The human spine is the main part of the axial skeleton. It provides the ability to walk directly, not on all fours, maintaining a balance of the center of gravity. Our world is improving, and people are sitting more and moving less, and the computerization of society leads to the fact that a person pays less attention to an active lifestyle. This leads to various kinds of diseases of the spine. The beginning of such diseases can be laid already in childhood. Consider left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar. What are the causes of the disease, symptoms and methods of therapy.
What is scoliosis
"Scoliosis" in Greek means "curve", hence the name of the disease, a characteristic feature of which is the curvature of the spinal column.
The characteristic can be given:
- By the location of the curvature.
- By the nature of the deformation.
Let us indicate in which sections of the spine pathology is possible:
- By Shane.
- Cervicothoracic.
- Breast.
- Thoracolumbar.
- Lumbar.
- Lumbosacral.
Forms of curvature of the spine:
- S-shaped. It is characteristic of two departments at once in different directions.
- C-shaped. One department is affected.
- E-shaped. Three spinal sections with three deformities are affected.
- Kyphoscoliotic. Additional curvature of the spine in the anteroposterior direction, and at the same time, the chest is also curved, a rib hump and stoop appear.
Left-sided C-shaped scoliosis of the lumbar spine is the most common type of spinal deformity.
With scoliosis as a result of deformation of the spinal column, the position of the chest changes. This can cause a disruption in the functioning of the pulmonary system, as well as the heart, malfunctions in the work of other organs are possible.
Types and degrees of scoliosis
Scoliosis can be divided into:
- Congenital. It is rare. Anomaly of the development of the spine.
- Acquired. It is more common in women. It develops slowly or very quickly.
- Idiopathic. With active growth, the causes remain unknown.
The following degrees of disease exist:
- 1 degree. Spinal column deviation up to 10 degrees.
- 2 degree. Deviation of 15-25 degrees.
- 3 degree. The spinal column is rejected to 50 degrees.
- 4 degree. Deviation over 50 degrees.
How does the disease develop?
Depending on what the angle of deviation depends on how the disease will manifest itself.
Consider the symptoms of manifestation for each degree.
The first degree of deformation of the spinal column, as a rule, has no complications. But the danger is that it is difficult to independently detect the incipient disease. However, if the disease is ignored, the following symptoms may worsen:
- The asymmetry of the gluteal fold is visually visible.
- One leg seems shorter than the other.
- The pelvis is shifted to the left.
- The right kidney may fall.
- Failures in the functioning of the pelvic organs.
For the second degree, a lateral deviation of 10-25 degrees is characteristic. The following symptoms also exist:
- There is an asymmetry of the lower ribs on the left and on the right.
- Torticollis.
- Pronounced stoop.
- One blade is down.
- The presence of muscle on the back.
For the third degree, the following changes are characteristic:
- Ribs are hollow on one side and bulge on the other.
- The pelvis is skewed.
- The chest is deformed.
Characteristic signs of grade 4 scoliosis:
- The spine is rejected by 50 degrees or more.
- The body is skewed.
- Half-bent walking.
- The work of internal organs is disturbed.
- Fatigue comes quickly.
- Severe pain in the spine.
Consider the features of left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar spine.
Manifestations of curvature
Depending on where the apex of curvature is directed, scoliosis can be right-sided or left-sided.
With left-sided scoliosis, the curvature of the arc of the spinal column is directed to the left. Such a curvature, as a rule, has a great influence on the work of internal organs located on the right.
On the right side are the liver, gall bladder, right kidney, part of the intestine. Malfunctions in the work of these organs are possible. They turn out to be crushed, natural processes are disturbed. For this reason, pelvic diseases may occur. The disease may not manifest itself immediately. But the development of the disease will lead to various kinds of complications.
Left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar spine over time, if left untreated, can lead to the development of osteochondrosis and poor health. Timely access to a doctor will save you from pathology.
Symptoms of left-sided scoliosis
Symptoms characteristic of left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar region are as follows:
- Pain in the lower back.
- With physical activity, fatigue quickly occurs, accompanied by back pain.
- Pain in the back appears when you are in one position for a long time.
- The hips are not on the same level.
- The figure is curved.
- The gait is awkward.
What can be the basis for the occurrence of left-sided scoliosis?
Causes of the disease
Left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar can develop even in childhood. Since the skeleton of a child is still being formed. Improper posture of the body in a sitting position for a long time leads to curvature of the spine. Due to the fact that most of us are right-handed, the load on the right side is greater. And also our habits form pathological disorders, for example, to carry a bag on the right shoulder, to sleep on the right side. The muscles of the right side of the body, if the person is right-handed, are usually more developed.
Athletes most often suffer from left-sided scoliosis due to heavy loads during training and frequent muscle inflammation.
We single out the causes of left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar spine:
- Spinal injuries.
- Excessive exercise.
- Long stay in one position.
- Work related to the continuous direction of the back in one direction forms a curvature of the spine.
- The habit of carrying bags on the right shoulder or in the hand.
- Sleep on the right side.
- Tuberculosis of the spine.
- Children's rickets.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Rheumatism.
- Anomalies of the development of the spine.
The reasons for the development of C-shaped left-sided scoliosis of the lumbar spine are also:
- Excess weight.
- Fractures of the spine.
- Low physical activity.
- The destruction of the muscle corset due to improper load distribution.
