Most adults suffering from scoliosis have actually had it since adolescence, but as it not diagnosed or treated properly then, it has continued to worsen and progress. Therefore, early detection is key to correcting scoliosis in time. In this article, the experts at Instituto Clavel will tell you about the various treatments for this spinal pathology.
Can scoliosis be corrected? The short answer is yes, although the method used depends on several factors, such as the age of the patient, their general state of health and, of course, the degree of curvature.
Scoliosis is a deformity of the spine that can range from mild to severe. To be considered scoliosis, this deformity must be three-dimensional, that is, it occurs in three planes -- the frontal, sagittal and transverse plane -- and the curve must be greater than 10 degrees in the frontal or coronal plane.
As we said at the beginning, in the vast majority of cases of adult scoliosis, it appears when the person is in a growing stage (usually idiopathic scoliosis), although there are also cases of new-onset scoliosis or degenerative scoliosis in adults that occurs at advanced ages.
When scoliosis is very mild, it can be hard to see and usually does not cause pain or any other symptoms, so it is very important for children and adolescents to have regular medical check-ups so that their doctor can detect this deviation and monitor its progress. This way, if the curve increases between appointments, a timely decision can be made about starting treatment.
Dr. Vázquez talks about the importance of early detection of scoliosis in this article
In the following sections, we explain the different options for treating scoliosis depending on the patient’s age.
How to correct scoliosis in children and adolescents
The advantage of detecting scoliosis during childhood or adolescence is that the spine is still growing, so it may be possible to correct it with conservative measures, without the need for surgery. Of course, this will depend on the degree of the curvature, and the stage of maturity of the patient’s spine.
If the curvature is very slight, the usual recommendation is to monitor its progress during periodic medical check-ups. Then, if the curvature is seen to worsen in a short period of time, the patient can begin treatment for scoliosis, usually by using an orthopedic brace.
The traumatologist must determine the type of brace to be used and how many hours per day it should be worn, according to the needs of the patient. There are braces designed to be worn most of the day (between 20-22 hours), and others that are only worn at night. The total length of time this treatment will be necessary will depend on the degree of the curvature at the beginning of treatment, and when the patient's growth stage ends.
Treatment with a brace can be complemented with physical therapy and specific exercises to strengthen the muscles and the spine.
You can find more information here about using a scoliosis brace
However, there are cases in which the degree of curvature is so severe that it is not possible to correct it with conservative treatment and surgery is necessary. At Instituto Clavel, we consider surgery when the curvature is between 45-50 degrees or more. It is a complex operation, but with our experience, and the technology we have at our center, it can be the most effective solution to help a patient get back their quality of life.
One of the most important aspects of this surgery is planning. At Instituto Clavel, we use the EOSedge© scanner, which provides a 3D image of the patient’s spine, and Keops software which allows us to build a reconstruction of the planned result of the operation. Thanks to this previous planning, we are also able to customize the design of the surgical rods that will be used, to exactly fit the needs of the patient, thus increasing safety and the precision of the correction.
The postoperative recovery period of adolescents is usually short, since the ability to recover at that stage of life is greater.
Scoliosis in children and adults
How to correct scoliosis in adults
In contrast to adolescent scoliosis, even mild scoliosis in adults can be a limiting disability because of the pain it causes. This is because the abnormal curvature, along with degenerative changes, can compress neurological structures, causing pain in the back and other areas such as the legs.
In these cases, the main objective is to relieve pain with medication or local infiltrations. Unfortunately, use of a brace will not correct scoliosis in adults because it cannot stop the curvature from progressing. For adults, the conservative treatment options are medication, infiltrations and physical therapy.
In adults, just as in adolescents, if the curvature of the spine is very severe and exceeds 45-50 degrees the option of corrective surgery will be evaluated. When we perform scoliosis surgery at Instituto Clavel, after placing the screws in the vertebrae, we make the necessary bone cuts using an ultrasonic scalpel, which increases safety, making the cuts more effective and accurate. Then the surgeon straightens the spine, attaching it to the rods which we have custom designed to fit the patient and finally, places bone graft so that the structure fuses with the bone.
In this video, Dr. Ignasi Català explains more about scoliosis surgery, the steps before and during the operation, as well as what the recovery process is like in both adults and children.
We hope you have found this article useful. If you have more questions about scoliosis treatment, or need personal attention about your case, we invite you to contact us. We are at your disposal at all times.
Categories: Spine treatments, Spine pathologies, Back pain