The effects of scoliosis aren’t just limited to the back. Although scoliosis causes the development of an unnatural lateral curvature of the spine with rotation, the spine is integral to your overall health and mobility. When its health changes, the effects can be felt throughout the entire body.
An important characteristic of scoliosis to understand is its progressive nature. Because scoliosis effects can increase over time, early detection is key. Common side effects include back and nerve pain, postural changes, and muscular imbalance. Fortunately, with early intervention at a dedicated facility like the Minneapolis Chiropractic Center, scoliosis can be highly treatable.
Although treatment outcomes can never be guaranteed, the progressive nature of the condition means the sooner treatment begins, the better.
The Progressive Nature of Scoliosis
A key characteristic of scoliosis is that it progresses. Even cases diagnosed as “mild” can advance to moderate or severe without proper care.
The size of the spine’s unnatural lateral curve and its rotation are likely to worsen over time without treatment. While the initial trigger for most scoliosis cases remains unknown, we do know that growth drives progression. This is why childhood scoliosis needs to be managed proactively during periods of rapid growth (1).
Scoliosis affects all ages, but it is most commonly diagnosed in children. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis—often identified at the onset of puberty—is the most prevalent type overall (2). Because adolescents undergo unpredictable and rapid growth spurts, they are at the highest risk for rapid curve advancement. For newly diagnosed children, delaying treatment to “watch and wait” can have serious consequences (1).
The more scoliosis progresses, the more complex it becomes to treat. Curves grow larger and more rigid, rotation becomes more severe, and symptoms become firmly established (1). If you or your child recently received a mild diagnosis, it requires a proactive, customized treatment plan to prevent it from worsening.
How Age Impacts Scoliosis Progression
Several factors shape scoliosis symptoms, but patient age is one of the most critical.
Because growth triggers progression, patients with more remaining growth before skeletal maturity face a higher risk of rapid curve advancement (1). Other factors, such as spinal flexibility and where the curve is located, also play a role. For instance, scoliosis in the thoracic (mid-back) spine is highly prone to progression and often involves more rotation since it attaches to the rib cage (3).
While it was once thought that progression stopped once a person reached skeletal maturity, we now know that the rate of scoliosis actually increases among aging populations due to spinal degeneration (2, 4). However, the most common type of adult scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning the condition was pre-existing from adolescence but went undiagnosed until symptoms—specifically pain—became undeniable in adulthood (5).
The Link Between Patient Age and Pain
Patient age and scoliosis pain are closely connected, largely due to spinal compression.
While flexibility, curve location, and the angle of trunk rotation (ATR) influence pain, compression is the main culprit for adults. When the spine stops growing, there is no longer a lengthening motion to counteract the compressive downward force of the scoliosis curve. This excessive pressure is exactly when many patients begin experiencing pain (3, 6).
Scoliosis-related pain can affect back muscles, spinal structures, and nerves. In fact, radiating nerve pain is the primary symptom that leads adults to seek out a Minneapolis chiropractor for a diagnosis (6). If spinal nerves are exposed to uneven pressure, pain can radiate anywhere along that nerve’s pathway—most commonly into the arms, hands, legs, and feet.
Postural Changes and Asymmetry
While pain drives adults to seek assessment, the most noticeable effect of childhood scoliosis is postural change (7).
As scoliosis develops, its uneven forces disrupt the body’s natural symmetry. While adults may develop a prominent lean to one side, asymmetrical posture is usually the very first warning sign in children (7). Because long-term spinal health is deeply intertwined with posture, nonsurgical treatments focus heavily on postural awareness and restoration.
If you are a parent in the Twin Cities monitoring your child’s spine, watch for these early warning signs:
- Uneven shoulders or shoulder blades
- Uneven hips or an uneven waistline
- The head appearing off-center over the torso
- An uneven eye line
- Rib flaring
- Arm and leg-length discrepancies (often noticed when clothing fits poorly)
The longer scoliosis is left untreated, the more established these postural changes become, making them harder to reverse (1, 2). These shifts can also disrupt balance, gait, and coordination, potentially leading to activity restrictions in sports and daily life (2, 8).
