When a person develops scoliosis in the lower part of their spine, it is known as lumbar scoliosis. While spinal curves can arise as the result of an underlying condition, lumbar scoliosis is usually idiopathic, meaning that the cause is not known.
A real pain in the back!
One of the most common symptoms of lumbar scoliosis is lower back pain. While this pain may not be too severe during the patient's childhood and teenage years, it often gets worse over time, and many adult scoliotics suffer from chronic back pain.
What causes this pain? Well, when you have a curve in your spine, the surrounding muscles sometimes have to work harder to make up for the curvature. This can result in muscle strain, which is what leads to back pain.
For more information on why this happens, read our blog post on scoliosis and muscular imbalance.
Treating lower back pain in people with scoliosis
Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we have treated thousands of people with scoliosis, many of whom were experiencing lower back pain as a result of their condition.
One recent patient was 47-year-old Pia from Sweden, who was diagnosed with 33-degree and 28-degree curves in her thoracic and lumbar spine. These curves caused Pia a lot of lower back pain, and after trying several treatment methods and wearing a brace for a number of years without success, she visited our clinic (along with her daughter) in the hope of finally getting her pain under control.
In order to overcome her lower back pain, Pia undertook a 4-week ScolioGold therapy course consisting of both group and one-to-one treatment sessions. As a result, Pia's Cobb angle measurement reduced by 50% in her cervical rotation and 20% in her thoracic rotation, and we also helped to reduce her back pain.
Watch this video to hear Pia talk about her experience with Scoliosis SOS:
If you're suffering from lower back pain as a result of your scoliosis, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
Pain Treatment Book a Consultation
Unless you yourself are living with chronic pain, it can be difficult to imagine how debilitating it can be to the sufferer.
'Chronic pain' means any persistent pain - it can last for weeks, months, or even longer. Chronic pain can occur as a result of scoliosis when your body tries to compensate for the curve in the spine.
Although some people with scoliosis feel only minimal discomfort, others suffer severe pain, including:
- Muscles spasms
- Trapped nerves
- Leg and hip pain
- Breathing / cardiovascular issues
All of these problems can make it incredibly difficult for someone with scoliosis to live a normal life. If your back pain is affecting your day-to-day activities, it may be a good idea to seek professional medical help in order to find out what can be done.
How to treat scoliosis-related chronic pain
Every case of scoliosis is different, so there is no 'one size fits all' cure for the associated pain. The level of pain doesn't even necessarily correlate with the angle of one's spinal curve; for example, someone with a 65-degree curve may feel little pain, whereas someone with a 20-degree curve may experience intense pain.
A scoliosis specialist will be able to help you determine the best method of treating the chronic pain caused by your scoliosis. In some cases, if the curve is particularly severe. a surgical operation may be required in order to correct your spinal curvature and relieve the pressure it is putting on your body.
However, there are several non-surgical methods for relieving scoliosis-related pain, including pain relief medication and physical therapy. Although pain relief medication can help to reduce the pain you feel, physical therapy programmes - such as our own ScolioGold method - can be more effective in the long run. ScolioGold combines a number of effective non-surgical treatment techniques and is tailored to the specific requirements that accompany a curvature of the spine.
We have helped countless scoliosis patients to overcome their chronic pain and achieve a significantly higher quality of life. If you want any advice about the pain caused by your scoliosis, we are more than happy to help - please contact us today to book a consultation with our friendly scoliosis specialists.