Every year, scoliosis sufferers and those close to them recognise the month of June as Scoliosis Awareness Month. This is an annual opportunity for people all over the world to come together, speak out about life with a curved spine, and educate others about what it means to have scoliosis.
This month-long event culminates in International Scoliosis Awareness Day, which falls on the last Saturday of June (meaning that the date to remember this year is 29th June 2019). The UK Scoliosis Association (SAUK) launched International Scoliosis Awareness Day six years ago – here, in the organisation’s own words, is why they did it:
“SAUK launched ISAD in 2013 to unite people across the world to create positive public awareness of scoliosis, promote education, and bring together those affected.”
How do people mark Scoliosis Awareness Month?
People mark this annual occasion in a number of different ways. If you use Twitter, keep an eye out for the hashtag #ScoliosisAwarenessMonth – throughout June, people with scoliosis use this tag to share their stories, their X-ray scans, and photos of their curved backs and surgery scars. All of these posts are intermingled with advice for fellow scoliosis patients and useful information about the condition.
There will also be a number of events taking place in recognition of Scoliosis Awareness Month. In June 2017, for instance, the Curvy Girls support group organised a large walk in New Jersey to raise awareness of spinal curvature.
4 things you should know about scoliosis
We’re keen to do our bit for Scoliosis Awareness Month too, so here – for the benefit of anyone who is unfamiliar with this condition – are 4 things we think everyone should know about scoliosis. Feel free to share this post to help raise awareness!
1. What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a condition where the spine curves sideways, often resulting in symptoms such as pain, reduced flexibility, muscular imbalance, and (in extreme cases) compromised breathing.
Watch our video to find out more:
For a rough idea of what scoliosis actually looks like, consult the diagram below. However, do bear in mind that every case of scoliosis is different – symptoms, severity, and curve location vary hugely from one person to the next.
2. How common is scoliosis?
Scoliosis affects roughly 4% of people worldwide (i.e. approximately 1 in 25 people). It can occur in any individual regardless of age or gender; however, it is most commonly found in adolescent girls. Read more >
3. What causes scoliosis?
There are many different types of scoliosis with many possible causes. By far the most common form is idiopathic scoliosis, which usually develops during adolescence and has no known cause, though it is thought to be linked to genetic factors.
However, scoliosis can also be caused by:
- Birth defects
- Old age
- A wide range of conditions including muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spondylolisthesis, and many more
It’s worth noting that scoliosis is NOT caused by carrying heavy bags, though this is a common misconception. Read more >
4. How is scoliosis treated?
Scoliosis can be treated using a number of different methods, with bracing and spinal fusion surgery being the most common. Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic in London, England, we treat scoliosis using a combination of non-surgical, exercise-based techniques that we call the ScolioGold method. This approach – using physical therapy to reduce the patient’s spinal curve and improve their quality of life – has shown itself to be very effective. View results >
If you need more information about scoliosis, or if you’re interested in the treatment courses we provide here at Scoliosis SOS, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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The history of scoliosis therapy can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece.
More specifically, scoliosis treatment has its roots in the 5th century BC and one man in particular: Greek physician Hippocrates (c. 460 – 370 BC).
Who was Hippocrates?
The mid-to-late 5th century BC was a turbulent time for the Hellenic people.
From 431 to 404 BC, the country was entrenched in a titanic war between the Delian League of Athens and the Peloponnesian League of Sparta. Meanwhile, Athens was also suffering from a devastating plague, which wreaked havoc in the city periodically between 430 and 426 BC.
In short, it was a dark time for Greece. But this was also the period that gave us Hippocrates, often referred to as the ‘father of medicine’.
Born on the island of Kos around 460 BC, Hippocrates was the son of a physician and is believed to have learned the trade from his father. Among his long list of medical achievements, Hippocrates is heralded as the first person to theorise that diseases and ailments were caused by environmental factors and not the result of superstition or an act of the gods.
He’s also the namesake of the ‘Hippocratic Oath’: the pledge taken by doctors declaring their moral and ethical obligations to their patients as medical practitioners.
Hippocrates and Scoliosis
Separating medicine from religion would probably have been enough on its own to secure Hippocrates’s place in history, but his achievements go far beyond that. Notably, he was also a key figure in the history of spinal treatment, and he is believed to have been the first physician to focus on the anatomy and pathology of the human spine.
Through his revolutionary study of the spinal structure and vertebrae, Hippocrates’s work led to the pioneering identification of many spine-related diseases – including scoliosis.
Hippocrates is commonly credited as the person who coined the term ‘scoliosis’ and the first to try treating this condition.
Hippocratic Scoliosis Treatment
From his unprecedented study of orthopaedics, Hippocrates created three pieces of equipment to treat spinal ailments: namely the Hippocratic ladder, the Hippocratic board, and the Hippocratic bench.
