Degrees of scoliosis are measurements used to numerically record how severely an individual’s spine is curved. A slight curve is generally considered to be between 10 and 20 degrees of scoliosis. The doctor will also use the physical exam and imaging to assess the patient for signs of spinal stenosis (the narrowing or … The incidence of scoliosis is about the same in males and females; however, females have up to a 10-fold greater risk of curve progression. Severe scoliosis can be disabling. About 3% of adolescents have scoliosis.Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but some spine deformities continue to get more severe as children grow. Monitoring the patient for progression would be another important component of early treatment. Usually, when it comes to scoliosis in adults, surgery is only prescribed as a last resort option when the spinal curvature extends beyond 40 degrees. Accordingly, most doctors regularly screen children for scoliosis as a part of routine physical exams. Degrees of scoliosis over 50 typically indicate a severe curve in the spine. A dramatically curved spine has the potential to cause heart and lung problems as well as discomfort and back pain. It is also possible, however, that the degrees of scoliosis will increase and the curve will worsen. It makes up 80 percent of diagnosed cases in the United States. At this stage, postural changes can become very noticeable, and the potential for causing related adverse symptoms is increased. Idiopathic scoliosis appears to be primarily a neuro-hormonal condition that is driven by genetic predisposition and metabolic factors. Furthermore, scoliosis is hard to detect in its early stages. At a Cobb angle measurement of 25 - 40 degrees, this degree of curvature is classified as ‘moderate scoliosis’. There is a natural, forward-and-backward curve to the spine. However, by the time adults seek treatment, the curve usually exceeds 30 degrees. This would include a continued combination of chiropractic adjustments, rehabilitation, at-home exercises, and corrective bracing. Adults can have one of two types of scoliosis. Severe cases of scoliosis can require surgical procedures to keep the patient comfortable and in good health. Scoliosis severity is a big component when it comes to deciding on a treatment plan, and scoliosis degrees of curvature classify a condition as mild, moderate, or severe. Medications to deal with pain can be prescribed, but this is not treating the actual scoliosis, but rather a symptom of it. Treatment responds to growth and progression in different ways, depending on which approach a patient chooses to follow. Functional treatment: at a 10 - 25 degree of curvature, we would continue monitoring the patient for progression and related symptoms. A Scoliosis diagnosis is given when an abnormal curvature is measured at 10+ degrees and includes rotation, which is what makes scoliosis a 3-dimensional condition. A Scoliosis diagnosis is given when an abnormal curvature is measured at 10+ … This procedure prevents the scoliosis from progressing further, and can also reduce spinal curvature to decrease health risks. If your spinal curves are between 25 to 45 degrees, your doctor may recommend bracing or casting to help support your spine. While scoliosis is far more commonly diagnosed during adolescence, adults are also diagnosed with the condition. If the curves reach 30 to 40 degrees, the deformity may be noticed by a hump or prominence in the area of the spine that is involved. Our team, under the leadership of Dr. Tony Nalda, is focused on treating your scoliosis in the most patient-centered, effective manner possible. The three-dimensional change in the spine's alignment the curve is a just a symptom of the conditi… Mild scoliosis, in particular, is defined as a curve between 10 and 20 degrees.Mild scoliosis can be broken down further into different categories, and your doctor may have mentioned one of these as part of your diagnosis. By engaging in active treatment, we would not only be treating the condition’s symptoms, such as pain, but also the underlying condition, first and foremost, by working towards a structural change. Cobb angle is a measurement, expressed in degrees (via X-ray), that determines how scoliosis is classified on the severity scale. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is by far the most common form of the... A Scoliosis Diagnosis. Functional treatment: in the functional approach, active treatment is started as close to the time of diagnosis as possible, as early intervention is one of the keys to treatment success. Adult scoliosis has two main forms: idiopathic and degenerative. Muscle weakness 2. Typically, this amount of spinal curvature can go untreated, as long as there are no signs of progression. At a Cobb angle measurement of 10 - 25 degrees, this is considered ‘mild scoliosis’, and depending on what treatment approach a patient chooses, active treatment can be started, or delayed, during this stage. A slight curve is generally considered to be between 10 and 20 degrees of scoliosis. Scoliosis is diagnosed when the curve exceeds 10 degrees. “Adult scoliosis isn’t a new diagnosis, but it’s still growing in recognition. Doctors might choose to monitor the patient more closely to make sure that the degrees of scoliosis do not continue to increase and create a more drastic curvature of the spine. For instance, surgery is recommended as an option to treat scoliosis only if the spinal curvature crosses an angle of about 40-45 degrees, also termed as the Cobb angle in young adults. A large component of treating AIS is monitoring for progression, as growth and development are the big trigger. Referring to the accompanying chart, let’s take a look at each level of the condition based on degree of curvature, and how each of the two main treatment approaches would respond. