Scoliosis causes the spine to curve and rotate unnaturally, and common effects include postural changes, mobility changes, and pain. While not everyone with scoliosis experiences pain and sleeping issues, they are common effects, and knowing the best sleeping positions for spinal health can help. When it comes to sleeping with scoliosis, it’s important to understand…

Scoliosis ranges widely in severity, and there are also different types with a variety of curve patterns. A comprehensive initial assessment classifies scoliosis based on patient age, type, severity, and curve location, and these factors shape the customization of treatment plans. Dextroscoliosis of the thoracic spine means the middle/upper back has developed an unnatural spinal…

Scoliosis severity is determined by a measurement known as Cobb angle that’s based on curve size, but a patient’s angle of rotation (ATR) is also important because it shapes symptoms and treatment needs. High degrees of rotation are most closely associated with severe thoracic scoliosis and/or neuromuscular scoliosis. Rotoscoliosis is severe because it involves an…

In addition to pain, scoliosis can cause postural changes and disruptions to balance, coordination, and gait. There are a number of factors that shape whether a patient’s scoliosis is painful, one of which is compression. Skeletal maturity plays a role in when scoliosis becomes compressive. There are some key differences between adolescent and adult scoliosis;…

Like the rest of the body, the spine will experience degenerative changes with age and the cumulative effect of lifestyle factors. Spondylosis refers to general degenerative changes in the spine, affecting the discs and joints; spondylolisthesis, however, references the specific occurrence of a slipped vertebra. Both spondylosis and spondylolisthesis involve changes to spinal health and…

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that captures high-resolution 3-dimensional images of an area in question, including soft tissue, bones, and organs. Disc desiccation is part of the degenerative process and contributes to degenerative disc disease (DDD). Disc desiccation can occur naturally with age. When we’re born, the discs are made largely…

The spine’s intervertebral discs shape overall spinal health in a number of ways. Most degenerative changes in the spine start with the discs; they perform a number of key functions to facilitate the spine’s flexibility, structure, and ability to handle stress. Multilevel degenerative disc disease involves the spine’s intervertebral discs degenerating in more than one…

Current estimates have close to seven million people living with scoliosis in the United States alone. While there are no treatment guarantees, many cases are highly treatable, and early detection and intervention increases the scope of nonsurgical treatment. There are a number of conditions that affect the spine, but scoliosis has some interesting characteristics that…

Spinal health can be shaped by a number of lifestyle choices and factors; preserving its health and function involves maintaining a healthy weight, activity level, and strong supportive muscles. A spine-friendly lifestyle can slow age-related degenerative changes in the spine. Maintaining core strength is key. Spinal health is important for quality of life. A healthy…

Spinal fusion surgery has the goal of stopping progression. Harrington rods revolutionized spinal fusion surgery in the mid-20th century, but have since been replaced by alternative spinal instrumentation and modern nonsurgical treatment options. Harrington rods are stainless steel implants used in spinal fusion surgery. Invented in the 1950s as revolutionary surgical instrumentation of the time,…

Lordosis refers to an inward spinal curve, and while there is a healthy range of lordosis, if a person’s lordosis is excessive, it can disrupt the spine’s overall health and biomechanics. Common causes for hyperlordosis include weak and/or unbalanced core muscles, chronic poor posture, and obesity. Hyperlordosis is an excessive inward spinal curvature that commonly…

Retrolisthesis causes a vertebra to slip backwards onto the vertebral body below. Vertebrae that aren’t stacked on top of one another as they were designed interferes with neutral alignment, which disrupts the spine’s balance and stability. This can further disrupt healthy posture and movement patterns. Retrolisthesis affects the spine by causing a vertebral body to…

Scoliosis causes the spine to develop an unnatural lateral spinal curvature that rotates, and while most people have heard of scoliosis, its prevalence may be surprising. Scoliosis is the leading spinal condition among school-aged children, but it also affects adults of all ages. Current estimates have close to seven million people diagnosed with scoliosis in…

While childhood scoliosis is more commonly diagnosed, the rate of scoliosis increases among the aging population, and this is due to the development of degenerative scoliosis. As scoliosis progression is triggered by growth, it was once thought that progression stopped once skeletal maturity was reached, but years of observation have shown that adult scoliosis can…

Not all cases of adult scoliosis develop in adulthood. The main type to affect adults is pre-existing, likely from adolescence, but doesn’t get diagnosed until after skeletal maturity is reached, and degenerative scoliosis affects older adults experiencing degenerative instability. Traditional scoliosis treatment often involves spinal fusion surgery, but there are also nonsurgical treatment options for…

