Types of Lumbar Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that has been found throughout history since the Ancient Greeks.The spine curves in an "S" shape and can be painful, since the curvature pulls on the ribs, forming either a bulge on the spine or causing the shoulder blades to stick out excessively.

Syndromic Scoliosis

• One type of scoliosis is syndromic, in which the curvature is part of a recognized set of symptoms for a recognized disease; this is the rarer form of scoliosis, and suggests a genetic link.

Idiopathic Scoliosis

• Idiopathic scoliosis, or scoliosis with no known cause, shows up before age seven or around adolescence, and can be diagnosed with an X-ray. Many sufferers have a relative with the disease (25 percent) or are adolescent girls with rib prominence on the right side (80 percent).

Effects on The Body

• The curvature of the spine can be very dramatic in the thoracic spine area (the center of the chest) and can curve up to 90 degrees, interfering with lung and heart function, and sometimes causing breathing difficulty.

Issues in Adolescence

• The curvature of the thoracic and lumbar spine in adolescent girls can be very noticeable in outward appearance. It can be difficult for young people, especially young girls, to cope with this noticeable appearance.

Treatment

• TLSO (Thoraco-Lumbar Spinal Orthotic) is one type of bracing to correct the curvature; fusing the spine in places to even out the curvature is another.