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is by far the most common form of the condition and is diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 18. It is in this stage that we could decide to introduce corrective bracing into the treatment plan. Idiopathic scoliosis in adults is a continuation of AIS that went undiagnosed during adolescence until it, most likely, starting producing noticeable symptoms in adulthood. At this stage, as the patient’s age puts them at the highest risk for progression, monitoring is also an important component of treatment. This brace has to be worn virtually all the time (18 - 23 hours a day), and as you can imagine, compliance with this is a big challenge. My integrative approach would work towards reducing the curvature to prevent it from ever reaching surgical levels. Here at the Scoliosis Reduction Center, even when a patient’s condition is mild, we start working towards achieving a curvature reduction. This is also the stage that funnels patients towards spinal-fusion surgery as their condition approaches a surgical-level curve at 45 - 60+ degrees. Traditional treatment: even at a 10, 15, or 20 degree of curvature, typically, no active treatment is started. Even with a minor curvature of 10 degrees, a functional approach would start with designing a customized treatment plan by combining scoliosis-specific therapy, rehabilitation, exercises, and chiropractic. A positive diagnosis of mild scoliosis requires the angle of the spine curvature to be greater than 10 degrees. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), scoliosis affects between 2% and 3% of the American population, or about six to nine million people. However, when symptoms don’t respond to nonoperative treatment, or when the spinal deformity is severe or getting worse, spine surgery may become necessary.The general principles involved in surgery on adult patients with scoliosis, which will be reviewed in this article… If a patient is at high risk for continued progression, spinal fusion is often recommended as the best treatment option. Scoliosisreductioncenter.com - Treatment by Age, Scoliosisreductioncenter.com - Scoliosis Surgery: Risks, Alternatives, and Costs of Surgery, Clear-institute.org - Adult Scoliosis Treatment with Dr. Nalda, Clear-institute.org - Treatment for Adult Scoliosis. As a progressive condition, virtually every patient’s scoliosis is going to progress, at varying rates, so I don’t see a point to watching and waiting; I see this as wasting valuable treatment time. Degrees of scoliosis ranging between 20 and 50 are considered moderate. When most people hear of scoliosis they think of a younger teenager, but adults can develop scoliosis, too. Research shows that the curve progression in an adult will vary between 0.5 to 3.0 degrees per year, depending on the shape of the curve, overall curve size, and the age of the scoliosis onset. Traditional treatment: at a 25 - 40 degree of curvature, those following the traditional treatment approach would still not be engaged in active treatment; instead, continued pain medications/injections would likely be prescribed to deal with any scoliosis-related pain or discomfort. Any spinal curve greater or equal to 10 degrees is considered to be scoliosis. They each have different levels of risk progression and are treated on a case-by-case basis. At a Cobb angle measurement of 10 - 25 degrees, this is classified as ‘mild scoliosis’. Degrees of Scoliosis There are three forms of scoliosis: mild, moderate, and severe. I would continue our proactive treatment plan based on the information provided by the patient’s scoliosis X-ray, including the location of the curvature, causation (if known), and most importantly, the degree of curvature. between 10 and 24 degrees, … Children who are diagnosed with scoliosis at a young age, when they still have years of growth in front of them, may benefit from wearing a brace, even if the curve is currently slight. Even at 10 degrees, a functional approach would involve a customized combination of therapy, rehab, exercises, and chiropractic. The treatment for adults is much different than the treatment for adolescents,” says Brigham and Women’s Hospital neurosurgeon John Chi, MD, MPH . While adolescent and adult scoliosis differ greatly in terms of experience and treatment, they share a correlation between active treatment started early and treatment success. Welcome to Scoliosis Reduction Center. Back braces are best suited for treating moderate scoliosis because they can not reverse spinal curvature, they only prevent the condition from worsening too severely by holding the spine firmly in place. In one 20-year study, about 40 percent of adult scoliosis patients experienced a progression. The various types of scoliosis are classified by cause and age of onset; the speed and mechanism of progression also plays a role in determining the specific type of scoli… For decades, scoliosis screenin… If your child has a small curve, i.e. The States has the lowest surgical threshold with surgeons most often recommending spinal-fusion surgery for severe cases with curvatures of 40-plus degrees or where progression is rapid. As it’s classified as ‘idiopathic’, we can’t isolate one single known cause for its development, but we know it has a lot to do with growth/development and spinal tension. Functional treatment: at the 40 - 60+ degree range, we could continue our integrative approach to treatment in an effort to reduce the patient’s degree of curvature below surgical-curve level. Both types of adult scoliosis can progress over time. While scoliosis surgery has improved over the past several decades, choosing surgery is never easy, and many patients find that the risks and poor treatment outcomes make this a last resort. While there is no right or wrong way to react, it’s