Scoliosis back pain is common. While it’s rare in children, it becomes increasingly common as people age. In fact, research shows that about 55% of adolescents with scoliosis experience intermittent back pain and up to 92% of adults with scoliosis suffer from pain severe enough that they seek treatment.
Scoliosis pain can occur due to a variety of reasons. In cases of idiopathic scoliosis, people often have underlying spinal conditions that become worse due to scoliosis. In some cases, these underlying conditions would have developed anyway, but are only painful when combined with scoliosis. In other cases, severe scoliosis causes the underlying condition by putting stress and pressure on various parts of the body.
Signs and symptoms of scoliosis may include:
Uneven shoulders
One shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other
Uneven waist
One hip higher than the other
If a scoliosis curve gets worse, the spine will also rotate or twist, in addition to curving side to side. This causes the ribs on one side of the body to stick out farther than on the other side. Go to your doctor if you notice signs or symptoms of scoliosis in your child. Mild curves, however, can develop without the parent or child knowing it because they appear gradually and usually don't cause pain. Occasionally, teachers, friends and sports teammates are the first to notice a child's scoliosis.
The chances of developing scoliosis are to some degree greater if a sibling, parent, or grandparent has it. Around three in 10 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have a family history of the condition, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Additional research has shown that of all the factors related to the development of scoliosis, genetics account for approximately 38%.
Nonsurgical treatments are effective for most adults with either idiopathic or degenerative scoliosis. These include periodic observation and:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen can reduce swelling and relieve pain.
Exercises to strengthen the core abdomen and back muscles.
Epidurals or nerve block injections can provide temporary relief of leg pain and other symptoms.
Temporary braces offer short-term pain relief.
If nonsurgical treatments provide no relief and you have a spinal imbalance with disabling back or leg pain, scoliosis surgery may be an option:
Laminectomy, also called decompression surgery, removes some or all of the lamina part of the vertebra to relieve pressure on the spinal cord
Microdiscectomy , a minimally invasive surgery to relieve pressure on the nerves
Spinal fusion permanently joins two vertebras with bone or synthetic graft material
Osteotomy realigns spinal segments
Vertebral column resection realigns the spine when an osteotomy or other surgeries don’t correct the scoliosis
Recovery depends on your condition and type of surgery, though it can take up to a year to fully recover. You should not lift heavy objects and minimize bending for the first 6—12 weeks.
