Scoliosis can cause shortness of breath

Scoliosis, which begins in adolescence and becomes a serious problem for many young people, presses on the lungs and causes shortness of breath. Prof. Dr. Alper Murat Ulaşlı, chief physician at Romatem Ankara, asked parents to watch their children’s shoulder and hip alignment and to look at their backs regularly. “Scoliosis is not only a visual problem. For the solution we recommend a three-dimensional exercise method.”

It first shows as back pain

“The spine is like a bridge from the head to the legs that carries most of our body weight. Scoliosis is a three-dimensional curvature of the spine. It occurs at every age, from newborns to old age, but we usually diagnose it, without a specific cause, in the growth period between 10 and 15. It is about 8 to 10 times more common in girls. The first sign is usually back pain, followed by visible changes: uneven shoulders, a prominent lower shoulder blade, a hump on the back when bending forward, or a flattened waist curve on one side.”

Untreated scoliosis loads the spine unevenly and damages joints over time; in advanced cases nerve compression can cause numbness and weakness, and pressure on the lungs can cause shortness of breath.

Diagnosis and the three options

Diagnosis is made by X-ray and detailed examination. A 4D scoliosis analysis device builds a four-dimensional model of the spine and lets the physician assess posture, spinal movement and shape, and shoulder symmetry.

“We classify treatment as scoliosis-specific exercise, bracing and surgery. The degree and type of curve and the person’s age determine the method. Curves up to 25 degrees we follow with scoliosis-specific exercise. In adults we can add a brace, but bracing should be a short-term aid to exercise and physical therapy. Curves above 40 degrees may need surgery. In rehabilitation we use scoliosis-specific exercise to reduce the curve and stop its progression, and we teach correct use of the brace and exercises inside it, which makes the brace more effective and reduces side effects from wrong use.”

The Schroth method

“The Schroth method is a three-dimensional exercise method specific to scoliosis. By raising body awareness and using special breathing techniques that work the lungs at full capacity, we aim to de-rotate the spine and correct muscular and postural asymmetry. Mirrors, therapy balls, rice bags, poles and Schroth bars are used to build body awareness. The programme, done standing, sitting and lying, is planned individually. Its length varies, but in children we recommend continuing until bone growth is complete, with home exercises done regularly.”