If you have been diagnosed with degenerative scoliosis, do you know what you need to do about it?
What is Degenerative Scoliosis?
What is degenerative scoliosis? According to this excerpt from Spine Health: “Degenerative scoliosis, also known as adult scoliosis or adult onset scoliosis, describes a side-to-side curvature of the spine cause by degeneration of the facet joints. The condition occurs most frequently occurs in people over 65 years of age. The scoliosis curve, which typically forms a “C” shape, is located in the lumbar spine. Degenerative scoliosis is caused by a gradual deterioration of the facet joints. This is the same process that causes osteoarthritis of the spine; however, in degenerative scoliosis the pressure of these deteriorating facet joints causes a straight spine, as viewed from the back, to begin to shift so that the spine curves to one side. Pain is present in some patients, but not all, and is similar to the pain of osteoarthritis of the spine, which is caused by the same joint deterioration process.
Patients may experience stiffness and pain in the mid to lower back and/or pain, numbness, and weakness in the legs and feet.When the pain is severe, physicians must determine: If the degenerative scoliosis itself is causing pain or whether or not other conditions (such as a muscle strain) are causing the patient’s pain, and if the scoliosis is incidental. [READ SOURCE ARTICLE]
What Treatment Options Do I Have?
With other forms of scoliosis, as one of our previous articles covers, oftentimes surgery isn’t necessary. Usually, there is some form of corrective procedure however, such as bracing. With degenerative scoliosis, however, often surgery is the only available option or the symptoms will grow worse. For example, one symptom of scoliosis is nearly constant pain. What often causes pain in scoliosis is when a disc in the spine gets compressed.
Unfortunately, without treatment, pain symptoms will likely get worse. Simply taking a pill is not an option with degenerative scoliosis. While there are pain medications which will eliminate the symptoms of pain, it won’t take away the cause of pain. And if you take pain medications constantly, you run the risk of causing liver damage as well as increasing the probability of heart attach or stroke. That’s why if you have scoliosis, you want to get started on whichever scoliosis treatment options have been prescribed to you by your doctor.
Pivonka Family Chiropractic
1355 S Higley Rd #102
Gilbert, AZ 85296
(480) 892-0022
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