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.