Can scoliosis cause paralysis?

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asked Jul 17, 2022 in Diseases Conditions by close2thee (1,550 points)
Can scoliosis cause paralysis?

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answered Jul 22, 2022 by Markbob (8,170 points)
Scoliosis can in rare cases cause paralysis if it gets too severe and it is left untreated.

Paralytic scoliosis is brought about by the imbalance between the two sides of the body exerted on the paralytic spine.

Scoliosis can cause problems later in life and long term affects.

Some long terms affects of scoliosis include respiratory dysfunction (viral), psychosocial effects due to posture asymmetry, higher rates of back pain or discomfort (though they note this does not appear to cause excessive disability), loss of equilibrium (i.e. car sickness), gait abnormalities.

The way you can tell if you have scoliosis is to have a scoliosis test and exam done by a doctor.

A scoliosis test is a non invasive test that allows doctors to see whether the spine has a curve.

People with scoliosis can have a single curve, creating a “C” shape, or a double curve, creating an “S” shape.

Scoliosis exams are physical examinations involving exercises that allow a doctor to see the shape of the spine.

Treatment can help to fix scoliosis although scoliosis cannot be cured.

The 4 symptoms of scoliosis are.

Uneven shoulders and/or hips.
Bump in the lower back.
Numbness, weakness, or pain in the legs.
Trouble walking.

Other symptoms of scoliosis include.

Trouble standing up straight.
Tired feeling.
Shortness of breath.
Loss of height.

If severe scoliosis is not treated it can lead to pain and increasing deformity, as well as potential heart and lung damage.

If scoliosis is left untreated it can worsen and have serious long-term physical and emotional complications.

Severe scoliosis, where the curvature exceeds 50 degrees, can cause the spine to rotate, which can lead to decreased lung capacity and heart problems.

In some cases you may be able to fix scoliosis without surgery unless it gets too severe.

Some ways that scoliosis can be treated without surgery include physical therapy, the Schroth method, bracing and Mehta casting.

Scoliosis can be corrected at any age although most cases of scoliosis are corrected between the ages of 3 to 10 years of age.

Some people are born with scoliosis of the spine and some people may develop the scoliosis of the spine later on in life.

Although congenital scoliosis is present at birth, it may not be obvious that a child has it right away.

Congenital scoliosis often gets worse as a child grows.

Common signs and symptoms of congenital scoliosis include one or more of the following: uneven hip heights or positions.

Scoliosis such as congenital scoliosis is caused by embryological malformation of one or more vertebrae and may occur in any location of the spine.

The vertebral abnormalities cause curvature and other deformities of the spine because one area of the spinal column lengthens at a slower rate than the rest.

However for more than 80 percent of cases, the cause of scoliosis is unknown a condition called idiopathic scoliosis.

In other cases, scoliosis may develop as a result of degeneration of the spinal discs, as seen with arthritis, osteoporosis or as a hereditary condition that tends to run in families.

The most common scoliosis is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis which is most often diagnosed during puberty.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that appears in late childhood or adolescence.

Scoliosis does run in families.

Strong evidence suggests that scoliosis runs in families, but no direct evidence has been found.

Also, nearly a third of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have a family history of the condition.

Scoliosis can run in families, but most children with scoliosis don't have a family history of it.

Early onset scoliosis, or EOS, is diagnosed in children younger than 10.

Adolescent scoliosis is diagnosed between ages 10 to 18.

Kids with early onset scoliosis have many years of growth ahead of them.

The signs of scoliosis in children are.

Uneven shoulders and shoulder blades.
Unequal distance between the arms and body when standing.
Uneven hips.
Ribs that are prominent or stick out in one area.
Muscles that are prominent in the lower back or that bulge on one side.
Uneven skin folds at the waist.

Scoliosis can be life threatening.

Although not all cases of scoliosis are life threatening scoliosis when it gets severe enough can affect the heart and lungs, limiting their ability to function and leading to complications that can potentially result in death.

On its own, scoliosis cannot kill you. While leaving a condition untreated would allow it to progress unimpeded and increase chances of related complications, even with severe curvatures, functional deficits aren't always present.

Most people with scoliosis are able to live normal lives and can do most activities, including exercise and sports.

The condition does not usually cause significant pain or any other health problems, and tends to stay the same after you stop growing see a GP if it gets any worse.

Mild cases of scoliosis may not need treatment.

Although, moderate to severe scoliosis that is left untreated can lead to pain and increasing deformity, as well as potential heart and lung damage.

Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine with rotation.

It most often develops during the growth spurt just before puberty.

Rarely does adult scoliosis alone cause paralysis or other severe neurologic problems, but it can be associated with lumbar stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal or tube where the nerves lay), which can result in nerve irritation, leg pain and possibly weakness.

Scoliosis is a progressive condition and it does tend to get worse as you age.

However, scoliosis is somewhat unusual in that it does not have what we might call a “predictable trajectory” this is to say that you cannot simply assume that after X years, scoliosis will have increased by X degrees.

Scoliosis affects the entire skeletal system including the spine, ribs, and pelvis.

It impacts upon the brain and central nervous system and affects the body's hormonal and digestive systems.

It can deplete the body's nutritional resources and damage its major organs including the heart and lungs.

With scoliosis, the spine rotates and develops a side-to-side curve.

Curves may be as mild as 10 degrees, or as severe as 100 degrees or more.

In mild cases, deformity is less noticeable, and there is less danger to internal organs.

Severe scoliosis (80+degrees) can potentially affect not only the spine and rib cage, but also, may eventually affect the heart, lungs, and other internal organs.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that most often is diagnosed in adolescents.

While scoliosis can occur in people with conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most childhood scoliosis is unknown.

The 3 types of scoliosis are.

Thoracic scoliosis: The curve is located in the mid (thoracic) spine.
Lumbar scoliosis: The curve is located in the lower (lumbar) spine.
Thoracolumbar scoliosis: Vertebrae from both the thoracic and lumbar spinal sections are involved in the curvature.

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