Understanding The Treatment Options For Your Scoliosis
When you find yourself diagnosed with scoliosis, you may wonder what you can do to correct the curvature of your spine and protect your physical health, posture, and the function of your nervous system. While many people may assume that scoliosis cannot be treated, there are actually various treatment options available to you to help you with your scoliosis. Get to know some of these treatments so that you can be prepared for what is to come, and you can approach your doctor's appointment feeling well-informed.
A Customized Back Brace
One of the primary forms of treatment for scoliosis is a customized and specially-fitted back brace. The back brace is designed to stabilize a person's back and to prevent the curve of the spine from getting any worse or more severe than it already is.
Back braces can do a great deal to prevent your scoliosis from getting worse. However, if you are already an adult and your spine is not growing, then bracing will not be an effective means of treatment for scoliosis.
Traditional Spinal Fusion Scoliosis Surgery
When a back brace is not an option or the treatment has failed to effectively stop the spine from continuing to curve, doctors will often recommend surgery as the next line of treatment. Spinal fusion surgery is usually the option that your orthopedic doctor will opt for.
Getting a spinal fusion essentially involves your doctor taking two or more separate vertebrae and bonding them together to form a single unit. This prevents the spine from curving more and keeps the spine stable and straight in position.
The technique for bonding the vertebrae together involves taking harvested bone tissue either from elsewhere in your body or from a donor and adhering it to the two vertebrae. This may be held in place by metal rods to ensure that the bonding process is successful. Eventually, the bone graft holding the two vertebrae together will become a fused part of the spine making two separate parts of the spine into one.
Newer Surgical Techniques
Aside from spinal fusion, there are also newer and more innovative surgical techniques for treating scoliosis, particularly in adults. This surgical technique is less invasive than a spinal fusion surgery, using smaller incisions to accomplish similar goals.
This surgical technique involves placing what are basically plastic cages in between the vertebrae of the spine to stabilize the spine and hold it in proper alignment. The surgery can require extensive recovery but may help people with extremely severe cases of scoliosis be able to move and walk again when other treatments would do no such thing.
Now that you know a few of the treatment options available for your scoliosis, you can meet with your medical team and discuss the treatment options that would best serve you and your condition. One resource is C D Denison.