Scoliosis

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is when the spine has an unnatural curve in it. When looking from behind, the spine is usually aligned straight up and down but with scoliosis there is a curve off to one side. This is often accompanied by a rotation in the opposite direction in an attempt to keep the head upright. Scoliosis will commonly cause back pain that we can treat at The Physiotherapy Place.

What Are The Different Types Of Scoliosis?

There are broadly 3 categories of scoliosis - idiopathic, congenital, and neuromuscular. Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown and there isn’t one single factor causing it. Congenital means that it is something that you are born with. Both idiopathic and congenital scoliosis are due to the way the bones in the spine develop so are sometimes termed structural scoliosis. This is normally diagnosed in adolescence. Neuromuscular scoliosis is a curve that is caused from tight muscles pulling the spine out of alignment. This is sometimes referred to as functional scoliosis and can occur at any stage of life.

What Are The Early Signs Of Scoliosis?

The early signs may include back pain or stiffness. It is unusual for children or adolescents to complain of back pain if there isn’t something going on so if this is the case then you can take a look at the spine of the person from behind and if you think you can see a curve or if one hip or shoulder appears to be much higher than the other side, then you should seek medical advice.

Does Scoliosis Get Worse?

Scoliosis can get progressively worse if not managed properly. With structural scoliosis, the sooner it gets diagnosed the better so that a plan can be put in place to prevent it getting worse.

Can Scoliosis Be Cured?

If treated effectively, functional scoliosis can often be resolved completely and managed with exercises thereafter. Because structural scoliosis is due to the way the spine develops and grows, it can’t be cured per se, but it can be managed well so that you can live a healthy, active life.

How Do We Treat It?

Once diagnosed, structural scoliosis will be closely monitored by a spinal specialist to check if it is worsening as you grow. If it is progressively worsening then it might need treated with spinal surgery and/ or a back brace to try to hold the spine in better alignment as it grows. Once fully grown, the scoliosis doesn’t tend to get much worse so any pain or stiffness related to the scoliosis can be treated in a similar way to any other spinal stiffness - with manual therapy, dry needling, and exercises.

What Exercise Can I Do To Help?

Generally speaking, lower impact activities will be better for people with scoliosis as it won’t put as much pressure through the spine. When the spine curves to one side it means that the joints on that side will be compressed and under more strain, and the joints and muscles on the opposite side will be overstretched. This can cause pain and stiffness on both sides and is most often the reason for the discomfort that people with scoliosis feel. Therefore it is important to regularly mobilise the spine and stretch the muscles in the back to prevent them becoming achey - many yoga-based exercises will achieve this so I often give these to my patients.

What Will A Physio Do?

A physiotherapist will assess what the key problems are that need addressed. In the case of functional scoliosis, any neuromuscular dysfunction (or muscle spasm) will be treated in order to get the spine back into a good alignment which should help to resolve your pain. With all cases of scoliosis a combination of manual therapy, soft tissue release and a specific exercise program to reduce the stiffness in the spine is the best way to give pain relief and help you manage the condition moving forward.