What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is a spinal disorder resulting in an excessive, sideways curvature of the spine. It causes vertebrae to rotate, which creates a curve in either the upper or lower back. Spines naturally have curves, which round the shoulders and make the lower back bend slightly inward. However, some spines also unnaturally curve [...]
“Most scoliosis curves are minor and don’t require aggressive treatment, and surgery can usually correct more severe curves before they impact surrounding organs.” About 2% of women and 0.5% of men have scoliosis. When viewed from the front, a healthy spine is completely straight. “For most patients with what we call idiopathic scoliosis, the curvature [...]
The use of braces in the treatment of scoliosis has been depicted from as early as Hippocrates. Blount and Schmidt used the Milwaukee brace with metal struts and lateral straps and pads from 19461. The use of a brace from the pelvis to the jaw, however, led to compliance issues with some patients. Therefore, Hall [...]
A study published ahead of print in Spine indicated that paediatric patients have abnormally elevated serum titanium and niobium levels up to 12 months after receiving titanium-based implants, which raises the issue of the long-term consequences of metal debris from spinal instrumentation given that the instrumentation is likely to remain in a paediatric patient for [...]
A study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (USA) indicates that men with scoliosis are 3.28 times more likely to transmit scoliosis to their children than women with scoliosis, demonstrating the possibility of the Carter effect in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Lisa Kruse, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washing University School of Medicine, [...]
For most women going through menopause is horrific enough.......hot flashes, night sweats, depression, mood swings, short-term memory loss. Now they can add yet another thing to that list: scoliosis. In mature female patients without a history of scoliosis, menopausal changes can mean changes or reductions in their bone mineral density. Loss of bone density can [...]
Most of the US-based scoliosis research looks at scoliosis as predominantly (if not only) an orthopedic, spine-only issue. The truth is that the signature characteristic of scoliosis, the visible spine curvature, is the main outward sign of the condition. However, it is definitely not the only problem associated with scoliosis. European research has been increasingly [...]
With the risks, costs, and lack of long-term correction associated with scoliosis surgery, more and more people are looking into alternative treatments for scoliosis. Exercise approaches to scoliosis are a logical alternative step in this process. However, the types of scoliosis exercise treatment available are widely varied. For example, there are exercise treatments that heavily [...]
The cause of scoliosis is currently unknown and has been widely debated over the last several decades. Hormonal, metabolic, and structural causes have all been explored and validated to varying extents. At this point it is logical to conclude that it is likely a combination of these factors. Despite the lack of a concrete cause [...]
A study published ahead of print in the European Spine Journal suggests that lumbar kyphosis, poor sagittal balance, and decreased back muscle strength are important risk factors for gastro-oesophageal disease. The 245 participants (100 men and 145 females) in their study were healthy volunteers who had an average age of 66.7 years. Imagama et alassessed [...]
