Contents:
- Medical Video: Scoliosis | Scoliosis Surgery | Nucleus Health
- What causes scoliosis?
- What are the symptoms and characteristics of scoliosis?
- What is the effect on the body if you have scoliosis?
- How to treat scoliosis?
Medical Video: Scoliosis | Scoliosis Surgery | Nucleus Health
If you see a person's normal back, you will see that his spine is in a straight-to-center position. However, have you ever seen anyone with a side sloping posture, or a spine that isn't even? Well, this condition in medical terms is called scoliosis. Scoliosis is a disorder of the curved spine to the side. Most cases of spinal curves to the side are more common in children.
If not carefully handled, scoliosis can harm the body. In addition to asymmetrical shoulder height, patients who experience this condition also usually have a pelvis and chest circumference on different left and right sides. Check out the full explanation of the following scoliosis.
What causes scoliosis?
As many as 80% of cases, doctors do not find the exact reason why a person's spine can curve. Scoliosis which is not known for its cause is called idiopathic scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis cannot be prevented and is not influenced by factors such as body posture, age, exercise, or poor diet. But genetic factors may play an important role in the occurrence of this condition.
In addition to idiopathic scoliosis, there are several types of scoliosis which are grouped according to the causes as below.
- Neuromuscular is a condition of spinal deformities caused by nerve and muscle disorders such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.
- Congenital is a congenital abnormality condition in which the spine is not formed normally during a baby in the womb.
- Degenerative, generally experienced by adults as we get older. This condition causes spinal damage slowly.
- In addition, several diseases such as osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, and spinal damage due to surgery can also trigger this condition.
What are the symptoms and characteristics of scoliosis?
Scoliosis can be experienced by girls and boys. As many as 10-20% of these diseases develop at the age of 3 to 10 years, and only 1% at a younger age. But at the age of 10 years, this disease is more often experienced by girls. Some of the symptoms of this disease can be seen from physical appearance, such as:
- The spine that looks curved to one side
- The ribs are not symmetrical - the ribs may be at different heights
- One shoulder or shoulder blade appears taller than the other
- One hip looks more prominent
- Unbalanced leg length
- Clothing is not fitting or precise when used
What is the effect on the body if you have scoliosis?
Adults who suffer from severe scoliosis can experience pain that radiates from the spine to the legs, back, hips, so it is not uncommon to feel pain when trying to walk or stand.
Even more dangerous is this disease can also affect the nervous system when one nerve end is compressed by a curved spine. As a result, the legs become numb and cause urination problems.
When the condition of your spine becomes more serious, you will feel weak, painful, and tight. That is why, if you have concerns related to one of the symptoms mentioned above, immediately consult your doctor.Because if not treated immediately, then it will cause new problems later on, such as heart and lung function disorders.
How to treat scoliosis?
Scoliosis can actually be cured based on the severity, pattern of bone arches, to the age and sex of the patient.
Generally the initial treatment recommended by the doctor is to do X-ray observations that are carried out every 6 months to monitor the development of bone curves. This observation is usually done when the patient is still a child and the severity is still low. Furthermore, patients will be given anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the pain that occurs.
This disease can develop over time, which is why if it gets worse, the next action is to do a surgery to install a buffer or pen in the spine. The installation of this pen aims to stop the bone arch from getting worse.
In addition to drugs and surgery, sufferers are also advised by doctors to do regular exercise or physiotherapy to strengthen posture and flex the body. However, you should consult your doctor first regarding the type of exercise that is right for your condition.
