Scoliosis most commonly affects adolescents (most cases are diagnosed between the ages of 10 and 15), and the cause is not usually known. However, in older patients, scoliosis often materialises due to asymmetric degeneration that wears through the body’s facet joints and intervertebral discs. This has a very distinct appearance on X-rays, and the resulting spinal curvature tend to be very steep, with sideways slippage of the bone in the middle (called a lateral listhesis); this is usually caused by the weakening of fibres in the discs. Canal stenosis – the narrowing of holes in spinal nerves – is another common occurrence in degenerative scoliosis, which can often lead to pain that radiates down into the hips and legs.
How can we treat scoliosis in older people?
Available scoliosis treatment options can become somewhat limited in later life. Back braces tend to be less effective, and it can be difficult for older patients to go through and recover from surgery. It is not guaranteed that surgery will ‘fix’ the problem for good, and there is a high possibility of the patient experiencing pain and reduced mobility and flexibility post-operation.
Instead, we at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic
treat the condition using our own unique combination of exercise-based techniques; we call this the ScolioGold method. By using our own treatment regime, we are able to offer patients an unrivalled level of treatment success; we have an expert team of consultants and physiotherapists on-site, and we are continually monitoring and developing our method in order to ensure that it continues to deliver top results. We have treated many elderly patients, helping them to overcome the effects of scoliosis without the need for a back brace or surgical intervention.
One such patient is 75-year-old Brenda Kenyon from Cheshire, who didn’t even know she had scoliosis until 2010. She has now been attending the Scoliosis SOS Clinic for 6 years, and we’ll let Brenda tell the rest of the story herself:
To see what we can achieve when treating scoliosis in older people,
please click here. If you are interested in attending one of our 4-week treatment courses yourself,
please get in touch with us to book your initial consultation.