Muscular Imbalance and Fatigue
Scoliosis pulls the spine’s surrounding nerves and muscles in different directions. This frequently leads to a muscular imbalance (9).
Muscles on one side of the spine are forced to work overtime, becoming strained, sore, and fatigued. Meanwhile, the muscles on the opposite side lose strength from a lack of use. Effective, non-surgical rehabilitation plans—like those incorporating ScoliBalance® and ScoliBrace®—focus heavily on improving trunk muscle endurance to correct this imbalance (10).
The Psychological Impact of Scoliosis
We cannot overlook the mental health effects of a progressive spinal condition. Adolescence is already a challenging time for self-esteem, and navigating scoliosis can introduce negative body-image issues and heightened stress (11).
Many adolescents struggle with the idea of looking or walking differently, wearing a brace to school, or stepping away from their favorite sports. Being proactive with treatment offers the best chance of preventing progression, thereby protecting both the patient’s physical and mental well-being.
Get Proactive Scoliosis Care in Minneapolis
No two cases of scoliosis are identical. Because the condition ranges so widely in severity and symptoms, your treatment plan must be entirely customized to you.
Here at Minneapolis Chiropractic Center, your care begins with a comprehensive initial assessment. We conduct a physical examination of the spine and trunk, assess your posture and gait, and evaluate your family history. If we find indicators of scoliosis, we utilize X-ray imaging to confirm the curve’s rotation and severity.
Early detection and intervention are the ultimate goals of routine screening. By understanding the early signs of scoliosis, you put yourself or your child on the best possible path to treatment success.
Ready to evaluate your spinal health? Contact Minneapolis Chiropractic Center today to schedule your assessment and take the first step toward proactive back pain relief.
References:
- Negrini, S., Donzelli, S., Aulisa, A. G., Czaprowski, D., Schreiber, S., de Mauroy, J. C., … & Zaina, F. (2018). 2016 SOSORT guidelines: orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth. Scoliosis and spinal disorders, 13(1), 3
- Weinstein SL. The Natural History of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. J Pediatr Orthop. 2019 Jul;39(Issue 6, Supplement 1 Suppl 1):S44-S46.
- Wong LPK, Cheung PWH, Cheung JPY. Curve type, flexibility, correction, and rotation are predictors of curve progression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing conservative treatment. Bone Joint J. 2022 Apr;104-B(4):424-432.
- Marty-Poumarat, Catherine MD; Scattin, Luciana MD; Marpeau, Michèle MD; Garreau de Loubresse, Christian MD; Aegerter, Philippe MD, PhD. Natural History of Progressive Adult Scoliosis. Spine 32(11):p 1227-1234, May 15, 2007.
- Ansari K, Singh M, McDermott JR, et al. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in adulthood. EFORT Open Rev. 2024 Jul 1;9(7):676-684.
- Zaina, F., Marchese, R., Donzelli, S., et al. (2023). Current Knowledge on the Different Characteristics of Back Pain in Adults with and without Scoliosis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(16), 5182.
- Hong KS, Van Minh P, Nguyen HT, et al. Re-evaluation of Incorrect Posture as a Diagnostic Criterion for Scoliosis in School Screenings. Cureus. 2025 Mar 31;17(3):e81535.
- Xu J, Chen M, Wang X, Luo X. Biomechanical changes in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis during walking. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Dec 8;102(49):e36528.
- Ford DM, Bagnall KM, McFadden KD, Greenhill BJ, Raso VJ. Paraspinal muscle imbalance in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Spine. 1984 May-Jun;9(4):373-6.
- Marchese, R., Du Plessis, J., Pooke, T., & McAviney, J. (2024). The Improvement of Trunk Muscle Endurance in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis Treated with ScoliBrace® and the ScoliBalance® Exercise Approach. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(3), 653.
- Payne WK 3rd, Ogilvie JW, Resnick MD, et al. Does scoliosis have a psychological impact and does gender make a difference? Spine. 1997 Jun 15;22(12):1380-4.