This is a common question and the answer to the question is YES! Adult onset scoliosis is better known as Adult Denovo or Adult Degenerative Scoliosis.  When most people hear the word Scoliosis they think of children. Approximately 3-4% of adolescents develop Scoliosis whereas at least 68% of adults may have scoliosis.(1)  , Scoliosis in adults can include those who had Scoliosis in childhood, but there is also a large group of adults that develop scoliosis as adults! 

Adults with Scoliosis suffer from more symptoms than children, including but not limited to pain in the lower back and legs and numbness in the legs.  This drastically affects their quality of life and leads them to seek treatment. (2)  These people may also have an elevated risk for falling due to the drastic changes in their posture. Falls in adults are greatly linked to morbidity and early mortality. 

72 million Baby Boomers are 60-80 years old – Most Will Have Scoliosis! 

The US Department of Labor and Statistics states there are 72 million baby boomers in their 60’s to 80’s in the US currently.  If 68% of this population develop scoliosis in adulthood then approximately 49 million baby boomers will develop some form of Adult-Onset Scoliosis or spinal deformity.  

Adult Denovo Scoliosis numbers are likely to climb as we live longer! Despite living longer, quality of life can be greatly impacted by this condition. 

Is Surgery the Answer? 

The current attitude in healthcare regarding Adult-Onset Scoliosis is that it is a relentless, progressive and complex spinal disease that doesn’t respond well to conservative treatment and is a ‘surgical disease’. (3)  This attitude often happens in health care when people including some medical and health professionals, are not well trained in non-surgical options for a condition. This attitude also doesn’t explain to patients the surgical risks involved in adult scoliosis which can include: neurological injury, infections, curve progression and re-operations.  Surgical complication rates for Adult-Onset Scoliosis are approximately 50%, with 30% who undergo spinal fusion being re-admitted to the hospital within a month and 12% requiring additional surgery within 5 years. (4) 

Studies Show that Bracing for Adult-Onset Scoliosis Drastically Slows Progression of Curves

We know that the size of the curve in adult scoliosis is not always related to symptoms and quality of life. One of the biggest goals of treatment in adults should be to stabilise the curve and prevent further progression. Recent evidence shows that scoliosis curves in adult-onset scoliosis progress about 1.47 degrees per year and some say up to 3 degrees per year.  A 2017 study by Palazzo et. al. in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (5) shows that adult scoliosis bracing slowed the progression from 1.47 degrees per year to .24 degrees per year.  That equates to a 83% improvement!

Here at ScoliCare East Phoenix we offer custom made computer designed braces to assist older adults who have developed Adult-Onset Scoliosis and are suffering from pain and reduction in their quality of life.  Our Scoliosis Specific Exercise program termed ScoliBalance is also highly beneficial to older adults who have noticed postural changes or have developed spinal pain related to Adult-Onset Scoliosis.  At ScoliCare East Phoenix we can help you with your Adult-Onset Scoliosis!  Call us at 480-892-0022 or look at our website for more information or to download our E-book on Adult Scoliosis.

References:

1.McAviney J, Roberts C, Sullivan B, Alevras AJ, Graham PL, Brown BT. The prevalence of adult de novo scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Spine J. 2020 Dec;29(12):2960-2969. doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06453-0. Epub 2020 May 22. PMID: 32440771.
2. Archer JE, Baird C, Gardner A, Rushton AB, Heneghan NR. Evaluating measures of quality of life in adult scoliosis: a protocol for a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 27;10(1):259. doi: 10.1186/s13643-021-01811-5. PMID: 34565462; PMCID: PMC8474779.
3. Kelly, A,. Younus, A., & Lekgwara, P. (2020) Adult degenerative scoliosis- A literature review. Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery, 20,
4. Schoutens, C. Cushman, D.M, McCormick, Z.L, Conger, A, Van Royen, B.J., & Spiker, W.R. (2019). Outcomes of Nonsurgical Treatments for Symptomatic Adult Degenerative Scoliosis: A Systematic Review. Pain Medicine, 21(6), 1263-1275.
5. Palazzo, C, Montigny. J,-P., Barbot, F., Bussel, B., Vaugier, I. Fort. D., Courtois, I., & Marty-Poumarat, C. (2017). Effects of bracing in adult with scoliosis : a retrospective study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 98(1) 187-190