Hippocratic Ladder
Intended to reduce spinal curvatures, the Hippocratic ladder treatment required the patient to be elevated and tied to the ladder upright or head down (depending on the where the curvature lay). The patient would then be shaken on the ladder, with the gravitational pull theoretically straightening the spine.
Hippocratic Board
Similar to the ladder, treatment via the Hippocratic board involved the patient being tied to the board; however, this time, the patient was required to be prone, lying face down and flat. The physician would then apply pressure to the affected area of the spine using a hand, foot, or even the entire weight of the body.
Hippocratic Bench
Also known as the Hippocratic scamnum, the bench technique saw the patient lie face down on a bench similar to the board technique above. A smaller wooden board was then inserted into a pre-made hole in the wall, leaving the plank protruding out above the patient’s back. An assistant would then apply pressure on the end of the plank while the physician manoeuvred the board along the body.
Like many ancient treatments, these techniques naturally seem archaic, even barbaric by today’s standards. Nevertheless, these apparatuses – based on the principles of axial traction and three-point correction – were hugely innovative at the time, and they had a profound influence on the direction of spinal treatment to follow.
Luckily, medical science has come a long way since the days of Hippocrates, and there are now a variety of comfortable and safe non-surgical scoliosis treatments available. At Scoliosis SOS, our team of friendly, skilled therapists offer patients specialised scoliosis treatment that’s specifically designed to enhance your quality of life.
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As we’ve discussed on this blog previously, scoliosis is generally not considered a life-threatening condition. A curved spine can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort (among other complications), but cases where the patient’s very life is at risk are vanishingly few and far between.
Leaving out the risk of suicide – see Scoliosis and Depression – the only exceptions occur when scoliosis is allowed to progress to the point where the body is so distorted that vital organs can no longer function properly.
Can scoliosis affect your heart?
In the vast majority of cases, no. If your condition is closely monitored and treated in a timely manner, you should never come anywhere near the point where your scoliosis begins to cause heart problems.
Theoretically, however, scoliosis can affect the heart if the curvature goes untreated and progresses unabated over an extended period of time. A severely curved spine can distort the rib cage, and a severely distorted rib cage can leave the heart and lungs with too little room to beat / inflate.
Thus, heart failure is a possible outcome of severe progressive scoliosis – but again, it’s important to bear in mind that is an extremely rare occurrence.
Treat your scoliosis early!
The symptoms and complications associated with scoliosis vary enormously from one patient to the next – pain isn’t always proportional to the angle of one’s curve – but nevertheless, it’s always better to catch the condition early and seek treatment right away than to let it progress.
Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we provide non-surgical scoliosis therapy for patients of all ages and curves of all sizes. Here’s an example of a patient who came to us for early (almost pre-emptive) treatment after her older brother ended up requiring spinal fusion surgery:
Call Scoliosis SOS on 0207 488 4428 or use the links below to find out more about our ScolioGold treatment courses.
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As we explained in our blog on the subject, there are two forms of adult degenerative scoliosis. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the condition known as de novo scoliosis.
What is de novo scoliosis?
De novo scoliosis is a sideways spinal curve that appears in adulthood. The difference between de novo scoliosis and degenerative scoliosis is that de novo scoliosis affects patients who have never had scoliosis in the past.
‘De novo’ means ‘new’, and this name refers to the fact that the condition occurs later in life, during the patient’s adulthood rather than their adolescence. It is uncommon for de novo scoliosis to arise before the age of 40-50.
Causes of de novo scoliosis
As bones get weaker and the ligaments and discs in the spine become worn due to age-related changes, the spine may begin to curve.
In most cases, de novo scoliosis is caused by the ageing of the facet joints and discs in the lower (lumbar) spine, leading to the vertebrae slipping out of place and the spine losing its shape. However, a number of other conditions – including spinal canal stenosis, compression fractures, and osteoporosis – have been known to contribute to the occurrence of de novo scoliosis.
Diagnosing de novo scoliosis
A physical examination and X-ray scan / imaging techniques are required to diagnose de novo scoliosis.
Common symptoms include:
- Muscle fatigue
- Back pain
- Feelings of stiffness, numbness and weakness in the back and legs
Posture may also be affected.
In many cases, de novo scoliosis is not properly diagnosed, especially when it does not cause a significant amount of pain. A thorough inspection of the patient’s medical history helps to determine whether any underlying issues have contributed to its development.
De novo scoliosis treatment
The best treatment for this condition can depend on the nature of the condition and the symptoms experienced by the patient, with both non-surgical and surgical interventions available.
Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we use our own physiotherapy programme called ScolioGold to treat scoliosis sufferers of all ages. Physical therapy can improve the patient’s mobility, boost strength and correct abnormal posture, and ScolioGold therapy combines a variety of proven non-surgical techniques to achieve noticeable, lasting results.
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