Scoliosis

by

Sarah Zambrano

     Scoliosis is a condition where a person's spine is not straight like it should be, but instead abnormally curves in an "S" or "C" shape. The degree to which a person has an this abnormality in their spine can vary. Some people may have a minor abnormal curvature which may pose little or no threat to their health or daily functioning. Others may have scoliosis that becomes more and more severe as they grow, to the point where it is debilitating and/or causes other health problems. Scoliosis occurs most often in children just before going through puberty or during the early stages of puberty growth. The Mayo Clinic reports that about 3% of adolescents have scoliosis. Severe scoliosis can cause noticeable deformity in how a person sits, moves, and stands, and can make walking and getting around very difficult. It can also cause lung and heart damage if the spine is intruding on those organs. Most people with scoliosis have severe back pain, probably needless to say.

     Scoliosis is not caused by anything we do in our daily lives, and we do not have control over whether we will develop scoliosis or not. Doctors say that the cause is usually hereditary/in our genetics, but that they do not have a good idea of who will develop it and who won't. Therefore there is nothing we can do to prevent scoliosis, but we can monitor children and adolescents in particular to have medical professionals intervene if scoliosis is developing. If a child's spine is beginning to show signs of a curve, they usually have frequent x-rays to ensure that the spine is not getting worse or that the curve has corrected itself. Often times the curvature of the spine is mild and does not require further medical treatment, although if doctor's are concerned about the growth a child may have to wear a brace to prevent the curve from getting worse during their growth towards adulthood. In the most severe cases, surgery is required to attempt to straighten the spine and prevent further curvature from happening.

     Some signs of scoliosis can be that a child's shoulders appear uneven, or one hip may be higher than another, or a shoulder blade may be more prominent than the other. As stated, scoliosis occurs most frequently in children just before a large growth spurt before puberty. Males and females have an equal rate of developing scoliosis, but females are much more likely to have more severe cases of scoliosis that require medical intervention. Doctors are not sure why this is, or why certain people develop scoliosis in the first place. Over 4 million people in the U.S. have scoliosis, and roughly 29,000 surgeries for scoliosis are performed on adolescents in the U.S. each year. The physical deformity takes a huge toll on adolescents and adults living with scoliosis. People with scoliosis are 40% more likely to have suicidal thoughts. Adults with scoliosis are more likely to need long-term care, and the costs of their hospital stays are usually double the average cost in the U.S.

Sources:

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/scoliosis.html 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/scoliosis-a-to-z

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scoliosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350716

https://clear-institute.org/learning-about-scoliosis/scoliosis-statistics/