What is an abnormal curvature of the spine?
When abnormalities of the spine occur, the natural curvatures of the spine are misaligned or exaggerated in certain areas, as occurs with lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis. What are the types of spine curvature disorders? There are three main types of spine curvature disorders, including:
What are abnormal spinal conditions?
Abnormal lordosis, kyphosis, and scoliosis are three common spinal conditions that can lead to a loss of the spine’s natural curvatures as they are replaced with unnatural ones.
What is it called when your back curves to the side?
Also called swayback, the spine of a person with lordosis curves significantly inward at the lower back. Kyphosis. Kyphosis is characterized by an abnormally rounded upper back (more than 50 degrees of curvature). Scoliosis. A person with scoliosis has a sideways curve to their spine.
What are the different types of curvature disorders?
Kyphosis. Kyphosis is characterized by an abnormally rounded upper back (more than 50 degrees of curvature). Scoliosis. A person with scoliosis has a sideways curve to their spine. The curve is often S-shaped or C-shaped. What causes spine curvature disorders?
What is the medical term for abnormal curvature of the spine?
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that most often is diagnosed in adolescents. While scoliosis can occur in people with conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most childhood scoliosis is unknown.
What does lordosis mean?
Lordosis is the inward curve of the lumbar spine (just above the buttocks). A small degree of lordosis is normal. Too much curving is called swayback.
What is the difference between kyphosis and lordosis?
Lordosis (also known as swayback) is when the lower back, above the buttocks, curves inward too much, causing the child's abdomen to protrude and buttocks to stick out. Kyphosis is when the upper spine curves too far outward, forming a hump on the upper back.
What is kyphosis mean?
Kyphosis is curvature of the spine that causes the top of the back to appear more rounded than normal. Everyone has some degree of curvature in their spine. However, a curve of more than 45 degrees is considered excessive.
What is the main cause of lordosis?
Congenital/Traumatic Lordosis A trauma / injury to the connecting links of the spine (pars) can cause them to break (fracture) causing pain in the low spine. In children these often occur from sports injuries. This can also be seen in children hit by a car or with falls from high areas.
Can lordosis be corrected?
One case study found that strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles can assist in pulling the pelvis into proper alignment, improving lordosis. This can help decrease pain, increase function, and improve ability to do everyday activities with ease.
How is lordosis of the spine treated?
Lordosis can affect people of any age. Conservative treatment for the condition may include medication, physical therapy, braces and weight loss. Surgery may be needed if the curvature is severe and causing other symptoms.
What are the common causes of lordosis?
What Causes Lordosis?Poor posture.Obesity.Osteoporosis (a bone disease common among older adults)Osteosarcoma (bone cancer that develops near the knee or in the upper arm)Spondylolisthesis (a spinal condition where the vertebrae in the lower back slip forward)Achondroplasia (a common type of dwarfism)More items...•
What is curvature spine?
Curvature spine refers to a range of conditions in which there is a spinal deformity. While the condition might be mild and require no more than regular monitoring and self-care, it can be painful, severe, debilitating, and even life-threatening.
What is the most common form of spine curvature?
The medical term for the most common form of a curvature spine is scoliosis. This refers to a condition in which there is a sideways spinal curvature creating either a C shape or an S shape. Two other kinds of spinal curvature are also fairly common: kyphosis is a condition that results in a characteristic rounded upper back ...
How to diagnose spine curvature?
Diagnosis of more spine curvature conditions involves taking a detailed medical history and a physical examination of the curvature of the spine along with various imaging tests. X-rays are a useful way of detecting any spinal abnormalities and for assessing the extent of the curvature. MRI and CT scans are often used to provide a more detailed picture of the condition.
How to treat scoliosis in young people?
This might be assisted by analgesics and anti-inflammatories, through exercise and physical therapy is usually highly beneficial. It is important to use exercises designed to strengthen the muscles in the back that support the spinal column. Recently it has been shown that scoliosis-specific exercises can reduce the progression of severe curves in adult idiopathic scoliosis (Negrini, et al., 2015). In severe cases, surgery might be necessary.
What causes kyphosis in the spine?
Kyphosis can also result from osteoporosis and infections of the spine. Other causes include Scheuermann’s disease which results in misshaped vertebrae; arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout; congenital defects including spina bifida; and tumors.
What is the treatment for lordosis?
Lordosis While analgesics and anti-inflammatories are generally used to relieve pain and inflammation, lordosis often responds to exercises designed to strengthen the hip extensor and flexor muscles on the back and front of the thighs. If the patient is obese, then a weight loss program is often called for. Manipulative therapy may also help. In more severe cases a back brace might be needed, and some patients might require surgery.
How to help a back pain?
This might be assisted by analgesics and anti-inflammatories, through exercise and physical therapy is usually highly beneficial. It is important to use exercises designed to strengthen the muscles in the back that support the spinal column.
Why does the spine bend?
While the spine has healthy curvatures that give it added strength, flexibility, and allow it to evenly distribute stress, it can also develop unhealthy curves. When a spine’s curves bend to the side, include rotation, or are over-or under-pronounced, this can indicate the development of a spinal condition.
Which direction do spinal curves go?
Healthy spinal curvatures either curve inward, towards the body’s center, or outwards, away from the body’s center.
How many sections does the spine have?
The spine has three main sections, each with a characteristic spinal curvature. As healthy spines have curvatures that are natural and normal, people can wonder if their spine has an unnatural curvature and how to tell the difference. Keep reading to find out what constitutes an abnormal spinal curvature in need of assessment and treatment.
Why do intervertebral discs degenerate?
When the spine’s intervertebral discs start to degenerate, either due to age, or the cumulative effect of negative lifestyle choices, their ability to provide the spine with structure and support is compromised , and this commonly leads to the development of a number of spinal conditions, including degenerative scoliosis.
How many vertebrae are there in the cervical spine?
Each of these spinal sections consists of individual bones, called vertebrae. The cervical spine is home to 7 vertebrae; the thoracic spine has 12, and the lumbar spine has 5.
Why do discs help the spine?
In addition to guarding against degeneration of the vertebrae caused by the spinal bones rubbing up against one another, the discs also facilitate the spine’s flexibility, thanks to its soft gel-like interior that allows for flexible motion.
What is the canal in the center of the spine?
The holes in the center of each vertebra form the spinal canal, and this canal is where the spinal nerves pass through; the spine and brain work in tandem to form the body’s central nervous system (CNS), controlling many of the body’s essential functions. If you were to run your hand down the center of a spine, you would feel bony protrusions, ...