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Scoliosis is a disorder that is characterized by a sideways curvature of the spine. This portion of the eMedTV Web site offers an in-depth look at scoliosis, including information on its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Causes of scoliosis include injury, tumors, and birth defects. However, in many cases, the cause is unknown. This eMedTV segment discusses several of the possible causes for scoliosis, including information on how they are categorized.
Symptoms of scoliosis can include a waist that seems lopsided and shoulders that are at a different height. This eMedTV article talks about these and other scoliosis symptoms, such as pain (a common symptom of scoliosis in adults).
As this eMedTV page explains, in order to make a scoliosis diagnosis, your doctor will need to know your medical history, perform a physical exam, and order a number of tests, including an x-ray. This article explains how scoliosis is diagnosed.
Scoliosis treatments include observation, bracing, and surgery. As this eMedTV page explains, the type of treatment recommended will depend on the patient's age and the type of scoliosis the patient has. This page discusses several treatment options.
The goal of scoliosis surgery is to balance the spine and stop the spine from continuing to curve. This eMedTV segment discusses this type of surgery in detail and provides a list of questions a patient might want to ask before the surgery.
There are no specific scoliosis exercises that are proven to affect the natural history of scoliosis. As this eMedTV article explains, however, exercise is important for well-being and is encouraged in people with scoliosis.
A scoliosis brace is used to keep a spinal curve from getting worse. This portion of the eMedTV Web site describes scoliosis braces in detail and includes information about the different types of braces that are available.
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