Progressive conditions can be more complex to treat because their nature is to get worse over time, so successful treatment has to work towards counteracting that tendency. What’s important to know about scoliosis treatment is the earlier scoliosis is diagnosed and addressed, the more potential there is for treatment success. Scoliosis is often progressive, so…

Scoliosis affects the spine by causing an unnatural lateral curvature to develop that also rotates, and osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes a loss of bone tissue, making bones weak and vulnerable to injury. If osteoporosis develops in the spine, it can contribute to scoliosis progression and/or the onset of degenerative scoliosis, particularly in…

A healthy spine has its vertebrae aligned and its natural curves in place. If the spine’s alignment changes and deviates from its straight position, it can become problematic and considered a spinal deformity. A typical healthy spine has a soft ‘S’ shape when viewed from either side: maintained by each spinal section’s curve. If the…

As scoliosis is progressive, its effects can increase over time, becoming more widespread. While many scoliosis effects are visual, less-obvious effects can also develop. It’s not just the spine that’s affected by scoliosis, but also its surrounding muscles and nerves. In addition, mental health can also be affected. Scoliosis causes an unnatural lateral spinal curvature…

Modern treatment options for teen scoliosis patients include traditional spinal fusion surgery or conservative nonsurgical treatment. Here at ScoliCare, patients benefit from a proactive and modern nonsurgical approach that offers a less-invasive alternative to spinal surgery. Scoliosis affects all ages, but the most-common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Modern nonsurgical treatment options are integrative, proactive,…

Understanding idiopathic scoliosis and the potential benefits of early diagnosis is crucial, especially for parents. We don’t know what causes the initial onset of idiopathic scoliosis, but we understand the main trigger for progressive scoliosis: growth. Idiopathic scoliosis accounts for the majority of scoliosis cases, has no single-known cause, and is diagnosed through a physical…

Part of diagnosing scoliosis involves further classifying cases based on key variables, and the more thorough and accurate a patient’s initial assessment, the more customized a treatment plan can be. When it comes to congenital scoliosis patients, these cases can present with additional congenital abnormalities so require thorough assessment. Congenital scoliosis is a rare type…

What you need to know about scoliosis is that while treatment results can never be guaranteed, many potential effects can be avoided through a proactive and customized treatment plan capable of improving the spine and body’s overall balance and stability. One of the spine’s roles is to facilitate a straight and upright posture. As scoliosis…

There are a number of factors that shape a patient’s potential experience with scoliosis, one of which is the type of scoliosis, determined by causation. While the most prevalent form of scoliosis has no known cause, there are atypical types, like neuromuscular scoliosis, that are associated with known causes. Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by the…

There are different types of scoliosis with varying severity levels and causes. While most cases of scoliosis are idiopathic, scoliosis can also be caused by neuromuscular conditions, degenerative instability, and trauma. Traumatic scoliosis develops due to the spine sustaining a significant trauma that impacts its alignment and stability. While it’s more likely that a car…

The spine’s healthy curves, when viewed from the side, increase its strength, flexibility, and ability to handle mechanical stress. The spine naturally has an inward curve in the neck (cervical spine) and lower back (lumbar spine) called a lordosis and a more-outward curve in the middle back (thoracic spine). Healthy spinal curves can vary in…

A Dowager’s hump commonly affects older females and refers to an excessive rounded-forward appearance of the upper back at the base of the neck (hyperkyphosis), referencing the spine’s natural outward curvature (kyphosis) that characterizes the thoracic spine. While postural hyperkyphosis may respond well to postural restoration alone through kyphosis-specific exercise-based treatment, a Dowager’s hump commonly…

The spine’s natural curves facilitate its optimal function; they make it stronger and more resistant to injury, more flexible for a wide range of motion, and better able to absorb and distribute mechanical stress. There are also unhealthy spinal curves that can disrupt the spine’s strength and function. There are healthy and unhealthy spinal curves,…

Scoliosis affects the body in a myriad of ways, but what’s important to understand is that it doesn’t always have to. With early detection and a proactive customized treatment plan, scoliosis can be highly treatable, and many potential effects can be minimized and/or avoided completely. Primary scoliosis symptoms include postural changes, mobility changes, and pain…

The spinal cord consists of 31 pairs of spinal nerves, and if the spine’s unnatural curve and twist exposes the spinal cord to excessive/uneven pressure, nerve compression can disrupt an affected nerve’s function. While neurological symptoms aren’t considered a primary effect of scoliosis, they can occur and are most closely associated with severe cases of…

