Scoliosis, what to do about it?

Question

I am a 18 year old guy, 6'4 and recently i went to the doctor for x ray and found out i have scoliosis of like 17%. My left side of the ribcage is sticking out forward a little and my left chest too, my backbone is messed up, is there anyway to fix this? chiropractor? or surgery? anyone know what to do, i know this disease is mostly common in females, i think i got it because when i hit puberty i was sitting on computer the whole summer playing games, but i always slouched since i was a little kid so i don't know.

Answer 1

17% is not considered for surgery. However Pilate's type exercise will help. Try and find a local class and learn the techniques: isolate the muscle groups, learn how to exercise each muscle group, learn how to get core strength and then the muscle will hold the spine in the correct posture. Posture is all important and bad habits in youth, slouching, will have bad outcomes as a adult, however if you exercise build the correct muscle, your body will correct itself. Best of Luck

Answer 2

try going to the chiropracter they have different methods to help corrected scoliosis but make sure you find a chiropracter that knows what hes doing or they can hurt your back and spine as well as help it, good luck

Answer 3

i have it too. . theres correction surgery, but go to different doctors to get different opinions before u do anything major like that.. if the surgery isnt necesary then u shouldnt get it done.. so get 3rd, and 4th opinions

its common in tall people..

Answer 4

17 degrees is a mild curve.  Structural scoliosis is not caused by slouching.  You probably won't have to worry much about your curve in the future.  I'll give you some options, and then give you some info.

There isn't a lot that you can do to keep your spine from curving. You have only a few choices, assuming that you have structural scoliosis. (Keep reading...)

o You can exercise - that strengthens your core muscles which may reduce pain or help keep pain away, but it won't treat your curve.

o You can wear a brace - Many people, myself included, have worn them. They are supposed to keep your curve from getting worse, or at least slow down the speed at which your curve is increasing. They usually don't fix your curve.  Bracing is only effective if your curve is around 25-40 degrees and you are still growing.

o pain management - pain pills or injections bring many of us with major pain to the point where most people are without the meds. There are many meds that are either taken by themselves or in combination with other meds. The key is to keep your pain doc informed when something isn't working (after giving it a reasonable chance to work). This should be done only if surgery isn't possible or you still have problems even after surgery.

o Surgery - This is done usually if your curve is greater than 50 degrees or it is increasing fast enough that there's little doubt that the curve will soon be greater than 50 degrees. This is the treatment you get when all else fails.

I've posted the following a few times for other people with questions. I hope I'll answer the things that have you concerned.

Scoliosis comes mainly in two flavors - functional (the curve is caused by another issue (uneven leg length for example) and structural.  There are two main kinds of structural scoliosis - congenital (present at birth) and idiopathic (unknown cause).  It is important for you to know what kind you have.

If you have functional scoliosis, a chiropractor may be able to help.  Shoe lifts may help with uneven legs, but there can be many causes of functional scoliosis.  I don't have much experience with functional scoliosis.

If you have structural scoliosis, there's not a lot you can do.  The main treatments depend on how bad the curve is and how much more growth you have to go.  Its not possible to predict how much or how fast a curve may increase.

You need to see a scoliosis specialist if you're not doing that already. A doctor that is not trained as a scoliosis specialist doesn't have the expertise to treat it.

Any curve under 10 degrees is considered normal and probably isn't monitored.

Curves from 10-25 degrees are mild but should be monitored, especially if you're still growing.

Curves from 25-40 degrees are moderate with bracing possible. You will need monitoring, especially if you're still growing.

Surgery may be recommended if your curve doesn't respond to bracing. Bracing will do no good if you're through growing. The purpose of a brace isn't to make your curve better, but rather to keep the curve from becoming worse.

Curves greater than 45 degrees is major. Surgery may be recommended. This depends on many things, but whether you're done growing, whether your curve is increasing, whether your heart and lungs are in danger of being squeezed by your curve, whether you're in pain, quality of life, etc.

If your curve is over 30 degrees, there is a good chance that it will increase even when you're through growing.  (Mine did.)

Unfortunately, nothing can *fix* idiopathic scoliosis. Surgery can keep the curve from getting worse, and in most cases, will reduce the curve but most likely your spine won't be straight (unless you are very flexible in the area to be fused, then you might be lucky).

Chiropractors, message therapists, acupuncturists, etc., can't fix idiopathic scoliosis. These people adjust the soft, connective tissues and that may (or may not, you can't tell ahead of time) make you feel better, but remember, idiopathic scoliosis is not a connective tissue disease. Your spine is growing curved.

Answer 5

There is surgery but you could also use a back brace. You should talk to your doctor about options you can take.

I personally use a back brace I  have to wear it 18 hrs a day for 4 months and it fits under all clothes.