Living with scoliosis: an adult perspective

Introduction The potential of scoliosis progressing into a clinically significant spinal deformity drives the detection, diagnosis, and treatment decisions for skeletally immature children. In these cases, growth is the potential enemy. In the early stages, the primary concerns may be mainly abnormal physical appearance and diminished self esteem. In more advanced cases, the overriding issues may become limited mobility, respiratory problems, and pain. In the skeletally mature adult, growth concerns disappear, and the primary nemesis becomes the natural aging process and the wear and tear of life. Curve magnitude may increase, but the rate of progression is significantly curtailed. However, there is an increased probability that the general signs and symptoms of a curving twisting spine may be exacerbated by the onset of a number of related co-morbidities, such as degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, osteoporosis, arthritis, post surgical adjacent segment deterioration etc. In fact, in some cases these related morbidities may actually initiate the onset of scoliosis in a previously symmetrical spine.