The connection between scoliosis surgery and upper back pain is obvious when you look at a spinal x-ray of someone with scoliosis.

Scoliosis – What Is It?

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. Some spines curve with one bend, like the letter C, while others curve twice, like an S. Scoliosis is considered to be a condition, not a disease or abnormality. If someone has a curved spine, for whatever reason, that person is said to have scoliosis.

Scoliosis surgery and therapy for upper back pain can straighten the spine in most patients and can relieve much of the pain that can come with scoliosis. However, surgery is a drastic remedy.

Not everyone who has scoliosis and upper back pain needs surgery. Many people who have mild scoliosis live normal lives and never need scoliosis surgery and medication for upper back pain. In fact, some types of scoliosis may not respond to surgical treatment. That is why it is so important for you to know what kind of scoliosis you have.

Types Of Scoliosis

Neuromuscular scoliosis occurs when neurological problems or weak spinal muscles cause the spine to curve. Individuals who have scoliosis due to muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy have this type of scoliosis, and surgery will not remedy the condition.

Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common kind of scoliosis. It is a condition found in adolescents as they experience growth spurts. Idiopathic scoliosis almost always resolves itself.

Another common kind of scoliosis is degenerative scoliosis, and upper back pain can result from this condition. Degenerative scoliosis develops as you age, as degenerative changes take their toll in the spine as well as in the joints of the arms and legs.

Congenital scoliosis is the rarest form of scoliosis; it is a curvature of the spine that the patient is born with or develops soon after birth.

Scoliosis Surgery

Scoliosis surgery may be appropriate for adolescents whose spines are curved from 40 to 50 percent. It is vital that the spine not be permitted to curve 70 to 90 degrees, because at that point the curvature will interfere with the way the heart and lungs operate.

Usually, the curvature of scoliosis can be corrected at about 50% with surgery. The most serious potential risk from scoliosis surgery is paralysis; fortunately, paralysis rarely occurs; chances range from one case in 1,000 to one in 10,000. Excessive blood loss is another potential risk, as is infection; hardware problems; cerebrospinal fluid leak; failure of the spine to fuse; and continued progression of the curvature in spite of the surgery.