Why does scoliosis affect girls more

Are minimally invasive procedures becoming more common? There are 3 standard treatments for scoliosis in Children: Observation, Bracing as above and surgery. For adult patients, there is really no good indication for bracing except for the rare circumstance of helping patients with lumbar pain, postural changes for temporary pain relief.

Observation with physical therapy, aerobic activities etc are indicated for a vast majority of patients with smaller curves and minimal symptoms. Can scoliosis cause related problems with blood flow or organ systems? Also, for those patients whose spine is collapsing, the trunk can shorten with the rib cage resting on the pelvis making breathing more difficult and often impairing GI function as well. Also, the psychosocial aspects of living with a progressive disfiguring spinal deformity cannot be ignored and impaired quality of life parameters are documented in the literature for various subsets of adult scoliosis patients.

Louis Children's Hospital St. Sprain, strain or jam? In adults with a stable condition, x-rays every five years is usually enough. This really only works in young patients with a curve of less than 40 degrees. Different types of braces work in different circumstances, which need to be worn for 16 to 23 hours a day until the child stops growing.

Many women with this condition visit chiropractors to treat their scoliosis. The treatment can stop and even reverse the development of scoliosis in a child. Doctors usually only recommend surgery for scoliosis in women with curves of more than 40 degrees that appear to be progressing, or where the patient has nerve damage, bowel or bladder symptoms. The surgeon can go through the front or the back of the body, depending on where the curve is located. Surgery has changed in recent years from a spinal fusion model, which often caused painful arthritis in the discs above and below the fusion.

Sometimes patients who were treated in childhood might need revision surgery to bring them up to date with latest developments. Older patients have a higher risk for surgery in general, as do those who smoke, have obesity and other chronic health problems. Regular bone density tests will alert you if your bones start to weaken as you age, and a healthy diet and lifestyle will help you avoid a range of illnesses.

Radiographs were obtained presurgery and after surgery, at the 2-year follow-up assessment, and at the final follow-up visit. In addition, a physical examination was performed, and the Scoliosis Research Society SRS questionnaire was completed. Spine mobility and nondynamometric trunk strength were measured at the final follow-up visit.

Results: Before surgery, the mean Cobb angle of the thoracic curve was 55 degrees range degrees in the males and 56 degrees range degrees in the females. The mean angles of the thoracic and lumbar curves were similar at all follow-up visits. No significant difference was observed in thoracic kyphosis or lumbar lordosis between the study groups at the final follow-up.