Today we’ll talk about such a common pathology of the musculoskeletal system as scoliosis. What it is? What are the causes of the development of the disease? What treatment methods are used? We will consider these and other questions in the article.
General information
The disease often develops in children and adolescents, but there are cases when scoliosis occurs in adults. For such a disease, an arched curvature of the spine in the lateral plane is characteristic, some vertebrae may turn around, which makes the shoulders or hips uneven. With this ailment, nerve fibers are pinched, their communication is disrupted, internal organs are squeezed or displaced, respiratory function deteriorates.
Causes of Scoliosis
What is the cause of the disease, to date, is not exactly established. Scoliosis is congenital and acquired.
Congenital scoliosis - what is it? What factors provoke its occurrence? As a result of intrauterine disorders of the development of the fetus, congenital underdevelopment of the vertebrae appears, additional elements are formed. Development pathologies, in turn, arise due to maternal malnutrition, bad habits, and lack of exercise. In addition, at birth, the abnormal shape of the mother's pelvis can adversely affect the baby.
Acquired scoliosis develops as a result of:
fractures and other injuries of the spine;
subluxation of the cervical vertebrae;
improper body position due to physiological abnormalities (for example, as a result of different leg lengths, flat feet, strabismus or myopia);
improper body position as a result of constant stay in one position (for example, when working at a computer);
malnutrition;
heavy physical activity or too rare sports;
diseases associated with abnormal muscle development (sciatica, unilateral paralysis, rickets, rheumatism), as well as in the presence of ailments such as pleurisy, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis and others.
Symptoms of the disease
Scoliosis is characterized by a number of symptoms. Outwardly, such an ailment is manifested by lateral deviation of the spine, a change in the position of the torso in any position (lying, standing). The shape of the chest, pelvis, and internal organs also changes.
The severity of symptoms depends on the stage and type of disease.
Pathology stages
Scoliosis of the 1st degree is characterized by such signs as a slanted pelvis, stoop, uneven height of the shoulders, asymmetry of the waist. The angle of curvature is 10º.
With scoliosis of the 2nd degree, the contours of the neck are asymmetric and waist asymmetry is more pronounced. Curvature becomes noticeable regardless of body position. The angle of curvature in this case is 10-20º.
3 degree of scoliosis manifests itself in the same way as 2, except for this, rib sinking, pronounced torsion, protrusion of costal arches, weakening of the abdominal muscles. The angle of curvature is 20-30º.
At 4 degrees of disease, the spine is deformed, the muscles in the area of curvature are very distended, and the rib hump develops. The angle of curvature may exceed 30º.
Types of disease
Signs vary depending on the type of pathology:
Cervico-thoracic scoliosis is characterized by a curvature of the fourth and fifth vertebrae and asymmetry of the shoulders.
Thoracic scoliosis is manifested by the curvature of the seventh to ninth vertebrae. There is a violation of the respiratory functions and deformation of the chest.
In lumbar-chest scoliosis, curvature is observed at the level of the tenth to twelfth vertebrae. In this case, respiratory and circulatory functions are impaired.
Lumbar scoliosis is manifested by the curvature of the first, second lumbar vertebrae. Externally, the manifestations are not very pronounced, but this type of disease is characterized by an early development of pain.
With combined, or S-shaped, scoliosis, curvature is observed at the level of the first, second lumbar, as well as the eighth, ninth thoracic vertebrae. This type of disease has a tendency to progression, manifests itself in pain, impaired blood supply and respiration.
Left and Right Scoliosis
Depending on where the apex of curvature is directed, right-sided and left-sided scoliosis are distinguished. With each of them, asymmetry of the back muscles develops, the bends of the spine increase, and the ribs bend. In addition, various ailments of internal organs may develop. Left-sided scoliosis is less common than right-sided scoliosis and is most often acquired pathology. Women suffer from this type of disease. Such an ailment is characterized by a violation of the function of internal organs on the right side: the gallbladder, pancreas, liver, pelvic organs and abdominal cavity.
Right-sided scoliosis - what is it? Such a curvature of the spine is a more severe pathology. Clinical manifestations in this case are rapidly growing, and the diagnosis is not particularly difficult, especially with regard to the 3-4 degree of the disease. In this case, the asymmetry of the body is pronounced, general asthenia and fatigue are observed. Ultimately, the disease can result in a patient's disability.
Disease treatment
The methods for treating scoliosis depend on the age of the patient, the type of pathology and the degree of spinal deformity.
Scoliosis of the 1st degree is the easiest to cure. For this purpose, conservative treatment is used, including various physiotherapeutic procedures, drug therapy, physical exercises, massage and other orthopedic measures prescribed by an orthopedic doctor. Self-treatment of scoliosis can only exacerbate the situation.
Treatment of grade 2 scoliosis depends on the clinical picture of the disease, it is also necessary to take into account how long pathological disorders in the spine formed. The doctor should conduct a full examination and only after that prescribe exercise therapy complexes, effective physiotherapy and so on.
Grade 3 disease is much more difficult to treat. Therapy is effective only in children under 11 years of age. In adulthood, you can only stabilize the curvature of the spine and strengthen the muscular corset of the back. It is completely impossible to get rid of a disease such as scoliosis. Operation is required if the curvature of the arc is pronounced. Before surgery, it is necessary to conduct a series of therapeutic procedures in order to stabilize the pathological processes in the spine.
Preventive actions
We talked about a disease such as scoliosis: what it is, how it manifests itself, what are the causes and methods of treatment. Now let's discuss the principles of prevention of this disease.
Correct posture is very important for health. In addition, people with a flat back look slimmer, younger and more attractive. To prevent the development of scoliosis, the following recommendations should be followed:
It is always necessary to stand straight, lean on both legs. The shoulders should be straight and the stomach inverted. When walking, the neck should be kept straight, and the head should be slightly raised.
An effective exercise for a beautiful posture is walking with a book on your head. At first it will be unusual and difficult enough, because in order to keep a book, you need to align your back. Such an exercise should be performed daily for 5-10 minutes, and the results will be noticeable very soon.
Do not watch TV while lying on your side.
If possible, limit the wearing of high-heeled shoes.
The workplace should be organized so that the hips are on the same level as the knees and parallel to the floor, the feet should touch the floor.
You should not sit in one position for a long time. The pose needs to be changed more often. Be sure to take a break in order to reach out and walk.
Do yoga.
It is recommended to devote time to compensatory exercises: hang on the horizontal bar and pull the knees to the chest. Make the maximum number of times.
The cat exercise is very effective: you should stand on all fours, bend your back down as much as possible, and then bend up.
Swimming is another effective way to prevent scoliosis. In addition, this type of exercise will provide a slender, toned figure and good mood.
Conclusion
Take care of your health, lead a healthy lifestyle - and then any diseases, including scoliosis, will not affect you. If trouble nevertheless happened - at the first signs, consult a doctor.