If you associate scoliosis — the condition where the spine, rather than being straight and stable, bends into a C- or S-shaped curve — with children, you only know part of the story.
Adults develop this condition as well, and approximately 9% of scoliosis patients are fully grown.
This month, we’re going to dive into the differences in how scoliosis manifests in children and adults, as well as treatment approaches for both age groups.
Dr. Benjamin Cohen has provided critical treatment for both children and adults with scoliosis for years, and he’s deeply committed to offering the most advanced treatments for scoliosis to both age groups.
Scoliosis typically emerges in children after a pre-adolescent growth spurt. In adults, it usually develops over many years of wear and tear — they experience disc degeneration and other conditions that weaken and destabilize the spine, leading to a degenerative form of scoliosis.
While we know more about why scoliosis develops in adults, the vast majority of adolescent cases — 80-85% — pose more mystery. Most pre-adolescent and adolescent cases are idiopathic, meaning a root cause cannot be identified. However, a family history of scoliosis increases a child’s chances of getting diagnosed. So does living with a neuromuscular condition like cerebral palsy.
Conditions that commonly accompany aging — arthritis and osteoporosis — are also often culprits in adult scoliosis diagnoses. The persistence of gravity doesn’t help either.
Because the causes of adolescent and adult scoliosis are so different, it stands to reason, then, that symptoms differ as well. Though a young person with oliosis may experience no symptoms at all, others aren’t so lucky.
Children and teens living with scoliosis can develop body unevenness, or asymmetry, with their hips, shoulders, and waists appearing lopsided. A child’s head may not be properly centered above their pelvis as well. They might also experience:
The scoliosis symptoms that adults experience include:
Though symptoms are distinct in both children and adults, each group experiences life-limiting problems that can significantly reduce quality of life.
Scoliosis treatments for kids and adults both depend on symptom severity, but a child’s growth stage is important to consider as well, since the more growing they have left, the greater the risk the curvature will worsen.
Noninvasive treatments for children include Dr. Cohen monitoring a child’s curvature over time if it isn’t severe, and recommending that they wear a brace, which can halt the progression of their spinal curve. Part-time bracing can also help children with lower percentage curvatures (10-20°) by reversing or significantly improving the scoliosis.
For both children and adults with severe scoliosis, Dr. Cohen may recommend surgery.
For kids whose curvature is more than 40-50°, stabilization surgery can help. This is when Dr. Cohen places metallic implants that keep the spine steady and stable, and straighten it.
For adults, noninvasive treatments include using pain medications, physical therapy, and addressing any underlying conditions, such as osteoporosis. If surgery is necessary, Dr. Cohen may perform:
No matter a patient’s age or scoliosis stage, Dr. Cohen can share important information on managing or eliminating scoliosis symptoms and provide compassionate treatment.
Contact our Garden City office to make an appointment by calling 516-246-5008, or book one with us online.
