Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. Pain management doctors often use the letters “C” and “S” to describe the curve of the backbone. And the angle of the curve may be small, large or somewhere in between - however, anything that measures more than 10 degrees is considered scoliosis.
While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of scoliosis in most cases is unknown (known as idiopathic). And only a very small number of patients with scoliosis usually require surgery.
Complications of scoliosis include chronic pain, respiratory deficiencies, and decreased exercise capacity.
