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What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, in which the spinal column can also twist, pulling the ribcage out of position.  Although many people have not heard of the condition it is surprisingly common, with three to four children per 1000 needing specialist supervision.   We know that as early as 500 years BC, Hippocrates (a Greek physician) was writing about it, and its unusual name is derived from the Greek word for curvature.  Scoliosis is not a disease. It just means that in an otherwise healthy person the spine is curved or twisted. It is not infectious or contagious and it
does not develop as a result of anything the
adult, child or its parents did, or failed to do.

It can affect a person’s appearance because when the spine bends to the side the vertebrae (the individual bones that make up the spine) become twisted and pull the ribs round with them, which sometimes forms a characteristic lump on the back and can cause the shoulder blade to stick out. The spine can bend towards either side of the body at any place in the chest area (thoracic scoliosis), in the lower part of the back (lumbar), or above and below these areas (thoracolumbar). It can even bend twice, causing an S-shaped curve. When the curve is S-shaped (a double curvature) it is often not noticeable and the person can appear quite straight because the two curves counteract each other. If the curve is lower down in the spine, the ribs will not be affected but one hip might be higher than the other.

The causes of scoliosis are many, and although we well understand the consequences, the origins of this condition remain complex and obscure.  Most cases of scoliosis should be monitored by a scoliosis specialist (it is crucial that people with the disorder see a specialist at one of the 30 centres of excellence across the UK).

There is contradictory evidence as to whether early discovery and treatment of a curve improves the long-term outcome, but we know that if curves are discovered late, when they are already severe, the results of treatment can be compromised. Therefore it is important that early referral to a scoliosis specialist is achieved. Treatment in a scoliosis centre will usually prevent unsatisfactory long-term results.