Scoliosis does not cause pain in most people. If people do have complaints, these are often recognizable complaints such as painful stabbing directly next to the back and limitations such as prolonged and active standing, bending and strolling. It makes a difference whether the bend is more in the lower back or in the upper back. The rotational deformation often provokes most complaints.

Common Scoliosis Symptoms:

• Shoulder misalignment
• Pelvic tilt
• Gibus formation of the ribs
• Increased muscle tone
• Neck and headache
• Pain
• Pain around pelvis and thighs
• Radiating pain in legs
• Chest misalignment

Looking at the spine, the course of the back muscles is different due to deviations in position. There is more tension/tonus on a muscle if it follows the curve of the back. The muscles are therefore not loaded symmetrically and this causes more muscle tension and can cause complaints. Around the neck, this imbalance in muscle tension can cause headaches. We also see that static stress, such as standing still for a long time and sitting up straight, can provoke pain and fatigue.

We see different symptom patterns in children than in adults. In young people we often see pain related to the growth of the bend. In adults this picture is often more diffuse. Shortness of breath, lung problems and heart complaints are complaints that someone can experience with significant deformation of the back (>50 degrees Cobb’s Angle).