Mild, Moderate, and Severe Scoliosis – The Three Stages of Scoliosis

What is mild scoliosis? What is the difference between mild, moderate, and severe scoliosis? Is scoliosis treatable? What is the cause of scoliosis?

Many questions pop up in our minds whenever we head to learn something new. But calm down! We have all the answers!

We all know that scoliosis refers to an abnormal curvature of the spine. But does the curve remain stable throughout scoliosis? And the answer is negative.

Scoliosis progresses in three stages; mild, moderate, and severe. And around 80% of the time scoliosis is idiopathic.

Now if it’s idiopathic, can you still treat it? Of Course, you can!

You will find the different treatment options for the three different stages of scoliosis later in this article.

Let’s dive into the details!

Mild, Moderate, and Severe Scoliosis

Before we proceed with our discussion on mild, moderate, and severe scoliosis, you should know that mild scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis out of the three categories.

This is a piece of good news because mild scoliosis is the least painful and has lesser chances of progression than severe and moderate scoliosis. 

But the question is, are these three stages of scoliosis treatable? And the answer is yes, they are!

Now let’s highlight the three main categories of scoliosis, which are;

• Mild scoliosis
• Moderate scoliosis
• Severe scoliosis

Mild Scoliosis

Mild scoliosis is the first stage of scoliosis. In mild scoliosis, the spinal curvature exceeds the 10-degree marker and falls somewhere between 10 to 25-degrees.

Moreover, mild scoliosis has around 22% chances of progression to a severe form, if the spinal curve is up to 20-degrees.

Mild scoliosis usually does not have any appreciable symptoms. This is one reason why most of the time mild scoliosis goes unnoticed.

That’s a piece of bad news though, as mild scoliosis is the only stage of scoliosis that has the highest chances of prevention.

Moreover, mild scoliosis usually affects growing children. So parents have to keep a check on their kid’s back, especially if they are at risk of developing scoliosis.

However, it’s not easy as it sounds. That’s right!

This is because mild scoliosis does not have any major clinical symptoms, so it becomes hard to diagnose it.

Parents, experts, and even the patients themselves at times fail to notice the abnormal spinal curve in case of mild scoliosis.

However, there are a few tests that can help diagnose scoliosis in mild stages. For instance, Adams bending test, gait and posture test, and lastly, an X-ray that helps measure the cobb angle which provides you with accurate results.

Clinical Presentation

As we mentioned above, mild scoliosis though have no symptoms, but some patients have the following clinical presentations;

• Headache
• Slightly tilted posture
• Uneven shoulders
• Disproportionate waist and hips
• Unequal legs
• Pain is rare
• Mild numbness and tingling

The Treatment Plan for Mild Scoliosis

The best treatment option to treat mild scoliosis is to exercise regularly.

Furthermore, keeping your spine healthy, taking a proper diet, and avoiding poor posture can help prevent the chances of developing scoliosis. 

Note: Remember that mild scoliosis has no visible curve. However, if your child is complaining of any of the above-mentioned symptoms, we recommend you call a doctor and visit a chiropractor for early treatment.

Mild scoliosis if not treated at the right time, it often tends to progress to moderate scoliosis.

Moderate Scoliosis

What is moderate scoliosis?

Moderate scoliosis, in simple words, is the advanced form of mild scoliosis.

Moderate scoliosis is defined as an abnormal spinal curvature of more than 26-degrees with an upper limit of 40-degree.

Unlike mild scoliosis, patients with moderate scoliosis have a visible curve in the spine. Hence, it is not difficult to appreciate the symptoms of scoliosis in moderate cases.

Clinical Presentation

Following are the clinical symptoms of moderate scoliosis;

• Unequal shoulder and hips
• Prominent shoulder blades
• Sometimes associated with pain
• Headaches are common
• Weakness and fatigue due to physical activity
• Uncomfortable and clumsy feeling

The Treatment Plan for Moderate Scoliosis

One important thing about moderate scoliosis is that in this type of scoliosis, the back brace has utmost significance. This means, wearing a back brace can help prevent the progression of the spinal curve.

However, keep in mind that it doesn’t always work out in your favor. And moderate scoliosis can progress to severe scoliosis as well.

But this only happens if you delay the treatment, or when you don’t wear the brace properly.

Furthermore, unlike mild scoliosis, the moderate stage of scoliosis has a higher chance of progression, approximately 68%.

However, sometimes even moderate scoliosis can go unnoticed. That’s right!

According to a study, more than 10% of the time even moderate forms of scoliosis go undiagnosed. That is why from the time of mild scoliosis, the doctors start monitoring the curve to diagnose it at an early stage.

Failing to diagnose scoliosis even in moderate cases and delaying the treatment can worsen the condition, leading to severe scoliosis.

Severe Scoliosis

Severe scoliosis is the third and last stage after mild and moderate scoliosis.

Now since it’s the last stage of scoliosis, the symptoms are pretty apparent. And there are more complications and risks to other structures of the body as well.

Simply put, severe scoliosis occurs when the spine has more than a 40-degrees curve.

This severe form of scoliosis puts the heart, lung, and other nearby organs at high risk. And as the condition starts getting severe, the clinical presentation worsens.

For instance, if there is left-sided scoliosis, that too of a severe form, the patient is at high risk of experiencing cardiac arrest.

Similarly, from the second stage, as the spine takes an abnormal shape, the ribs start inclining towards one side, resulting in difficulty in breathing.

Clinical Presentation

Below are a few other symptoms of severe scoliosis;

• Uneven posture
• Rotation of torso resulting in umbilical dislocation
• Prominent back hump
• Weakness and fatigue
• Headache, back, and shoulder pain
• Difficulty in breathing

The Treatment Plan for Severe Scoliosis

Moreover, severe scoliosis requires highly invasive spinal fusion surgery and surgery is the only option for the treatment of severe scoliosis.

Note: There are other options to treat severe scoliosis, but according to surgeons, it’s best to get surgical treatment for moderate and severe scoliosis to avoid later complications.

But why doesn’t every patient opt for the surgery?

This is because spinal surgery itself puts the patients at high risk of developing complications, which then decreases the quality of life.

That is why many patients prefer living with scoliosis rather than getting surgical treatment.

FAQs

Conclusion

In short, mild scoliosis has a 10 to 25-degree spinal curve. In moderate scoliosis, the spine has a 26 to 40-degree curvature. And severe scoliosis occurs when the curve is more than 40-degrees.

So as you see, it’s a chain of events. If you don’t take action at the right time, it will only worsen.

Hopefully, we have answered all your queries and you have a clear knowledge about different stages of scoliosis.