Scoliosis describes the abnormal curvature of the spine. The types of scoliosis symptoms that someone experiences will depend entirely on the severity of the condition. While some forms of scoliosis are extremely mild and present few or no symptoms, cases of severe scoliosis can cause debilitating pain that severely reduces quality of life.

This condition can lead to structural symptoms like unevenness in the shoulders or waist, one hip that is higher than the other or one shoulder blade that is more prominent than the other. Slight abnormalities in gait may also be present for someone with scoliosis. In severe cases, the spine may be so abnormally curved that it presses on the rib cage and reduces the space in the chest, which can lead to difficulty breathing. To learn about the signs to look out for with this condition, read the following article.

Symptoms of scoliosis

Scoliosis may result in the discomfort caused by associated spinal conditions that have developed. For instance, scoliosis tends to place an increased amount of pressure on the discs and facet joints of the spine, which can cause them to degenerate at an accelerated pace. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disc disease and pinched nerves are common conditions for someone with scoliosis to develop over the course of his or her life.

Symptoms of these conditions can include:

• Shooting pain in the neck, back or extremities
• A tingling sensation in the arms, hands, legs or feet
• Numbness in the limbs
• Muscle weakness

How to treat scoliosis symptoms

Scoliosis symptoms can often be treated with a range of conservative treatments, like physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, massage therapy, chiropractic care and epidural steroid injections. In severe cases, however, surgery may become a consideration. If you have decided that you need surgical treatment, but are searching for a minimally invasive means of addressing your spinal curvature or nerve compression, consider contacting USA Spine Care to learn about our minimally invasive options.

At USA Spine Care, we offer a variety of advantages over highly invasive traditional open spine fusion, including a shorter recovery period and a lower risk of complication.^ To address the abnormal curvature in your spine, our board-certified surgeons+ perform minimally invasive stabilization procedures using a small incision that is muscle sparing. Reach out to us for your free MRI review* to determine if you are a potential candidate for our minimally invasive scoliosis surgery.

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