TREATMENT OPTIONS LIVING WITH SCOLIOSIS
Depending on the severity of a person's scoliosis, a doctor may recommend observation, bracing, or surgery.
OBSERVATION
If the spinal curve is mild (less than 25 degrees) and has low risk for progression, scoliosis may not require active treatment. The doctor will monitor the curve through regular check-ups to watch for progression.
Observation is also an appropriate treatment if a child is diagnosed with moderate scoliosis (25-to 40-degree curve) and has finished growing (typically age 17 for boys and age 15 for girls). At this point, a moderate curve is considered unlikely to progress or cause problems in adulthood. Doctors often recommend follow-up x-rays every five years to confirm that the curve stays stable.
BRACING
Bracing is an option for patients with mild to moderate spinal curves who are still growing. A back brace is a device customised to conform to a patient's body that keeps the spine in a straight, secure position. The goal of bracing is to keep the curve from progressing. Wearing a brace won’t correct the curve, but it can prevent the curve from getting worse as a person grows. Typically, a brace will be worn until a doctor has determined that a patient has finished growing.
CORRECTIVE SURGERY
Severe scoliosis curves greater than 40 degrees may require corrective surgery. Spinal fusion realigns the curved vertebrae and fuses them together.
The two primary aims of scoliosis surgery are:
- To stop a curve from progressing
- To reduce rib prominence and to diminish spinal deformity
A surgeon may use one of two primary approaches: the posterior approach or the anterior approach. In some cases, a surgeon may use a combination of the two.
ANTERIOR APPROACH
The anterior approach means a surgeon will access the spinal column from the side of the chest wall, rather than through the back. Certain types of scoliosis curves are especially amenable to the anterior approach.
POSTERIOR APPROACH
In a posterior approach operation, a surgeon accesses the spine through the patient’s back. The posterior approach is the most traditional approach to spinal surgery. Most scoliosis surgeries are performed this way.