{"id":2000,"date":"2017-06-14T16:14:06","date_gmt":"2017-06-14T21:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=2000"},"modified":"2022-01-19T20:54:31","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T02:54:31","slug":"scoliosis-has-many-faces-and-just-as-many-treatment-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/scoliosis-has-many-faces-and-just-as-many-treatment-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Scoliosis has many faces and just as many treatment options"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scoliosis is one of the most common types of spinal deformity. It\u2019s an abnormal curvature of the spine either front-to-back or side-to-side. Although it sounds scary, a scoliosis diagnosis is not a guaranteed ticket to the operating room for spinal surgery. There are multiple types of scoliosis and a wide range in how they affect people.<\/p>\n

For some, scoliosis won\u2019t progress beyond a slight painless curve of the spine, and it won\u2019t ever progress. For others, scoliosis can become so extreme it interferes with lung capacity, or causes extreme pain in the back or legs. Each scoliosis case is unique, so there is no one-size-fits-all treatment.<\/p>\n

“Surgery is a last resort”<\/h2>\n

Because the needs of scoliosis patients can vary widely, OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute<\/a> provides a wide range of services. This includes physical therapy, epidurals for pain management, nonsurgical spine specialists and world-class neurosurgeons who specialize in spinal conditions, when all other options are exhausted.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cSurgery is a last resort,\u201d said Daniel Fassett, MD, MBA, a neurosurgeon who specializes in spinal conditions for Illinois Neurological Institute. \u201cIn general, staying in as good of shape as possible is the best thing you can do to keep the scoliosis from getting worse and prevent symptoms. However, a lot of spinal conditions are genetic, so even athletes can suffer from scoliosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you’re talking about a spinal deformity, you’re looking at a fairly large surgery and there are going to be long-term changes and sacrifices as a result. We’re talking about fusions in most cases, where screws and rods are placed into the spine to hold it in position. There\u2019s loss of flexibility. There’s the possibility of needing more surgery as they age because they could develop arthritis. Or maybe the fusion may not take. A certain area may not heal. Screws and rods could fracture later and life and need revision surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not every scoliosis patient with back pain or leg pain is a candidate for surgery. There are many patients for whom spinal surgery would probably not alleviate their pain. Spine surgeons like Dr. Fassett screen patients thoroughly before performing surgery, and they won\u2019t perform a fusion if they think it won\u2019t succeed. They won\u2019t put somebody through a painful surgery and recovery if it won\u2019t lead to a reduction in that person\u2019s pain.<\/p>\n

Success rates are higher for patients with sciatica, or nerve pain, than with back pain patients. Surgery to relieve the compression on nerves causes the pain to go away reliably, according to Dr. Fassett. \u201cWhereas with back pain, we will help some<\/em> patients with back pain but not everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Managing scoliosis<\/h2>\n

For people who have scoliosis but suffer from minimal or no symptoms, Dr. Fassett<\/a> recommends staying in shape, doing posture exercises and working on core strengthening.<\/p>\n

If somebody starts having symptoms like back pain or leg pain, treatment options can include physical therapy, like core strengthening and posture work to help with nerve compression, or pain management.<\/p>\n

Epidural injections to help with inflammation are common, and so are over-the-counter pain killers for mild to moderate pain. In general, it\u2019s good to catch issues early so a care plan can be developed to prevent or slow the worsening of the condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I see a lot is patients with one leg longer than the other leg,\u201d Dr. Fassett said. \u201cBecause of that, their pelvis tilts and their body is forced to develop a curvature to compensate, which results in more arthritis, and it kind of snowballs. If they found the issue earlier in life and wore a shoe lift, it would keep their pelvis symmetric and reduce the risk for scoliosis down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scoliosis types<\/h2>\n

Idiopathic Scoliosis<\/strong><\/p>\n

The scoliosis the public is most familiar with is commonly seen in teenagers. Dr. Fassett believes there are probably some genetic factors that result in it. Basically, as the spine is growing, it starts to develop a curvature, which can increase during the spine growth phase. So if someone is still growing and they have a scoliosis \u2013 that needs to be watched closely.<\/p>\n

Appearance can be a big concern for idiopathic scoliosis patients. Scoliosis can affect posture, make shoulders uneven, or because the development of a rib hump, where a person\u2019s ribs protrude further on one side of their back than the other.<\/p>\n

Congenital Scoliosis<\/strong><\/p>\n

A birth defect can result in a single malformed triangular vertebrae that causes a curvature in the spine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could have a mild curve, and you could just watch it,\u201d Dr. Fassett said. \u201cBut if pain develops, then surgery might be an option down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neuromuscular Scoliosis<\/strong><\/p>\n

If somebody has a neuromuscular disorder, like cerebral palsy, the muscles may not work the same on both sides of their spine, so they can develop a severe curvature relatively early in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worry is a lot of the neuromuscular curves can become so severe they contort the rib cage, affecting the chest cavity and resulting in pulmonary changes, like changes in lung capacity. That is one of the main indications that surgery is necessary,\u201d Dr. Fassett said.<\/p>\n

Degenerative Scoliosis\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe one I most commonly see in my practice is called degenerative scoliosis,\u201d Dr. Fassett said. \u201cSo as a person ages, arthritis can weaken their joints and result in curvature of the spine.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scoliosis is one of the most common types of spinal deformity. It\u2019s an abnormal curvature of the spine either front-to-back or side-to-side. Although it sounds scary, a scoliosis diagnosis is not a guaranteed ticket to the operating room for spinal surgery. There are multiple types of scoliosis and a wide range in how they affect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[755,739,352,154],"coauthors":[692],"class_list":["post-2000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-neurosciences","tag-osf-ini","tag-scoliosis","tag-spine","tag-surgery"],"yoast_head":"\nScoliosis has many faces and treatments | OSF HealthCare Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scoliosis is one of the most common types of spinal deformity. 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