When you look at what scoliosis is it is classified as an abnormal curvature of the spine greater than 10 degrees shown via imagining like an X-Ray. Now before you tell yourself your back is fully straight, consider that when only looking at a person from the front or back, if you look from a side perspective your spine should be curved. This can be explained by the gentle bend forward of the spine in the chest and there is a backward bend called lordosis which is classified as the chest and the pelvis. Now that you know how your spine is supposed to look, let me tell you how doctors look at a person with scoliosis. The spine looking from a front or back angle normally appears at an S-Shape or shows a prominent curvature and a point at where it straightens out. If you ever wonder why some people have a hump it might be because their spine twists on its axis and in that it pushes out the ribs and flanks causing a hump if they are pushed back towards your back. A fun fact is that females are more likely to develop scoliosis with growth compared to males.
That is just a summary of what scoliosis is. If you ever wanna impress somebody with your knowledge you can talk about the types that one person can have. Idiopathic Scoliosis is the type most have the word Idiopathic is a fancy word for saying the cause is unknown and honestly can just be something that came with growing. Congenital Scoliosis means that the child was born with scoliosis and there was an issue in the development of one or more vertebrae. Neuromuscular Scoliosis usually is secondary to a neuromuscular condition a kid can have like for example cerebral palsy. Syndromic Scoliosis similar to neuromuscular scoliosis is secondary to a condition only this time it's to a specific syndrome like for example Marfan Syndrome or skeletal dysplasias such as achondroplasia. Now, this type of scoliosis I am going to talk about next is what people think about when they talk about scoliosis and it is called postural scoliosis. Postural Scoliosis on an X-Ray doesn't show any abnormalities in the vertebrates but usually is a byproduct of constant back pain and a child picking one side to lay on when they sleep.
What do you classify as scoliosis exactly well? It usually depends on the degree of the curvature.
A less than 10-degree curve is not scoliosis; it is most likely fast growth if there even is a curve. Now if the curve is between 10-30 degrees it is monitored with X Rays and check-ups just to make sure it doesn't get worse at some point you might have to wear a brace but usually treatment isn't much enforced. Now if you are in the 30-50 range you have to wear a brace for 20 hours like Invisalign. The scoliosis brace is known as a TLSO, which stands for a thoraco-lumbar spinal orthotic. The main goal is for the brace to reduce the curve below 50 degrees and usually in about 80% of kids it works if you wear it for 22 hours each day.
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(Cover Image Source: Fort Collins Chiropractor)
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