The effects of scoliosis aren’t just limited to the back. Although scoliosis causes the development of an unnatural lateral curvature of the spine with rotation, because the spine is so integral to overall health and mobility, changes to its health can be felt throughout the body. An important scoliosis-characteristic to understand is its progressive nature;…

Scoliosis symptoms can range from mild to severe, and the larger the size of the unnatural spinal curve, the more noticeably it affects the body. Because scoliosis is progressive, its symptoms can also change over time. Common symptoms can include postural and mobility changes, back and nerve pain, and headaches are generally considered a secondary…

Scoliosis is a condition that affects the spine: an unnatural sideways-bending spinal curvature that rotates develops. As a progressive lateral curvature of the spine, the nature of scoliosis is to increase in severity over time, along with its effects. As spinal health is key to overall health, it can be beneficial to understand how the…

Running with scoliosis may be deemed safe for some, safe with modifications for others, or can be restricted. Potential pros of running include the mental health benefits of staying active, improved circulation, weight management, maintaining core strength and muscle balance; potential cons of running with scoliosis can include increasing compression, strain, and risk of injury.…

Scoliosis is progressive, so its effects can change and increase over time. While daily self-care strategies are important, the most powerful step a patient can take, in terms of long-term comfort, is to treat the scoliosis proactively. No two cases of scoliosis are the same, so each patient’s experience, symptoms, and everyday needs will vary.…

The connection between scoliosis and genetics isn’t fully clear; the cause does depend on the type in question, and the majority of cases involve idiopathic scoliosis. When the cause is known, it shapes the design of treatment plans. Scoliosis is a progressive unhealthy lateral curvature of the spine. The spine’s healthy curves are important for its…

Scoliosis treatment plans need to be customized because there are multiple severity levels, age groups affected, and types of scoliosis. Type is determined by causation, and in most cases, the cause is unknown; known causes include neuromuscular disease, congenital abnormalities, and degenerative instability. Typical scoliosis cases involve the most common form: idiopathic scoliosis with right-bending…

The most common symptoms of scoliosis include asymmetrical posture and back pain. Postural changes are the earliest signs of childhood scoliosis, and it’s most often back and radiating pain that leads to an adult’s diagnosis. Cases most likely to impact cardiac function are severe and/or atypical types of scoliosis. Scoliosis mainly affects the spine, but…

Scoliosis can affect people differently, but common symptoms involve postural and mobility changes, and pain. Breathing problems aren’t common in mild and moderate cases and are more closely associated with severe cases; preventing increasing symptom severity is a benefit of proactive treatment. Scoliosis develops in the spine, but its effects can be widespread, particularly if…

There are a number of conditions that affect the spine by causing an unnatural spinal curve to develop, but scoliosis has a number of unique characteristics. In order to be diagnosed as structural scoliosis, the spine has to bend unnaturally to the side and rotate, making it 3-dimensional. If the spine’s unnatural curve is nonstructural…

As the body’s main structural support, the spine plays a number of key roles in overall health. For healthy movement patterns and posture to protecting important organs and the spinal cord within, the spine’s healthy curves are key. Kyphosis is a type of spinal curvature that curves outwards in a reverse C-shape, when viewed from…

The spine’s healthy curves are important; they make the spine stronger and less vulnerable to injury, more flexible with a wider range of motion, and better able to handle daily stress. The loss of a healthy spinal curvature can affect the spine and body in a number of ways. Lordosis is an inward curve of…

Scoliosis is progressive, so its nature is to get more severe over time, but in many cases, it’s highly treatable. When it comes to the timing of treatment, early detection and proactive treatment has a number of benefits. The dangers of leaving scoliosis untreated include progression, increasing effects, and developing potential complications such as breathing…

The spine plays many key roles in overall health, including facilitating the ability to stand upright and practice healthy posture. Scoliosis causes the spine to bend unnaturally to the side and rotate, and its main visual effect is disrupting the body’s postural symmetry. Body posture and spinal health are closely connected. Bad posture alone doesn’t…

Scoliosis is an unnatural lateral spinal curvature, but its effects can be felt throughout the body. The more severe scoliosis is, the more noticeable its effects are likely to be. If left untreated, complications can develop, but when treated proactively, scoliosis can be highly treatable. Scoliosis severity is mainly determined by the size of the…

Understanding the signs and symptoms of scoliosis can lead to early diagnosis and intervention. There are never treatment guarantees, but when scoliosis is diagnosed while mild and treated proactively, it can be highly responsive and treatable. The early signs of scoliosis can be subtle. In children, the earliest symptoms of scoliosis include uneven shoulders and…

