ADULT SCOLIOSIS DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT & SURGERY IN NEW JERSEY

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine measuring greater than 10 degrees. X-rays of the entire spine, from the head to the hips/pelvis, may be needed to evaluate scoliosis. Your doctor can use these x-rays to measure the size of the curve and determine a treatment plan. An MRI or CT scan may also be requested by your doctor to fully assess the spine.

In adults, scoliosis can be classified as degenerative, idiopathic, or neuromuscular:

• Adult degenerative scoliosis is spinal curvature caused by asymmetric deterioration (degeneration) of the intervertebral discs and facet joints. This degeneration and resulting spinal imbalance usually occurs slowly over time as a person ages.
• Adult idiopathic scoliosis is spinal curvature that began in childhood and is either left untreated and worsens later in life or was never diagnosed in childhood and is discovered in adulthood.
• Adult neuromuscular scoliosis is spinal curvature caused by abnormalities in or diseases of either the nervous or muscular system (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, paralysis, etc.).

Non-Surgical Treatment Options

Anti-inflammatory and/or pain medications, bracing, physical therapy, or spinal epidural injections may be used to treat symptoms of adult scoliosis. Surgery may be considered for those patients with large curvatures, curves that are getting progressively worse, curves that are affecting heart and/or lung function, malalignment that makes it difficult to sit or stand upright, and/or neurological symptoms that do not respond to non-surgical treatment.

Surgical Treatment Options

In general, surgical treatment options presented by your surgeon are aimed at correcting scoliosis and relieving pressure on nerve roots in an attempt to address pain. Surgical options include:

• Posterior Spinal Fusion
• Spinal Decompression
• Interbody fusion procedures