any trunk shift. You will then bend forward at the waist and the physician will view your back once again to look for the rotational aspect of the scoliosis in the upper part of the back (rib prominence) or in the lower part of your back (flank or waist prominence). Following this simple examination, the physician will usually initial radiographs of the spine viewed from the back and the side to see the entire spine from the neck to the pelvis. If scoliosis is present, the physician will measure the radiographs and provide you with a numerical value, in degrees, to help describe the scoliosis.

What causes scoliosis

Eighty-five percent of people with scoliosis have the "idiopathic" type. "Idiopathic" means "no known cause." However, the term is not quite accurate, as we actually know quite a bit about the cause and natural history of idiopathic scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis frequently runs in families and there is a growing body of evidence that genetics plays a major role. Idiopathic scoliosis may appear at any age but most often appears in early adolescence. At this age, young people are reluctant to allow their bodies to be seen by parents and other adults, and the problem may not be detected until it is quite severe. As a result, the Scoliosis Research Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons have endorsed school screening programs to detect scoliosis curves before they may become advanced and more difficult to treat.


 Several less common types of scoliosis have a different cause. These curves may be due to abnormally formed vertebrae already present at birth ("congenital scoliosis"), disorders of the central nervous system such as cerebral palsy, muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy, or genetic diseases such as Marfan's syndrome or Down syndrome. Scoliosis may also be seen following infections of the spine or fractures involving the spine.

Hey scolio's

The sole purpose of me creating this blog is to bring awareness to those who have scoliosis and are learning to live with it. It's also to make people more knowledgeable about scoliosis, whether they have it, know someone who does, or have kids with it. Its also a place where people can talk about their journey with scoliosis, whether it be mental, emotional, and the obvious physical effects. I know first hand how it feels to have scoliosis. I've dealt with the pain and the insecurities, the hatred of having a curved spine and seeing people with a straight spine. So if anyone have any question please ask and i will be more than happy to respond to the best of my knowledge. We can also, exchange advice on how to handle the pain, or any other non-surgical treatment that has worked.

Different types of scoliosis

There are four different types of curve as you can see thoracic, lumbar, thoracolumbar, and double


• Thoracic curves develops in the upper back

• Lumbar curves develops in the lower back

• Thoracolumbar curves are the area between the upper back and lower back

• Double major curves are made up of two curves with nearly equal angles; it makes the spine look like an “S”

Anatomy of the spine

In order to better understand any abnormalities in the spine, I found it easy for me to learn and understand some of the basic spinal anatomy. The human spine is divided into three portions: the cervical spine (neck area), the thoracic spine (upper back) and the lumbar spine (lower back). The spine itself is made up of bones, joints, discs, nerve structures, spinal cord, muscles and ligaments that all work together to allow for movement and support for the body.


The spinal column is made up of twenty-four individual bones called vertebrae. Each vertebra in the spinal column consists of the vertebral body in the front, the facet joints in the back and the pedicles, which join the vertebral bodies to the facet joints. Vertebrae provide support for the spine and are connected by intervertebral discs. Intervertebral discs are composed of strong tissue masses that are filled with gel, and they allow the torso to bend, twist and absorb shock. There are seven cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae and five lumbar vertebrae.
The vertebrae in the cervical spine begin at the base of the head. In this area there are eight pairs of cervical nerves, which control movement in the neck, arms and upper body. The cervical vertebrae are strong and tough in order to support the weight of the head.


The thoracic spine contains twelve vertebrae and twelve pairs of ribs. The nerve roots in this area are responsible for movement in the midsection of the body. The ribs provide the structure for the chest wall and protect many important internal organs.


The largest and strongest bones in the spinal column are the lumbar vertebrae. The lumbar portion of the spine supports the bulk of the body's weight. The five pairs of nerve roots located in the lumbar spine are responsible for movement and sensory functions in the lower extremities of the body.


At the lower portion of the spinal column are two other spinal bones: the sacrum and the coccyx, or tailbone. The sacrum consists of five bones naturally fused together, and the coccyx consists of four small attached bones. These bones look different than any other bones in the spine. The sacrum is triangular in shape and the coccyx is attached to the lower end of this triangle. The nerve roots in this area control the pelvic organs and buttock muscles.

The signs of Scoliosis

There are several different signs to look for to help determine if you or someone you love has scoliosis. The entire body appears to be leaning to one side, Shoulders are different heights, one shoulder blade is more high up than the other, head is not centered directly above the pelvis, appearance of a raised prominent hip, rib cages are at different heights, uneven waist, changes in look or texture of skin overlaying the spine such as dimples, hairy patches, and color changes. When seen by the doctor there is a standard exam that doctors use and it’s called the Adam’s Forward Bend Test. For the test, patients will be asked to lean forward with his or her feet together and bend 90 degrees at the waist. The doctor can then see from this angle any abnormal spinal curvatures, but you cannot determine accurately the exact severity of the deformity. Once the doctor confirms that the patient has scoliosis with an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI. The curve is then measured by the Cobb Method and is discussed in terms of degrees. A curve is considered significant if it is greater than 25 to 30 degrees. Curves exceeding 45 to 50 degrees are considered severe and often require more aggressive treatment.

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.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY

TO EVERYONE IM SORRY FOR THE DELAY OF MY BLOG I HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON AND IM TRYNA ORGANIZE EVERYTHING TO DISPLAY ON MY BLOGS SO BE PATIENT AND BEAR WITH ME CUZ IT WILL BE UP AND RUNNING BEFORE THE WEEKEND...THANK YOU