The spine is among the most fragile body organs. Damage to the spine may lead to complications affecting your body function. Different factors may lead to spine interference, including sports injuries, accidents, health conditions, and others.
Scoliosis is the most common disorder of the spine that alters your health and life quality. Dr. McNulty of scoliosis in Las Vegas is an orthopedic and spine surgeon. Dr. McNulty can help to provide the care you need to relieve your symptoms. Contact McNulty Spine today to schedule your consultation.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a condition where your spine develops an abnormal curve like a C- or S-shape. Usually, scoliosis may not show any symptoms; however, it may become severe when not treated.
Scoliosis may show the following signs.
- Rotating spine
- Uneven hips
- Uneven breasts or chest wall
- Breathing problems
- Uneven shoulders
- Back pain
- One shoulder blade sticks out more than another
- Getting shorter
Similar to many health concerns, early diagnosis can help prevent the condition from becoming severe.
What are the causes of scoliosis?
Scoliosis occurs in different forms. It can be either structural or nonstructural. Some of the causes of structural scoliosis include:
- Injury
- Degeneration
- Congenital abnormality
Nonstructural scoliosis involves the postural curve of the spine, which may occur due to a significant leg length discrepancy.
Scoliosis can occur as degenerative, congenital, idiopathic, and neuromuscular.
Idiopathic scoliosis has no known cause and occurs in about 80% of scoliosis cases in children. The curves may not show any symptoms but then cause problems later in life when age-related degeneration occurs.
The age-related degeneration may also lead to scoliosis, causing difficulty standing up straight, making daily life hard.
Congenital scoliosis usually occurs at birth due to a spinal deformity.
Neuromuscular scoliosis occurs when the neurologic system or muscles of the spine have abnormalities. Some conditions may also lead to neuromuscular scoliosis, including
- Muscular dystrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Spina Bifida and other congenital abnormalities
Poor posture and heavy backpacks cannot lead to scoliosis, your child probably had the condition at birth.
What are the treatment options for scoliosis?
Dr. McNulty performs thorough diagnosis and examination to identify the exact cause of scoliosis and provide personalized treatment. Your treatment option depends on the extent of your condition, your age, and the cause.
Dr. McNulty may recommend wearing a brace for children with a 25-40 degrees curve to prevent it from worsening. Dr. McNulty suggests regular checkups with X-rays to observe your condition for mild spinal curves in children and adults.
For severe cases where the spinal curve is around 40 degrees or higher, your provider may recommend spinal fusion surgery to correct the spinal curve.
Dr. McNulty performs spinal fusion surgery using metal rods and bone grafts, and cable anchors to correct and fuse the scoliosis curve. The treatment applies to all children, teens, and adults.
Younger patients may benefit from the new FDA-approved Tether system that corrects the curve while allowing motion and preventing fusion reconstruction. When necessary, the surgery provides exceptional results in correcting the curve and relieving the scoliosis pain.
Consult a scoliosis specialist today
If scoliosis affects your daily life, Dr. McNulty might be able to help you. Contact McNulty Spine today to book your consultation.
