What Causes Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. With this disorder, the spinal column curves to the side in an 'S' shape. The areas in the spine most affected are the middle, or thoracic spine and the lumbar, or lower spine. Sometimes scoliosis affects the area between the thoracic and lumbar spine or the thoracolumbar area. Scoliosis usually strikes children just before they enter their pubertal growth spurt, and more girls are affected than boys. However, an adult can also be diagnosed with scoliosis. It is difficult to detect scoliosis in its early stages because it progresses slowly. But as it does progress, the body may lean to one side, and the shoulder, rib, and hip may be higher on one side than the other. The patient's head may off center, they may have a rolling gate, get tired quickly, and suffer back pain. Get to know the various causes of scoliosis now.
Hereditary Factors
Having a family history of scoliosis increases the chances an individual will develop the disorder themselves. Scientists have studied generations of families whose members have developed scoliosis. They concluded hereditary factors must have some impact on scoliosis, for the prevalence of scoliosis in individuals who have relatives with the condition is higher than for the general population. However, how heredity specifically affects whether an individual gets scoliosis or not is still unknown. Many believe it is a tangle of genetics and environment that leads to the disorder, especially if no one can point to any one cause. Such cases of the disease are called idiopathic scoliosis. The great majority of scoliosis cases are idiopathic.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is the common name of a group of disorders that affect bodily coordination and muscle movement. It is a life-long condition individuals are born with, though symptoms may not be seen until the child is months or even years old. Symptoms of the disorder include unusual body postures, which include spasming muscles, stiffness, and poor balance and coordination. The causes of the condition are many and include complications in pregnancy and delivery, jaundice, stroke or seizures in the newborn, and a mother who was exposed to toxins or German measles. Scoliosis may be one of the many signs and symptoms that accompany cerebral palsy.
Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is the name given to a group of conditions that cause the muscles to weaken and waste away. There are many types of muscular dystrophy, and they range from mild to severe. The symptoms include weakness, lack of coordination, an unusual gait, the tendency to fall and difficulty getting back up, and muscles that look larger and stronger than normal but are smaller and weaker. In the later stages of muscular dystrophy, the individual may be confined to a wheelchair, and their body may be badly distorted, which may include scoliosis.
Spinal Injuries And Infections
The abnormal curving of the spine can be the result of spinal injuries and infections. Scoliosis caused by an injury such as those suffered in a car accident or fall is called degenerative scoliosis. It is important for an individual who has suffered an injury to their back or spine to see a doctor to determine if the injury has caused the spine to be out of alignment. An injured spine can be treated with back braces, other therapies, and surgery as a last resort. Before the vaccine, polio was one infection that caused scoliosis. Another infection that can lead to the sideways curvature of the spine is vertebral osteomyelitis. This happens when bacteria such as the Staphylococcus aureus invade the vertebrae. Fortunately, this disease is rare, though when it happens, it usually affects the very young and the elderly.
Congenital Disabilities
Congenital disabilities, or conditions an individual is born with, can also result in scoliosis. Approximately one in ten thousand babies are born with scoliosis, which makes it much less common than the type that arises during puberty. Doctors believe it happens because one or more vertebrae, or parts of vertebrae, don't form properly when the baby is still in the womb. This abnormality results in an angle called a hemivertebra. Sometimes the spine in the fetus doesn't separate into individual vertebrae and what would have been two distinct vertebrae are joined together by a bar of bone. Sometimes, these bars join with the hemivertebra. This condition requires surgery to correct. The body can also compensate for scoliosis by creating curves in other parts of the spine that cancel out the curvature of scoliosis.
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, most commonly known as polio, is a very infectious viral illness that most commonly affects young children. It's transmitted through a spread from person to person and multiplies in an individual's intestine. After it's invaded the intestine, the virus can enter the nervous system and lead to paralysis. Polio's initial symptoms are neck stiffness, pain in the limbs, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and fever. When the disease causes paralysis, said paralysis is typically permanent. The disease doesn't have a cure, but it can be prevented through vaccination. Post-polio syndrome can lead to scoliosis. This condition can only be experienced by individuals who have survived a polio infection.
Myotonia
Myotonia is a condition that causes impairment of a muscle's ability to relax. It's a neuromuscular condition, which means it's caused by the nervous system and affects the muscles. Any muscle group may be affected. Individuals who have myotonia might struggle to release the grip they have on objects or struggle to stand up from a chair. Their gait may also be stiff and awkward. Myotonia occurs when there's an abnormality in a muscle's membrane, and it often appears alongside genetically inherited neurological disorders. If myotonia occurs alongside scoliosis, both scoliosis and myotonia may be symptoms of a larger neurological disease. It's also possible myotonia may impede normal spine growth, depending on the muscles it affects.
Spinal Cord Trauma
Spinal cord trauma can sometimes lead to the development of scoliosis. When scoliosis is caused by trauma, it's typically called a 'paralytic curve.' With paralytic conditions, the muscles don't work properly, and when muscles around the spine don't function correctly, it can lead the spine to develop incorrectly. If the muscles are paralyzed, the spinal cord may curve over several years rather than developing straight. Typically, this kind of scoliosis occurs because there were injuries to the spinal cord that led to paralysis. Spinal injuries are extremely serious because they can lead to paralysis and even death. If an individual has been injured in the spine, they should call for emergency medical help, and avoid trying to move, as moving may make the condition worse.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is the name for a group of disorders affecting the connective tissues that support the blood vessels, skin, bones, joints, and organs. Connective tissue defects lead to symptoms that may be mild or life-threatening. Some patients only have mildly loose joints, while others develop severe complications. Most types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome come with an unusually large movement range for the joints. These loose joints dislocate easily and can cause chronic pain. When joints throughout the body are loose, it can impede spinal development, leading to scoliosis. Scoliosis might also be related to weak muscle tone in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patients.
Spina Bifida
Spina bifida is the name of a neural tube birth defect that occurs when the spinal cord and spine don't develop properly. When embryos are developing, the embryonic structure that develops into the spinal cord and brain is called the neural tube. In normal pregnancies, the neural tube appears early and has closed in less than twenty-nine days following conception. However, in children with spina bifida, part of the neural tube doesn't close or develop properly, which leads to defects in the vertebrae and overall spinal cord. The condition ranges from mild to more severe depending on the defects and their complications. If the spinal cord doesn't develop properly as the child grows, it can lead to scoliosis curvatures.