A sideways-curving spine is the most troubling aspect of scoliosis, but it is not the real problem. To figure out what actually causes scoliosis, scientists must look beyond the curve.
We now know that spinal curvature stems from a miscommunication between the brain and muscles that support the spine. A child’s postural control centers fail to tell the muscles how to properly respond to gravity, so instead of growing straight the spine becomes curved. But why aren’t those messages being sent? More and more clinical data is pointing toward specific genomic functional variant patterns, which affect neurotransmitter and hormone production/metabolism.
