Scoliosis is a condition where a person’s spine takes an abdominal lateral curvature. Adult scoliosis is divided into two kinds: ASA (Adolescent Scoliosis in Adults) and DDS (Degenerative De-Novo Scoliosis). Now, there is scoliosis treatment for adults. This article will look into treatment after an overview of scoliosis and its types.
What Are the Different Types of Scoliosis?
In the larger sense, scoliosis is divided into three types: infantile, juvenile, and adult. Infantile scoliosis is an idiopathic type of scoliosis. It usually affects children below the age of 4 and starts in the first 6 months of their life. This condition has been diagnosed in boys, for the most part, accounting for less than 1% of the total idiopathic scoliosis cases noted. Juvenile scoliosis is diagnosed in children between the ages of 4 and 10. The same abnormal “S” and “C” shaped curvature characterises this illness.
Adult scoliosis is noticed in children and young adults from age 10. Mostly, it is observed at the age of around 11 or 12 in girls and a little later in boys.
What Adults Should Know About Pain
You should note two key factors when an adult with scoliosis experiences pain. The first thing is to pay attention to the location of the curve. Most adults with the illness complain about pain in the lower back region. The most recent DDS patients often have complaints about lower back curves. An upper curve rarely causes pain in the lower back, but a patient with ASA has a spine in the shape of an “S”. This causes pain in the bottom half of the curve, which is the lower back.
Now, the second thing to note is the balance of the spine. Balance means the spine’s ability to move backwards, forwards, left, or right. It is considered despite the size of the spine. Adults with ASA find it more common for their lower back to hurt if they have a forward-shifting posture than those with a neutral or backward position.
Treatment for Scoliosis in Adults
When it comes to scoliosis treatment for adults, there are two things one can do. An individual can take conservative scoliosis treatment or surgical scoliosis treatment. But as adults have a fairly developed spine, the difference these treatments can make is minimal. Luckily, scoliosis doesn’t need to be corrected completely to eliminate pain in the lower back. The pain is managed with painkillers, exercises for back strengthening, anti-inflammatory drugs, and surgical decompression. Since most adults who experience pain suffer due to the spine’s balance and not the size, conservative and surgical treatment are beneficial.
Physiotherapy is another way to help someone suffering from scoliosis. This practice allows a patient to overcorrect their abnormal position. Once the patients learn and memorise these movements, a series of other exercises are assigned to hold the overcorrected posture, which eventually helps the body grab a neutral pose and hold it.
Conclusion
It is best if scoliosis is treated as early as possible. Persons diagnosed with scoliosis or who assume they are suffering from it should note down their symptoms and go to a qualified, reputed doctor instead of expecting the pain to fade away or the curvature to normalise. Self-medication is dangerous, and attempting pain-relief exercises you find on the internet without professional supervision is imprudent, as you will only worsen your condition. Like always, better safe than sorry. Look up the best clinics and specialists in Australia, make an appointment, and start your treatment journey today.
