Learn the risks, signs and symptoms of scoliosis

Risks, signs, and symptoms of scoliosis

Detection of early stage scoliosis can be a very difficult task, even for experienced health care providers, however it is a crucial aspect of early stage scoliosis intervention. While there are many "tell tale" signs of the condition (see the check list to right) it is often a matter of knowing who is a most risk and recognizing the pattern of curve progression.

The "typical" early stage scoliosis patient fits into the following profile:

Female
Between the ages of 8-14
Pre-menses
Thin or lanky body shape

Risks of scoliosis progression

All severe cases of idiopathic adolescent scoliosis started out with an early stage development. While even mild cases of early stage scoliosis (0-19 degrees) carry a significant risk of further curve progression (up to 22%) once the spinal curvature reach the 20 degree mark in patients with developing spines (skeletally immature) the risk more than triples to 68%.

0-19° = 14-22% 20-29° = ~ 68% 30+° = 68-90%

No one knows why this dramatic jump occurs, but many researchers suspect it is caused by increased torque from spinal rotation, which is being driven by adverse mechanical tension on the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).

Health risks of idiopathic adolescent scoliosis

Aside from the more apparent affects scoliosis has on those who suffer from it there are many additional risks that may happen as a result of this disorder:

Body image concerns
Between the ages of 8-14
Pre-mature spinal degeneration
Digestive problems
Leg, knee, and hip pain
Pre-mature oseto-arthritis

Lower self-esteem
Depression
Back pain
Headache
Social anxiety disorders
Reduced life expectancy
up to 14 years

Recognizing the signs

Knowing what signs to look for can give you the upper hand in preventing the progression of scoliosis. (hover over points)

Find your ScoliScore™

ScoliScore™ is a clinically validated, multi-gene test that provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the likelihood of spinal curve progression for patients who have been diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS).
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