What is Scheuermann's disease?
Scheuermann's disease is a spine disorder that causes the upper spine to be rounded over time. This leads to postural defects that cannot be remedied by an attempt at straightening, because the spine of the patient is actually bent. The condition of the bent spine is called cyphosis, and therefore Scheuermann's disease is sometimes known as Scheuermann kyphosis. Kyphosis can be caused by a number of other factors, including other degenerative spine and trauma disorders. Scheuermann's disease is also called Aunt disease or juvenile osteochondrosis spine.
The causes of Scheuermann's disease are not well understood. Research suggests that a genetic component may exist, although several suspect genes originally identified as potential culprits have been cleaned since then. The condition may also be related to trauma and mechanical problems such as chronic poor posture that deforms the shape of the spine. This condition appears primally among young boys providing supporting evidence of TeoRii that there is a strong genetic component, although the disease is not completely genetic.
In patients with Scheuermann's disease, bones grow in the upper spine more slowly than at the back, creating the shape of the Wedgelike. Over time, many wedges cause a significant bending in the spine. Some patients suffer from pain, especially at the top of the bend, while others are relatively painless. Bend forces a change in posture, which may be unpleasant to the patient in addition to limiting freedom of movement and potentially causing social problems.
If Scheuermann's disease is captured early, the patient can benefit from reinforcement and physical therapy. Sometimes it is enough to gradually straighten the spine and allow it to develop normally so that the patient can enjoy the spine. This is done under the supervision of a doctor to prevent stress or tension that could carry the spine. In other cases kyphosis can be progressed too farto make these measures to work. In these cases, spine operations will be required to repair kyphosis. Surgery is recommended as the last option due to the risks of spine surgery.
Another condition, a failure of the juvenile disk or the lumbar Scheuermann's, is sometimes confused with the original Scheuermann disease. In this condition, people experience juvenile onset of back pain in the lower or lumber. This condition is very different and approaches to treatment are also different.