Scoliosis is a spinal condition that is categorized by a sideways curvature of the spine. The condition is most commonly diagnosed during adolescence or during periods of rapid bone growth like puberty, but sometimes it isn’t diagnosed until much later in life. When scoliosis is diagnosed in adulthood, it is aptly named adult scoliosis, and it’s more common than you may imagine. Adult scoliosis management is one of Dr. Jackman’s specialties, so in today’s blog, we want to share some things that you should know about adult scoliosis.
Managing Adult Scoliosis
Here are some things we feel that it is important to know about adult scoliosis:
- Rarely Caused By Injury – In adulthood, it is very rare for an acute injury to lead to the onset of scoliosis. An injury when you’re young could alter the development path of your spine, but it’s rare for an injury to lead to scoliosis in an adult’s fully developed spine.
- Degeneration Is The Leading Cause – Natural tissue degeneration is the leading cause of adult scoliosis onset. Your spine is a group of bones that are held in place by a variety of ligaments, discs and connective tissues. Over time as a result of daily wear and tear, these tissues can slowly start to degenerate, making it harder for them to help stabilize the spine in its natural position. When this happens, your spine can start to shift or curve sideways.
- Not Always Preventable – There’s nothing you can do to stop the natural aging process, so you can’t completely rid yourself of your scoliosis risk. That said, maintaining an ideal weight, striving to have healthy posture and not smoking are three great ways to significantly reduce your risk of developing a spinal curvature disorder.
- Not All Cases Are Symptomatic – Not all cases of adult scoliosis involve obvious symptoms. If you’re not in discomfort, you may not need any active treatment. That said, you should still try to strengthen your spine with exercise, follow the tips in the above point and have yearly physical exams to look for any signs of a worsening curve.
- Not All Symptomatic Cases Require Surgery – You can’t reverse the curvature issue in your spine through conservative methods, but that doesn’t mean that every case will result in surgery. For mild to moderate cases, patients may experience enough symptom relief with treatments like exercise, physical therapy and bracing to limit curvature progression and prevent the need for surgery. Only patients with severe cases or those who are experiencing a worsening curvature despite conservative treatment will be considered a possible candidate for surgery.
- There Are A Variety Of Surgical Options Available – If you progress to the point where you need surgery, Dr. Jackman will walk you through a few different options based on your needs. Some patients may only need to decompress a spinal nerve that has been impinged by the curvature issue, while others may need to have their spine addressed with a fusion or disc replacement procedure. All surgeries will be unique to the individual, so it’s important that you put your trust in someone like Dr. Jackman who has a wealth of experience helping patients effectively manage their adult scoliosis with and without surgical intervention.
If you are dealing with a new curvature disorder or a pediatric scoliosis issue has returned in adulthood, proactively treat the condition with the help of Dr. Jackman. For more information, or for help with a different spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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