Adult degenerative scoliosis, a disease more common in women

Adult scoliosis can present as a continuation of childhood idiopathic scoliosis or as degenerative scoliosis later in life, around the time of menopause. The latter is the subject of today's article, dedicated to mature women over 40 who are experiencing, or about to experience, one of the most beautiful, yet also uncertain, stages of a woman's life, which can create anxiety and discomfort.

Menopause and its consequences

All women go through this stage of health called menopause. Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. What happens is that the human female reproductive system reduces its production of estrogen and progesterone and stops producing eggs. Menopause is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. And although this can occur at any time after age 40, the average age is 50.

During perimenopause, a number of bodily changes can occur that aren't immediately associated with the disease. For example, I've had patients who gain weight and can't find an explanation. Others experience intense hot flashes and bone density loss. Some women feel depressed without any apparent cause, and this can affect their emotional well-being. But an interesting fact that has been discovered recently is that menopause can also affect the spine. 

De novo degenerative scoliosis

The spine relies on a perfect biochemical balance to maintain its structural integrity. The reason for this isn't entirely clear. However, during and after menopause, more than 30% of women experience de novo degenerative scoliosis . This means that a woman who has never had scoliosis can develop this spinal condition later in life. Therefore, it's crucial for women to maintain a healthy spine throughout their lives, but especially during menopause.

A simple checkup with appropriate X-rays will help assess whether you have the potential to develop scoliosis. With this simple evaluation, we can assess your condition and, hopefully, prevent scoliosis from developing. If the condition is already present, we can prevent further deterioration and pain. Adult-onset degenerative scoliosis can be a very difficult condition to treat, especially in severe cases where the curvature angle is greater than 20 degrees.

What to do when you suffer from degenerative scoliosis in adulthood?

If you're going through menopause or have scoliosis and are approaching a certain age, you should consider having your spine checked for scoliosis, even if you don't have a family history of it.

See a chiropractor to have an x-ray of your spine taken just to evaluate this condition, and in this way you will be taking the first step to prevent it from happening or getting worse, if you already have it.

If you already have scoliosis, these simple steps can make a big difference to your well-being and quality of life:

1. Practice proper spinal hygiene, which includes regular chiropractic care, postural exercises, and core strengthening.

2. Maintain a healthy body weight, as this will help prevent vertebral collapse.

3. 3. In moderate to severe cases, a Thoraco lumbar orthosis (TLSO) may be prescribed. This is a rigid orthotic device that prevents further deterioration of the spine.

4. 4. In the most severe cases, and if the patient is a candidate, surgery is often the only option. This is the last resort, and most of the time it's because the scoliosis has been allowed to progress without proper management.

Your goal is to have a good quality of life in your adult life, our goal is to help you achieve your goal.