important to have a full understanding of the condition itself, as well as potential treatment options. The accompanying chart provides a great visual to augment an understanding of the varying levels of scoliosis severity and corresponding treatment options: traditional and functional. Degrees of scoliosis ranging between 20 and 50 are considered moderate scoliosis, and can usually be treated with a back brace. Typically, pain is far more commonly a part of the scoliosis experience in adults, which is why pain management is such a big part of treating adult scoliosis. Adult scoliosis: This develops in adults. Radiological imaging To assess the curve further, X-ray images or low-dose radiation EOS images are … The higher the Cobb angle, the more severe the condition is, and this is the main variable that guides the chosen treatment plan moving forward. Functional treatment: at 25 - 40 degrees, we continue working to reduce the curvature, addressing the underlying structural nature of the condition, with the ultimate goal of correction and prevention; this is done through achieving a curvature reduction/supporting and stabilizing the spine, and preventing the condition from reaching more severe levels and preventing the need for future surgery. The same as in adolescent scoliosis, a diagnosis is given if a patient’s abnormal spinal curvature has a Cobb angle measurement of 10+ degrees and includes rotation, making it a 3-dimensional condition. After experiencing life changing results, he set his sights on helping others who face debilitating illness through providing more natural approaches. At a Cobb angle measurement of 40 - 60+ degrees, we are into the ‘severe scoliosis’ classification. There are not only many different forms of scoliosis, but also different severity levels and approaches to treating them. The goal is to always stay ahead of progression, which is why we order X-rays frequently to observe how the spine is responding to treatment/growth and assess how the treatment disciplines should be apportioned. Copyright © 2020 - Scoliosis Reduction Center. It’s at this level that patients are funneled towards spinal-fusion surgery as it becomes clear that their scoliosis is continuing to progress and is likely that related symptoms and pain will continue to get worse. All Rights Reserved. Traditional treatment: in the traditional approach, the reaction is passive. A slight curve early in development does not necessarily mean a child will be diagnosed with scoliosis later in life; it is possible that the slight curve will not worsen as the child develops. Traditional treatment: at a 10 - 25 degree of curvature, active treatment is not started. We would continue our combination of scoliosis-specific therapy, exercise, and chiropractic to address any pain and discomfort in a less invasive and more effective way. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis, affecting approximately 2% to 4% of adolescents. When a patient has severe Adult Degenerative Scoliosis or a spinal curvature over 40 degrees, they might not be able to perform these exercises and various movements fully at first. Let’s take a look at various degrees of scoliosis curvatures and how a traditional and functional treatment approach would respond at each level, first for adolescents, and then for adults. The type of brace and amount of time it should be warn are unique to each patient, and should be decided by a doctor. Curves that reach 50 degrees or greater, may progress more rapidly then those that are less than 50 degrees. Functional treatment: in the functional approach, I believe this is precisely the time to act, before the condition progresses in severity. The ScoliBrace doesn’t just work towards slowing/stopping progression, like the Boston brace, but actually correcting the abnormal spinal curvature. In the functional approach, a different level of bracing is used: the corrective ScoliBrace. The patient would likely be told to return in 3, 6, or 12 months (depending on the patient’s age) for another series of X-rays and to re-evaluate. As a progressive condition with no known cure, it’s important to address each stage of the condition with active treatment, in an attempt to prevent it from progressing in severity and reaching that surgical-level threshold. Our main goal, at this stage, is not only to correct a patient’s abnormal curvature as much as possible, but to help them avoid spinal-fusion surgery and all the heavy risk factors and potential side effects that go along with it. We also continue monitoring how the patient’s spine is responding to treatment and growth: tweaking that plan as needed to address how the patient’s spine is responding. Adolescent curves less than 30° are unlikely to progress significantly into adulthood, while those over 50° are likely to get bigger, which is why adult scoliosis specialists should monitor the curves over time. Use Chiropractic Manipulation. The goal is to try and stay ahead of the condition’s progressive nature. If you’re an adult with degenerative scoliosis, your doctor … As adults have the big trigger for progression (growth) removed, by reaching skeletal maturity, progression tends to slow down; however, over time, the cumulative effects of slow progression can also be significant, resulting in a large degree of curvature. Adults with a type of scoliosis called degenerative scoliosis. Questions of how it will affect their lives and how bad it can get are common responses. Scoliosis generally is not diagnosable until children reach a certain point in their development, because the spine continues to develop as the body grows. If there is progression to greater degrees of scoliosis, additional measures most likely need to be taken. This tool helps you do just that. Scoliosis Treatment - Observation. 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