June is Scoliosis awareness month, so we’ll be featuring some information from MoveForwardPT about scoliosis and how physical therapy can help!

The first question that has to be answered is, what is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a condition that affects the normal shape of the spine, altering a person’s overall trunk alignment and posture. Scoliosis causes the spine to move to the side and turn. This condition can occur at any time during the lifespan, but is more commonly detected during adolescence. Scoliosis affects 2% to 3% of the general population, and is more common in females than males. Scoliosis ranges from mild to severe cases, requiring a variety of treatments. The more severe cases may require surgery. Scoliosis is best managed with a team approach that includes the family, orthopedic physician or surgeon, orthotist, and physical therapist.

Many people think that the sort of curve in ones posture or stance can be corrected just by consciously standing up straighter, but this isn’t the case.

The Scoliosis Research Society defines scoliosis as a curvature of the spine to the side that also includes rotation. As previously mentioned, scoliosis causes postural and trunk alignment changes that cannot be corrected by “standing up straight. On an x-ray, the spine may appear to have an “s” or “c” shape. The severity of scoliosis is determined by measuring the angle of the curvature, also called a Cobb angle. A minimum of “10° of Cobb” needs to be present for a diagnosis of scoliosis.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the most common type of scoliosis, is diagnosed in children aged 10-18 years. Idiopathic means no identifiable cause is known, but 30% of children with AIS have some family history of the condition.

Other types of scoliosis include congenital, neuromuscular, and early onset (infantile and juvenile).

  • Congenital scoliosis is caused by a deformity in the bones of the spine that occurs during a baby’s early development in the womb.
  • Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by a medical condition of the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, which triggers weakening of the muscles that support the spine.
  • The cause of early onset scoliosis is not known. Early onset scoliosis includes infantile scoliosis diagnosed from birth to 3 years of age, and juvenile scoliosis diagnosed before the age of 10.

Next we’ll discuss more about how scoliosis feels and how it can be diagnosed.  This month we’ll find out how physical therapy can help with certain types of scoliosis, stay tuned!

Content from: MoveForwardPT