The symptoms of scoliosis

The symptoms of scoliosis depend on its severity. There are very mild scolioses, such as those found in many people. These often go unnoticed because they do not cause any symptoms.

In most cases, scoliosis is discovered symptomatically during the growth spurt before puberty and at around 10 to 12 years of age. The children are conspicuous solely by their anatomical disparities (crooked spine, uneven shoulder height, etc.). Pain is rare.

However, if the scoliosis has existed for a long time, wear and tear can occur and thus increasing pain can be the result. Scoliosis usually develops insidiously in childhood or adolescence.Despite sometimes clearly visible curvatures, the young people affected rarely suffer from pain caused by scoliosis. Due to the slowly developing curvature in growth, the muscles can adapt to the inequalities, so that there is often no pain at all and the scoliosis is often not even noticed by the affected person.

It is not until around the third decade of life that the curvature of the spine becomes noticeable through symptoms in addition to the visually visible signs. The constant incorrect posture promotes the development of muscle tension. In addition, signs of wear and tear such as structural changes in the vertebral bodies occur much earlier.

People with straight backs also frequently develop such complaints. In the case of scoliosis, however, the risk is increased and the symptoms appear at a much younger age. In addition to pain in the back itself, pain in the area of the shoulders and head is also common.

Regular exercise and targeted strengthening of the back muscles can often prevent or alleviate the pain associated with scoliosis. Surgery as the only possibility for causal treatment of scoliosis-related pain is rarely considered. This treatment option is especially an option when it can improve the function of internal organs such as the lungs or heart.

You can read more about pain in scoliosis here. The cervical spine is rarely directly affected by scoliosis. Nevertheless, symptoms often manifest themselves in the cervical spine due to a curvature in other parts of the spinal column.

Due to the malposition of the back, the shoulders and head posture are often at an angle. As a result, tension often occurs in the back, neck and shoulder muscles. The result is pain in the regions described.

In addition, a radiation is frequent, whereby especially head and arm pain can occur. Other symptoms that can be caused by scoliosis are dizziness, ringing in the ears and insecure gait. The symptoms usually do not develop until adulthood.

In scoliosis, the curvature of the spine is usually located in the thoracic spine (BWS). Often no symptoms develop over a long period of time. Only the optically visible changes such as a one-sided rib hump when bending forward as well as an inclination of the shoulders can be noticeable.

Not infrequently, psychological disorders can be triggered or intensified as symptoms due to a reduced self-esteem and dissatisfaction with one’s own body. Physical symptoms of BWS, on the other hand, often do not develop until the third decade of life in scoliosis. The main focus is on pain due to muscular tension caused by constant poor posture and premature wear.

In the case of a very pronounced curvature, symptoms due to impairment of heart and lung function such as shortness of breath under stress and reduced performance are also possible. Scoliosis of the lumbar spine (lumbar spine) in children, adolescents and young adults often only occurs due to visual or cosmetic abnormalities. When bending forward, for example, a lumbar bulge appears on the side opposite the curvature of the spine.

In addition, a visible obliquity of the pelvis may be present. As the patient grows older, complaints such as pain in the lower back often develop as symptoms. The poor posture caused by scoliosis promotes muscle tension and wear and tear of bones and joints of the spine.

In addition, pelvic obliquity leads to a functional difference in leg length, which in turn leads to incorrect loading of the knee or hip. Here too, without treatment, wear-related pain develops early on. In the case of severe curvature of the spinal column in the lumbar region, symptoms can also result from impairment of the function of internal organs. The abdominal organs are most likely to be affected, which can manifest itself as constipation and difficult bowel movements.