The spine is a bone structure that starts with the skull and connects to the pelvic bones to form the central axis. It plays an important role in supporting the body and maintaining balance, as well as protecting the spinal nerves including the spinal cord. When viewed from the front, the spine, which performs such an important function, is straight, and when viewed from the side, it is characterized by drawing an S-shape. Scoliosis refers to a symptom in which the body tilts or turns left and right due to various causes of the spine, which should be curved in an S-shape, and is deformed.
Scoliosis is broadly classified into functional scoliosis and structural scoliosis. Structural scoliosis is divided into idiopathic, whose cause is unknown, congenital, which occurs due to an abnormality in the process of creating a vertebra in the fetus, and neuromuscular and neurofibromatous scoliosis, which occurs due to neurological or central nervous system abnormalities. Among them, idiopathic scoliosis is known to account for more than 80% of all cases.
It is known that environmental factors such as various lifestyles that worsen spinal health and maintaining incorrect posture for a long time have a major influence on the occurrence of scoliosis. And it is reported that the incidence rate is high during adolescence, when growth is vigorous, and in particular, the incidence in women is about 3-5 times higher than in men. In addition, it is said that the incidence rate is increasing every year due to the increase in smartphone usage in a prone or slouched position in recent years. Now, let’s take a closer look at the main symptoms of scoliosis, as well as various information on treatment and prevention.
The main symptoms of scoliosis
In the early stages of scoliosis, there are no symptoms, so it is difficult to recognize it by yourself. During the braille process, the muscles, nerves, and ligaments around the spine are under pressure, which can cause symptoms such as stiff shoulders and headaches, including back pain. It’s possible. In addition, if the degree of progression becomes more severe, deformation of the spine, ribs, and pelvis occurs, which puts pressure on the heart and lungs, which can cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing due to a decrease in lung capacity. These symptoms may also be accompanied by pain during sleep.
In the case of scoliosis, when the gap between the discs is reduced in middle-aged, the bones and skeletons become imbalanced, and at the same time, people feel tired easily, cannot sit for a long time in the same position, and also have headaches and shoulder pain. In addition, if the symptoms worsen, the quality of life is significantly reduced due to persistent pain, and it can lead to diseases such as arthritis and stenosis.
If this type of scoliosis occurs during the growth period, you will grow taller while your back is bent, and when the growth is over, you will experience pain in your neck, shoulders, and back. It can lead to allergies, difficulty concentrating, growth problems, and if symptoms worsen, it can lead to diseases such as discs. Therefore, it is important to visit a hospital and receive an accurate diagnosis if symptoms suspected of having occurred through self-diagnosis.
Self-diagnosis methods to check for scoliosis include when the positions of both shoulders are different or asymmetry, when only one heel is worn frequently, when a large back pain occurs when sitting for a long time, when the cause is unknown If the respiratory and digestive system disorders occur, and if the clothes worn due to the different heights of the shoulders and pelvis appear, scoliosis is suspected, so it is important to receive an accurate diagnosis and examination through a visit. .
Scoliosis treatment and prevention
1. Treatment according to diagnosis and examination
Scoliosis is diagnosed accurately through X-rays and various detailed examinations based on a medical history questionnaire. In particular, X-ray examination can be said to be an important examination to measure the Cobb angle, which is important in the treatment of scoliosis. If a scoliosis of 20 degrees or less is diagnosed through these tests, posture correction, physical therapy, and manual therapy are performed to relieve symptoms. will do. Also, if the angle is between 20 and 40 degrees, conservative treatment such as wearing an orthosis along with exercise therapy is performed. In case of severe curvature of more than 40 degrees, surgical treatment is considered.
2. Correct bad posture
Improving bad posture and lifestyle is the most important part in the prevention and treatment of scoliosis. When sitting, it is important to put your back deep into the chair so that you can sit upright, and at the same time to keep your head, spine, shoulders, and pelvis in balance when standing. Also, it is recommended to avoid sleeping on your stomach or reading a book as it can put strain on your spine, and it is recommended to wear a bag with weight distributed over both shoulders instead of a bag with all the weight on one side.
3. Exercise good for symptom improvement
A regular exercise habit is a very important habit for the treatment and prevention of scoliosis in that it not only balances the left and right sides of the spine, but also strengthens the muscles and ligaments. In particular, stretching not only relieves stiffness and tension in the muscles around the back and pelvis, but also strengthens muscle strength.
In addition to walking for 30-40 minutes a day, various exercises such as cycling and swimming are also known to be helpful in relieving symptoms. In particular, swimming is known to be the most effective exercise to relieve symptoms along with stretching in that it balances the spinal muscles and strengthens muscle strength.
