What Is Mild Levoscoliosis?
Levoscoliosis is a disorder of the spine that causes it to curve to the side. While gentle curvature of the spine in a vertical movement is normal, those suffering from levoscoliosis have a visible bend in their spine when viewed from directly behind. In the case of levoscoliosis, this bend is to the person’s left, while dextroscoliosis is a bend to the person’s right. Scoliosis of some degree is found in about 1 percent of the general population, but most cases are mild and do not require medical treatment.
Four out of five cases of scoliosis are considered idiopathic, meaning that the exact cause is not known. However, some cases are caused by bone abnormality at birth, nerve or muscle abnormality or traumatic injury or illness. While scoliosis appears to be a family inherited trait, no specific gene has currently been identified as responsible.
Minor cases of scoliosis do not require medical treatment, as mentioned, but are advised to be observed in case curvature becomes more severe. Progression of scoliosis is more common in female patients than in males, but both are most likely to develop symptoms during the growing years between ages 10 and 16. Symptoms to watch for include uneven shoulders, a prominent shoulder blade, an uneven waist or leaning to the side. Most cases are discovered during routine health screenings performed at school, though the exact type of scoliosis requires a careful bone exam and X-rays to determine the case’s severity.
