Scoliosis
What is Scoliosis?
Scoliosis displays itself as a sideways curvature in an otherwise normally straight spine. The spine itself should ideally demonstrate a slight roundness in a person’s upper back along with a mild degree of inward curvature (swayback) in the lower back when viewed at a side angle. If an individual with a normal spine is looked at from either the back or the front, the spine generally appears straight. However, if an individual with scoliosis is looked at from either the back or front, their spine looks somewhat curved instead.
Scoliosis can cause ongoing pain in the back that can be quite severe. Pain management doctors like Atlanta pain specialist Dr. V.K. Puppala are here to help you effectively manage your pain. Get in touch with us any time for a little bit more information or to schedule a consultation at our pain and spine clinic.
Causes
Atlanta pain specialists know there are a number of causes and various types of the condition, some of which may include the following:
Degenerative Type
This may be a result of a traumatic bone collapse, osteoporosis (thinning and weakening bones), or from a prior back surgery (usually major).
Congenital Type
A condition due to a bone irregularity at birth.
Idiopathic Type
The most common kind is the idiopathic type, which has no real identifiable cause in general. Although there are a number of theories that have been posed by Atlanta pain specialists and other medical professionals, none have ever been found to be 100 percent conclusive. However, there is strong evidence that it’s probably inherited.
Neuromuscular Type
This is the result of irregular nerves or muscles. The neuromuscular type is often seen in individuals with cerebral palsy or spina bifida or in those people with different disorders that come with, or sometimes result in, subsequent paralysis.
Who Gets it?
Nearly 2-3 percent of all Americans have scoliosis by the time they reach 16 years of age. Less than 0.1 percent of those have spinal curves that measure over 40 degrees in all, which is the tipping point to start considering surgery. In general, girls have a higher tendency than boys to be affected. The idiopathic type is often the condition among the adolescence, which impacts young people 10 years of age through 16. It can advance during their ‘growth spurt’ period, but typically doesn’t progress in adulthood.
Most children diagnosed with scoliosis by Atlanta pain specialists don’t require any treatment since it often naturally resolves as the child keeps growing. For those who do need treatment a back brace is often prescribed and is usually quite effective, while a very small percentage do in fact need surgery. If the condition is left untreated, it can lead to severe lung, heart, pelvis, chest, and spine damage overall.
Symptoms
Most curves due to the condition are initially noticed in basic school screening tests, by a family doctor, the child’s pediatrician, or sometimes by a parent. A few signs may be an uneven waist, a prominent shoulder blade, or uneven shoulders.
V. K. Puppala, M.D. is located in Villa Rica, GA serving patients throughout the metro Atlanta area. Dr. Puppala treats his patients with sincere compassion and respect and is genuinely concerned about their general health and well-being. As an expert Atlanta pain specialist, Dr. Puppala takes a multi-modal approach to pain management by implementing a variety of minimally invasive methods using effective medication management and practical treatments overall. Call 770-627-7246 or 770-MAP-PAIN today if you need a solution to your chronic pain.