No two scoliosis cases are the same. Scoliosis can range widely in severity, affect all ages, and progress at different rates, but a shared factor among different severity levels and age groups is the more scoliosis progresses, the more challenging it can be to treat. In addition, the more scoliosis progresses, the more it can…

The thoracic spine is the largest spinal section, and its health and function is shaped, in part, by its degree of kyphosis. If a person’s kyphosis becomes excessive, the upper back and shoulders round forward noticeably, causing postural and movement changes. The spine’s curves facilitate a number of its functions from shock absorption to structural…

There are no treatment guarantees, but the sooner scoliosis is diagnosed and treated, the better. The best way to increase the potential efficacy of nonsurgical treatment is to be proactive, and as progression is triggered by growth, managing childhood scoliosis effectively during periods of rapid growth is crucial. Scoliosis is a complex progressive condition that’s…

When it comes to understanding scoliosis treatment efficacy, this involves the importance of early detection and intervention. The best way to stop scoliosis progression and improve the health of the spine is to treat scoliosis proactively, with a customized combination of nonsurgical treatment disciplines. As a progressive condition triggered by growth, adolescent scoliosis is ongoing,…

The effects of scoliosis can be felt throughout the body. While not all patients will experience scoliosis pain, the more severe a condition is, the more likely it is to be painful, and as scoliosis is progressive, its effects can become more disruptive over time. Scoliosis can cause back and leg pain due to the…

To reach a scoliosis diagnosis, an X-ray is needed to determine the size of the curve and the presence of rotation. The results of this initial scoliosis X-ray will shape the customization of treatment plans, and measurements taken will be referred to throughout the course of treatment to gauge how the spine is responding. The…

What’s more likely than a scoliosis misdiagnosis is diagnosing scoliosis late in its progressive line. Despite the potential benefits of early detection, it can be difficult to achieve, particularly in children. Once the signs of scoliosis become noticeable, they are quite unique and difficult to misdiagnose, but the goal is diagnosing scoliosis while still mild.…

Childhood scoliosis affects children of all ages, and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type. Adult scoliosis is diagnosed once skeletal maturity is reached. The value of regular scoliosis screening examinations cannot be underestimated, particularly when risk factors, such as family history are present. What parents need to know about childhood scoliosis is that…

Scoliosis-related pain can involve the back muscles, spinal structures, and nerves, leading to radiating pain. Chest pain is most closely associated with thoracic scoliosis that develops in the middle/upper back. The best way to minimize the potential effects of scoliosis, including chest pain, is to manage the scoliosis with treatment. Scoliosis involves the development of…

There is more than one way to treat scoliosis, and the right treatment plan can improve the spine’s long-term health and function. Scoliosis is a complex condition; there are many different types and severity levels, and while treatment results can never be guaranteed, scoliosis-specific chiropractic treatment can be integrated into a proactive treatment plan. It’s…

Not all cases of scoliosis require surgery; many are responsive to nonsurgical treatment, and while there are never treatment guarantees, there is a direct link between early diagnosis, proactive treatment, and treatment success. A traditional scoliosis treatment approach tends to funnel patients towards surgical treatment because little is done to prevent progression; watching and waiting…

Adult scoliosis can be pre-existing from adolescence, or develop in later adulthood with no prior history. Degenerative scoliosis is caused by age-related degeneration, and as the spine becomes increasingly unbalanced and unstable, the body is also affected, making it more vulnerable to injury. Degenerative scoliosis is an unnatural lateral spinal curve that’s caused by degenerative…

Although scoliosis is most often diagnosed during adolescence, scoliosis can also develop later in life. Once skeletal maturity is reached, scoliosis changes in terms of progression and pain. A focus of scoliosis treatment for older adults is fall prevention. Adult scoliosis can involve individuals who have had scoliosis since adolescence, or those who develop it…

Diagnosing scoliosis early means while it’s still mild, and while there are no treatment guarantees, early detection and intervention are associated with treatment success. Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis; it’s diagnosed between the ages of 10 and reaching young adulthood. This age group is also the most prone to rapid…

A body’s balance and stability is based on many factors, including its symmetry and alignment. Given the importance of the pelvis in facilitating healthy movement patterns and supporting upper body weight, a disruption in its position can have a number of effects. Pelvic obliquity causes the pelvis to become unnaturally tilted, causing one hip to…

