Handbook for Patients

What Ill Effects Can Result From Scoliosis?

  1. Back pain may be present. This usually tends to be mild and does not limit activities in most patients. However, a few patients have more back pain than the average. Patients with severe back pain should be carefully evaluated for other causes of back pain than scoliosis. Elderly patients with scoliosis may have greater back pain due to arthritis or disc disease in the spine.
  2. Cosmesis is important in scoliosis. Asymmetry of the trunk may be distressing to the patient or parents.
  3. Severe scoliosis may be associated with diminished lung function due to distortion and stiffness of the rib cage.
Continue to "What Should Be Done?" »
The Scoliosis Research Society provides information on these web pages regarding research and links as a public service. The SRS believes that patients should contact their treating physician about the relevance of any information listed on the site prior to proceeding with any particular treatment. Just as no two individuals are exactly alike, no two patients with a spinal deformity are the same. Therefore, your spinal deformity surgeon will be the most important source of information about the management of your particular spinal problem.