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Living With Scoliosis
I am currently enrolled as a student at Miami Jacobs Career College, working towards by AAS degree with a focus in Respiratory Therapy. I am also living with scoliosis. Scoliosis affects about 12 million people worldwide (Scoliosis Specialists). I hope that in the next few pages, we can together learn more about this disease and its effects.
Scoliosis is an unhealthy curvature of the spine. According to the Scoliosis Specialists website, if it goes unnoticed and untreated, it can become a serious problem. Scoliosis is a condition found in both males and females; however, females are at risk twice as much as males (eMedicine Health). When it was first discovered that I had scoliosis, I wasn't sure what it meant, and my school suggested that I be examined by our family doctor. At that time, my family and I had never even heard of scoliosis. By the time it was found by my school, I was 16 years old. My scoliosis was graded at a 60% degree curvature, and I was sent to a specialist for treatment. It was recommended that I have surgery to have a rod put in my back. But because I was almost completely grown, the prognosis was not as bad as it could have been. By that time, my back would not get any worse so I could live with it without surgery. Besides surgery, physical therapy was the only other recommended form of treatment.
There is structural and non-structural (functional), scoliosis. Non-structural scoliosis is a structurally normal spine that appears curved. This is a temporary change caused by an underlying condition such as a difference in leg length, muscle spasms, or appendicitis. Alternatively, structural scoliosis is a fixed curve that is treated on a case-by-case basis. The form of scoliosis that I have is what they call a fixed curve, and will only change with age. At the age of 41 I am just finding that I am having some trouble with mine.
A patient with suspected scoliosis will be examined by an orthopedist. The doctor will take a complete medical history, which will include questions about family history. During my physical examination, the doctor had me stand in a variety of positions. First, I was asked to strand straight with my feet facing forward. This enabled the doctor to view the legs to ensure they were both the same length. Next, I was asked to bend forward and touch my toes. This allowed him to visually check the curvature of my spine. The doctor used these tests and x-rays, in addition to using a scoliometer, to check the severity and determine the grading of the curvature of my spine. In addition to these tests, the doctor may perform neurological exams, in order to reveal a neuromuscular etiology. The doctor will determine where the curvature begins and where it ends, meaning where the bend turns one way and then another. The measurement, called the Cobb angle, measures the angle of the bend. The Cobb angle is found by projecting lines parallel to the vertebrae tops at the extremes of the curve; projecting perpendiculars from these lines; and measuring the angle of intersection (Answers).
If the curvature of the spine is severe enough, the signs are rather obvious. Signs not including the actual curvature of the spine are uneven breasts, shoulders, and hips. It can also affect breathing because the ribs are twisted from the curves in the spine, which changes the ribs in the front. From my own personal experience, one side of my ribs is pulled in further than the other. So the organs found in the thoracic cavity are also affected by the condition. If my back is hurt, it radiates around my rib cage and even breathing becomes painful at times.
In addition to scoliosis, there are two other forms of spinal curvatures. One is called kyphosis. This is characterized by slouching, a rounded back and a humpback appearance. It is also called roundback, hunchback and Dowager's hump.
Lordosis (figure 2) is another form of spinal curvature. It is
characterized by an anterior or inward curve of the lumbar spine.
It is also known as swayback. Lordosis is very common in women during pregnancy. One of the most common causes is obesity (Neighbors, Tannehill-Jones 90-91).
The treatment for scoliosis is dependent upon several aspects, one being the degree of the curvature. Other factors include the patient's age and the current stage of growth. A curve of 20 degrees or less is normally just monitored on a regular basis, until the individual has reached their full-grown size. Youth with 20-30 degree curvature, or an adult with up to a 40 degree curvature are closely monitored, with no other intervention. Children whose curvature has progressed 30 degrees or more in a year, a back brace is required. Bracing can't correct the curvature progression, but may be effective in halting or slowing the progression (Answers).
If the patient's degree of curvature is more than 50 degrees before their growth stops, surgery for idiopathic scoliosis is recommended. Another recommendation for surgery would be if the individual is experiencing significant pain. Surgery will also be suggested if bracing has not slowed or stopped the progression of the curve.
If the etiology of the scoliosis is determined to be neuromuscular, orthopedic surgery will be done to eliminate pain and discomfort. A procedure called spinal fusion will be performed. The vertebrae involved will first be exposed and scraped to promote bleeding, which will in turn promote growth. Then bone chips are used to splint the vertebrae to increase the fusion. The last step of the procedure involves inserting metal rods along the patient's spine, connecting them with screws, wires or hooks. The goal of the procedure is to straighten the spine. Once the fusion takes place, the rods are no longer needed, but are rarely removed unless complications call for their removal. Full recovery normally takes six months (Answers).
Alternative treatments include massage, physical therapy, electrical stimulation and rolfing. Chiropractic manipulation may help with flexibility, stronger muscles, but rarely prevent or correct the spines natural progression. An ineffective method of treatment is simple exercise. While this is important for strength and overall healthy, it's an ineffective method to slow the progression or prevent scoliosis.
Weight gain may further increase the curvature of the spine, so proper diet and weight control is imperative. Other known causes include congenital scoliosis, which is due to the bones forming abnormally and is often connected with organ defects; neuromuscular scoliosis, which is due losing control of the nerves or muscles that support the spine; and degenerative scoliosis, which is caused by degeneration of the discs which separate the vertebrae and arthritis in the joints (Answers).
Untreated scoliosis leads to spondylosis, and may cause severe breathing problems. If left untreated, degenerative arthritis and severe physical deformities may occur.
There is no real way to prevent scoliosis, however, exercise and physical fitness are extremely important for individuals affected by scoliosis. The need to maintain flexibility and health will decrease the likelihood of osteoporosis in these individuals.
To summarize, scoliosis is a curvature of the curvature of the spine, which has structural and non-structural conditions. Signs and symptoms of scoliosis, as mentioned before, may include uneven breasts, hips and shoulders, promoting shoulder blade, muscle mass or bumps on one side of the spine. Diagnosing scoliosis is mainly a physical examination done by your family doctor or child's school. Treatments for scoliosis are braces and surgery. There is no cure for scoliosis, but if a good exercise program and healthy diet are maintained, a fairly normal lifestyle can be had.
In conclusion, scoliosis is a disease in which there is no known cure, but you can live with it and have a normal life. I have lived with scoliosis since I was 16 years old. I'm now 41 and really it has never stopped me from achieving my goals in life. I'm a mother of four children and a grandmother of three, and I still enjoy playing and doing the everyday activities with my family. But this is not the case in all scoliosis patients. I am truly one of the luckier ones. I am grateful for the life God has given me and the blessing of the family I have. Thank you for sharing this with me.
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