Nature favors symmetry, so a disruption to the body’s overall symmetry, including leg length, may be problematic. It’s important to note that a difference in leg length can be anatomical, or it can be due to a misalignment elsewhere in the body. Leg length discrepancy (LLD), also known as anisomelia and unequal leg length, is…

Scoliosis is progressive, but it can be highly treatable. The best way to manage scoliosis and its symptoms is to treat it proactively. As uneven shoulders and hips are often the earliest signs of scoliosis, these types of postural changes should be watched for and assessed, particularly in children; progression is triggered by growth. When…

No two cases of scoliosis are the same, which is why it’s crucial that treatment plans are individualized. The process of diagnosing scoliosis involves comprehensive assessment and classification based on a number of variables, one of which is curvature type and location. A diagnosis of thoracolumbar scoliosis means a single progressive unnatural lateral spinal curve…

Scoliosis bracing has been used in scoliosis treatment for centuries, and while the concept of bracing isn’t new, we’ve learned a lot about scoliosis-brace efficacy over the years; ScoliCare Clinicians applied that knowledge to the design of the world’s most advanced scoliosis brace: the ScoliBrace®. The most commonly prescribed scoliosis brace in traditional treatment is…

When it comes to scoliosis treatment, it’s important that patients and their families are informed. Scoliosis can change quickly, but in many cases, it can be highly responsive to conservative treatment. Knowing how different scoliosis braces compare in treatment can help patients make informed treatment choices. There is a significant difference between traditional scoliosis braces…

As a progressive condition, the nature of scoliosis is to become more severe over time and with growth, but rates and levels of progression can range widely from patient to patient. It’s important to understand that scoliosis treatment involves addressing an ongoing spinal condition. As a progressive condition, scoliosis won’t simply go away or improve…

Any type of sport or exercise needs to be deemed appropriate by a scoliosis patient’s treatment provider. People with scoliosis can benefit from exercise that helps maintain spinal flexibility and increases core strength so the spine has more support and stability, but some cases of scoliosis come with activity restrictions, and some exercises will need…

Being diagnosed with a progressive spinal condition can feel overwhelming, and this is the time for patients, and their families, to make sure they’re fully informed about scoliosis and the different types of treatment available. Following a scoliosis diagnosis, patients need to choose a treatment approach that addresses their expectations and needs. ScoliCare Centers are…

Scoliosis affects children and adults differently, especially in the context of pain and progression. Adults over the age of 65 who develop scoliosis can be particularly vulnerable to injury through a fall, so treatment works towards improving the spine’s balance and stability. Although scoliosis is more commonly diagnosed during childhood, it also affects adults. Adults…

It’s natural for parents of children recently diagnosed to ask what caused the development of their child’s scoliosis, and while idiopathic scoliosis has no known cause, there does appear to be a genetic link. Regardless of the cause, scoliosis should be treated proactively. While there has yet to be a specific gene identified that explains…

What patients need to understand about severe scoliosis is that it doesn’t start that way; as a progressive condition, scoliosis severity can increase over time, and while young patients can progress quickly, there is a lot that can be done to counteract the progressive nature of scoliosis. Severe scoliosis is diagnosed when the spine has…

The spine’s healthy curves are key to its overall health and function, and the spine has three main sections including the cervical spine, thoracic spine, and the lumbar spine. The cervical spine refers to the neck, and cervical lordosis refers to the neck’s inward-bending spinal curvature. Scoliosis causes the development of an unhealthy spinal curvature…

Scoliosis ranges in severity from mild to moderate and severe; it’s important to understand the different scoliosis severity levels because, as a progressive condition, the nature of scoliosis is to change over time. Moderate scoliosis symptoms are more noticeable than those associated with mild scoliosis, which is why many patients are diagnosed during the moderate…

The most important thing to understand about mild scoliosis is that in most cases, proactive treatment efforts have to be made to keep the condition mild and prevent it from becoming moderate or severe scoliosis. As a progressive condition, even scoliosis that’s mild at the time of diagnosis isn’t guaranteed to stay mild. Symptoms of…

Scoliosis can be highly responsive to treatment, particularly when conditions are diagnosed and treated early. The different types of scoliosis can have distinct treatment needs, and patients need to decide how to respond with treatment: a decision that can shape future spinal health. Scoliosis is a progressive spinal condition with wide-ranging severity levels and different…

At ScoliCare North Atlanta, Scoliosis Awareness Month is close to our hearts. Whether you’re one of our patients, a parent, a friend, or simply someone curious to learn more – we see you. We know scoliosis isn’t just a diagnosis. It’s a journey that takes strength, patience, and a whole lot of resilience. This month…