The spine is one long structure with three main sections, and disc degeneration can occur anywhere in the spine. Discs in the neck and lower back are the most vulnerable to disc degeneration because of the roles they play in the spine's biomechanics. Healthy spinal discs are necessary for optimal spinal health and function; being diagnosed with multilevel...
The first step to addressing a loss of cervical lordosis is determining its underlying cause; otherwise, only its symptoms are being addressed, with results often limited to short-term improvement. For those experiencing unexplained neck and lower back pain, a loss of cervical lordosis could be the cause. The cervical spine refers to the neck, and cervical...
Scoliosis is a complex spinal condition that requires treatment. Measuring the size of a patient's unnatural spinal curvature is based on their Cobb angle measurement. Taken during X-ray, the Cobb angle helps diagnose and assess scoliosis, but the measurement also has limitations. Scoliosis is the development of an unnatural sideways spinal curvature, and there...
A healthy spine is naturally curved at each of its main sections, and when the healthy spinal curves are in place, its vertebrae are aligned and in a neutral position. Understanding spinal health and function means knowing why the spine is curved in the first place, and what happens when the spine loses one or more of its healthy curves. The spine's natural curves...
There are different types of braces for addressing spinal conditions; some focus on stopping a condition from progressing, while others focus on corrective results. Correcting an unhealthy spinal curve involves an individualized treatment plan; continue reading to learn more about the corrective potential of kyphosis treatment and the KyphoBrace™. Kyphosis is a...
There's a lot to understand about scoliosis, including its progressive nature; where a person's condition is at the time of diagnosis doesn't mean that's necessarily where it will stay. Disability benefits for scoliosis will depend on a number of factors. People diagnosed with scoliosis often ask if it will affect their ability to work. Because no two cases are...
Spinal health is shaped by a number of factors, including whether or not its healthy curves and alignment are in place. A healthy spine will be curved at each of its main sections, and if the spine loses one or more of these natural curves, it can affect spinal health and quality of life in a number of ways. Flatback syndrome involves a loss of the spine's healthy...
The spine has to have its vertebrae aligned and healthy curves in place to function optimally. Spinal function refers to the spine's flexibility, strength, and ability to handle stress. Kyphosis causes an excessive spinal curve in the spine's coronal plane, while scoliosis causes the development of an unhealthy spinal curve in the sagittal plane; continue reading to...
The best way to stay safely active with scoliosis is to ensure no exercise or sport is practiced without first being cleared by a patient’s treatment provider. When a sport is deemed appropriate for a scoliosis patient, staying active can help with treatment, not to mention being an important part of leading a scoliosis-friendly lifestyle. Scoliosis activity...
While scoliosis can progress suddenly with growth spurts, it tends to develop and progress over time. The nature of scoliosis is to get more severe, and progression is triggered by growth. Rapid and unpredictable growth spurts cause rapid-phase progression. Adolescents going through puberty are the most likely to experience rapid-phase progression. Scoliosis can...
Although having a family history of scoliosis is considered a risk factor, it's still not considered a genetic condition. Idiopathic scoliosis is thought to have some genetic factors, but the truth is that families share a lot more than just genes, so let's explore what that means. Scoliosis is an ancient spinal condition, but we still don't fully understand what...
While no back brace on its own is capable of correcting a scoliosis, when combined with other types of treatment, it can augment corrective treatment results. The traditional boston brace is associated with a number of shortfalls that are addressed by modern corrective bracing, so understanding how the different treatment approaches shape spinal health is...