Scoliosis is common in teenagers and adolescences. Minor scoliosis cases are due to pathological changes, eg, spinal cord injury, osteoporosis, brain injury and achondroplasia. Most scoliotic cases are idiopathic, this article aims to answer questions about idiopathic scoliosis.
1. What is spinal scoliosis？
Spinal curve (Cobb angle) greater than 10 degrees is known as spinal scoliosis. The spine deforms by curving sideways and rotating. Spine deformity causes an asymmetric hump, noted during forward bending of the client. In some severe cases, we can also see uneven height of the pelvis.
2. What symptoms comes with scoliosis?
- The asymmetry of the spinal muscles lead to uneven muscle strength.
- There is increased probability of low back pain in those with lumbar scoliosis.
- The twisting spine and ribs may cause weakness of core muscles.
- Lumbar spine scoliosis may lead to problems such as, uneven pelvic height, leg length discrepancy, knee pain and flat feet.
- Spine flexibility is commonly decreased in scoliotic cases.
3. How to correct the spine？
First, we should acknowledge…..
How the spine deforms:
Uneven muscle strength (dominant/ non-dominant side) and faulty posture (slouch sitting and cross legs).
The target of spine correction is to decrease muscle asymmetry.
The best way is to increase daily activities and change your sedentary lifestyle.
What results should we expect in different age bands:
Average age under 16 — Intervention during puberty (1–2 years of the first period/ growing of Adams apple) has the best spine correction results. The growth rate is higher in this stage, thus there is space for more correction.
Average age above 16 — The growth plate closes during this stage, thus there is limited improvement.
Puberty is the most suitable intervention timing.
The growth speed differs in every individual, X-ray is the most objective way to find out your bone age.
4. Does it get worse after rehab？
Average age under 16 — It is recommended that faulty postures should be avoided to prevent worsening of the spinal curve.
Average age above 16 — It is recommended that the spinal curvature is maintained under 30 degrees to form a relatively stable structure.
16 is the mean cut off age of bone maturation.
To know the exact bone age, X-ray examination is suggested.
5. It it safe to workout or exercise？
Some may have concerns/ questions like: “It is easy to be injured during weight training. “ “Should I finish rehab before exercising?”
There are some degrees of muscle asymmetry in scoliotic patients that should be treated first. It is recommended that the patient receive correction exercise or enhancing neuromuscular control of the weaker muscles.
Correcting exercises include:
- Postural correction
- Neutralization of the spine
- Correct usage of the core muscles
- Enhancing proprioception
- Muscle/ fascial strengthening
The prognosis of spinal corrective intervention depends on bone age, the degree of scoliosis and the motivation of intervention.
If you have family or friends who have scoliosis, please seek the help of a physical therapist!