Features of left-sided scoliosis of the lumbosacral
The following deviations will be visible visually:
- On examination, the pelvic girdle area is displaced.
- The sacrum is displaced.
Depending on the degree of left-sided scoliosis of the lumbosacral spine, the external manifestations are as follows:
For 1 degree are characteristic:
- Asymmetric blade arrangement.
- Misalignment of the pelvis.
- Drooping shoulders.
- The shoulders are not on the same level.
- There is no symmetry of the triangles of the waist.
For 2 degrees are characteristic:
- The formation of the spinal hump.
- Asymmetry of the whole body.
- Misalignment of the pelvis.
- Shoulders down.
- The blades are asymmetrical.
For degrees 3 and 4:
- Chest deformity.
- Changes in the work of internal organs.
- The divergence of the shoulder blades.
The following symptoms also exist:
- Supermobility of the joints of the spine.
- Impaired mobility of the intervertebral joints of the spine.
- Organic hypermobility syndrome.
- Pain in the spine during movement and at rest.
- Morning pains.
- Stiffness of joints.
- Crunch in the spine.
- Increased pain during physical exertion.
It is worth noting that with dystrophic changes, pressure in the disks increases and as a result spasms of the back muscles appear. With the onset of hypomobility syndrome, in addition to increasing curvature, it is also possible to strengthen lordosis and the formation of lumbar kyphoscoliosis.
Diagnosis of the disease
The first stage of the disease is difficult to recognize. However, turning to the doctor, you can prevent the development of incipient scoliosis. Most often this happens in adolescence.
In order to determine if there are problems with the spine, you can conduct a visual examination in front of the mirror. Pay attention to the following:
- Shoulders. They should be on one straight line.
- Head. It should be strictly in the center relative to the center of the pelvis. There should be no deviations in any direction.
- Hips. Must be at the same height. Do not bulge forward relative to each other.
- Waist. There should be no offsets or inclinations.
- The body should not be tilted to the side.
It is not always possible to independently detect a problem with the spine. Therefore, you should contact a specialist.
First of all, the doctor will conduct a visual examination, pay attention to:
- Symmetry of the shoulders, shoulder blades, and waist.
- Joint mobility.
- Muscle tone.
- The presence of deformation of the ribs of the chest.
Further, the following studies may be prescribed:
- X-ray examination. It is made in two projections.
- MRI
- X-rays of light.
- ECG.
- Ultrasound
- Spirometry.
For the examination of children using a three-dimensional study using an ultrasonic sensor. Measure the back profile in 3D mode. Most often, children are diagnosed with left-sided scoliosis of the 1st degree of the lumbar spine.
Treatment methods
In order to start treatment, the doctor must consider:
- The age of the patient.
- Degree of curvature.
- The nature of the violations.
- Spine department with pathology.
- The causes of pathology.
- Existing diseases and complications.
The following treatment is possible:
- Drug therapy. Anesthesia, the use of vitamin complexes, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants.
- Manual therapy. Massage is selected for each patient individually. Helps strengthen muscles, improve blood circulation. Effective in the treatment of left-sided scoliosis of the 1st degree of the lumbar spine.
- Hood in water on an inclined plane. Only under the supervision of a physician. Not for all degrees of pathology can be used.
- Physiotherapy using hardware techniques.
- Physiotherapy. A set of exercises is being developed, which must be performed regularly.
- Wearing a corset is recommended for left-sided scoliosis of the 2nd degree of the lumbar spine. Regular wearing helps correct the pathology. As the therapeutic effect, corsets change. They take it off during sleep and wear it in the daytime.
- Surgical intervention. Used in extreme cases with progressive deformation and severe pain.
- Spa treatment.
It is important in the treatment to fully eat and monitor weight. Being overweight exacerbates spinal problems. Comprehensive treatment gives good results.
Complications
Left untreated, scoliosis may progress without treatment. With the development of this disease, the following complications are possible:
- The development of osteochondrosis.
- Violation of the heart, lungs.
- Violation of the genitourinary organs.
- Curvature of the pelvis can cause a problem with the bearing of the child and his birth.
- In children, the progression of the disease reduces spinal mobility.
- Infringement of blood vessels and nerves leads to a violation of the blood supply to the internal organs causing their disease.
Preventive actions
Compliance with preventive measures can reduce the onset of pathological processes in the spine and prevent the appearance of new ones. The spine should be monitored from an early age, since it is during this period that posture is formed. The following activities are helpful:
- Physiotherapy.
- Swimming.
- Massage.
- Physiotherapy.
It is also necessary to adhere to the following rules:
- A place to sleep and rest should be tough. The pillow should not be too big or soft. An orthopedic mattress and pillow are recommended.
- Distribute heavy weight when moving evenly on both sides.
- During the day with sedentary work, take breaks for exercise, warm-up. For schoolchildren recommend every 15 minutes.
- A child and an adult should sit properly at a desk. His back to touch the back of the chair, between the table and chest is placed a fist. In this case, elbows on the table, legs on the floor.
- In the office, the height of the table should be 2-3 centimeters above the elbow if the seated man lowers his hand. The height of the stool does not exceed the height of the lower leg.
- Take time for physical activity.
- Nutrition must be complete.
Follow these guidelines and get regular physical examinations. This will help to stop the development of the disease in a timely manner.