Scoliosis can be accompanied by symptoms in some people. Pain is the most common symptom in people with scoliosis. In addition to the back, where the scoliosis originates, other parts of the body can also be affected. In addition to the back, other parts of the body such as the hip or leg can also be affected.
Pain development in scoliosis
In the case of scoliosis, there is also a chronic misloading and irregular wear of the vertebral bodies. The patient is free of symptoms until finally the bones of the vertebral bodies rub against each other. This can occur sooner or later, depending on the incorrect loading of the spinal column.
In the case of progressive or long-standing scolioses, the patient initially feels pain when under heavy load or after sitting or standing for a long time. The pain is usually localized on the side of the spine at the level where the main misalignment of the spinal column occurs. They are described as pulling or tearing.
In some cases, the pain may also radiate, mostly along the spine. In cases of very severe scoliosis or long-standing malformations, as well as in conditions where bone rubs directly against bone, patients also experience pain at rest, which can be similarly pulling. In addition to the discomfort caused by bone friction, scoliosis almost always involves tension in the muscles that run along the sides of the spine and are responsible for its straightening.
These muscle tensions, which can sometimes become very hard and are also known as myogeloses, additionally lead to pain in the area of the spinal column. One difference between the pain caused by myogeloses or bone friction is that the former can usually be provoked by manual pressure on the muscle bellies. Pain caused by rubbing of the vertebral bodies can also be provoked, but usually only by movement.
Movements that lead to particularly severe pain in scoliosis are bending movements in the spine, i.e. bending forward or leaning backward. Another characteristic of pain caused by scoliosis is pain caused by lateral twisting movements. In addition to the pain triggered by scoliosis, mechanical impairments can also always occur.
These are usually caused by the fact that the vertebral bodies are no longer in physiological contact with each other, resulting in increased friction in the area of the vertebral bodies. These mechanical impairments usually manifest themselves as so-called blockages. The patient is no longer able to perform certain purely mechanical movements in the spinal column in the way he is used to.
It is possible that he may only be able to turn to the side and bend forward to a limited extent, for example. In some cases, this blockage is accompanied by an audible cracking sound. Depending on how advanced the scoliosis is, the severity of the symptoms may also change.
