Conditions we treat
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways (side-to-side) curve of the spine, often with a degree of rotation, so the back looks or feels uneven. There are two very different stories behind it: adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which appears during a teenager's growth spurt, and degenerative scoliosis, which develops later in adult life as the discs and joints wear unevenly. The right response depends on which one you have, how large the curve is, and — in teenagers — how much growing is still to come. Most scoliosis is managed without surgery.
Also called: degenerative scoliosis
Common symptoms
- One shoulder or shoulder blade sitting higher or more prominent than the other
- An uneven waistline, or the hips looking tilted or unequal
- The back looking uneven or one side more prominent when bending forward
- Clothes hanging unevenly, or a bra strap slipping on one side
- In adults with degenerative scoliosis: low back pain, stiffness, and tiredness after standing or walking
- Leg pain, heaviness, or claudication if the curve narrows the nerve spaces (common in degenerative scoliosis)
- A visible curve, though many mild curves cause no symptoms at all
Common causes
- Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis — the commonest type, arising during the teenage growth spurt for reasons not fully understood
- Degenerative (adult de-novo) scoliosis — uneven disc and facet-joint wear tilting the spine sideways over time
- Congenital scoliosis — vertebrae that formed abnormally before birth
- Neuromuscular scoliosis — related to conditions affecting the muscles or nerves that support the spine
- Existing adolescent curves that progress further in adulthood
- Osteoporosis and vertebral fractures worsening an adult curve
When to see a doctor
- A curve that is visibly increasing, especially in a still-growing teenager — arrange assessment so progression can be measured
- New leg pain, heaviness, numbness, or claudication with an adult curve (the curve may be narrowing the nerve spaces)
- Numbness around the inner thighs or private parts, or new bladder or bowel changes — go to an emergency department immediately
- Back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer
- Rapidly worsening pain or deformity, or symptoms after a fall — prompt review, particularly with osteoporosis
How Physenta helps
Physenta begins with a free AI-guided assessment that captures where your spine feels uneven and how it behaves with activity — a useful starting picture that helps your clinician decide what imaging, if any, is worth arranging.
A video consult reviewed under the care of a spine surgeon puts the curve in context: adolescent curves are judged on size and remaining growth; adult degenerative curves are judged mostly on symptoms and nerve involvement — and both are usually managed without surgery.
Your physiotherapist builds a guided plan focused on what exercise genuinely helps — core and postural strengthening, mobility, breathing and trunk-control work, and (for adults) pacing and pain-management strategies — video-led and progressed at your pace.
For teenagers whose curves need monitoring, or adults with degenerative curves and leg symptoms, Physenta keeps the plan and the reviews joined up, tracks your progress daily, and escalates to specialist assessment promptly if a curve or its symptoms progress.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the type most people picture: a sideways spinal curve that shows up during the teenage growth spurt, usually without pain and often noticed by a parent or at a school check as uneven shoulders or a prominence when bending forward. Because the curve can change while a teenager is still growing, the key questions are how large it is and how much growth remains. Many small curves simply need monitoring; larger ones in a growing child may be managed with bracing to limit progression, and only a minority ever need surgery. Physiotherapy and scoliosis-specific exercise support posture, strength, and confidence alongside whatever monitoring plan the specialist sets.
Degenerative scoliosis
Degenerative scoliosis — also called adult de-novo scoliosis — is a different problem that develops later in life, when the discs and facet joints wear unevenly and the spine gradually tilts sideways. Unlike the teenage type, it is driven by symptoms rather than by growth: the usual complaints are low back pain and stiffness, tiredness after standing or walking, and — importantly — leg pain, heaviness, or a claudication pattern when the curve narrows the spaces the nerves travel through. Most degenerative scoliosis is managed conservatively with guided exercise, core and hip strengthening, activity pacing, and pain-management strategies; surgery is reserved for severe, progressive curves or significant nerve compression that fails conservative care. If leg symptoms or walking distance are changing, that is the part worth getting reviewed.
Scoliosis care online in India
Whether it's a teenager's curve picked up at a school check or an adult's degenerative scoliosis with back and leg pain, Physenta can start the conversation by video consultation anywhere in India — putting the curve in context, arranging imaging where it's genuinely needed, and building a guided exercise plan you follow at home. Most scoliosis is managed without surgery, and progress is tracked so a teenager's monitoring or an adult's symptoms don't drift. Begin with the free AI assessment; it gives your clinician a clear first picture before the consult.
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स्कोलियोसिस — आम भाषा में
स्कोलियोसिस में रीढ़ की हड्डी एक तरफ़ को टेढ़ी हो जाती है, जिससे पीठ या कंधे असमान दिख सकते हैं। यह दो तरह की होती है — किशोरावस्था में बढ़ती उम्र के दौरान आने वाली (एडोलेसेंट), और बड़ी उम्र में घिसाव से आने वाली डीजनरेटिव स्कोलियोसिस। ज़्यादातर मामलों का इलाज बिना सर्जरी के — एक्सरसाइज़, मज़बूती और सही सलाह से होता है। किशोरों में मुड़ाव पर नज़र रखना ज़रूरी है, और बड़ी उम्र में अगर टाँगों में दर्द या भारीपन बढ़े तो जाँच करानी चाहिए। Physenta पर वीडियो कॉल से विशेषज्ञ की राय और घर बैठे प्लान मिलता है। पेशाब-पाखाने पर काबू कम हो तो तुरंत अस्पताल जाएँ।
Frequently asked questions
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine, usually with some rotation, so the back looks uneven — a higher shoulder, an uneven waist, or a prominence when bending forward. It ranges from tiny curves that never cause trouble to larger ones that need treatment. The commonest form appears in teenagers during growth; a separate form, degenerative scoliosis, develops in adults from spinal wear.
What is degenerative scoliosis?
Degenerative scoliosis (adult de-novo scoliosis) is a sideways spinal curve that develops later in life because the discs and joints wear unevenly. It differs from the teenage type in that it is judged by symptoms, not growth — typically low back pain and stiffness, and often leg pain or heaviness when the curve crowds the nerves. Most cases are managed with guided exercise and pacing; surgery is reserved for severe or nerve-compressing curves.
Can scoliosis be corrected with exercise?
Exercise doesn't straighten an established curve, but it does a lot of useful work: scoliosis-specific and core-strengthening programmes improve posture, trunk control, strength, and — in adults — pain and stamina. In growing teenagers, the specialist may add bracing to limit progression. Think of exercise as making the spine stronger and more comfortable around the curve, rather than erasing the curve itself.
Does scoliosis always get worse?
No. Many small curves stay stable for life. In teenagers, the risk of progression relates to curve size and how much growth remains, which is why monitoring matters most during the growth spurt. In adults with degenerative scoliosis, curves can slowly increase, but the practical question is usually whether symptoms — back or leg pain — are worsening, not the curve number alone. Regular review tracks both.
When does scoliosis need surgery?
Rarely, and it's a considered decision. In adolescents, surgery is generally reserved for larger curves that are progressing despite bracing. In adults with degenerative scoliosis, it's considered for severe, progressive deformity or significant nerve compression (leg pain, weakness, claudication) that hasn't responded to good conservative care. Most people with scoliosis never need an operation, and the choice is always individual to your curve and symptoms.
Is scoliosis painful?
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is often painless and noticed by appearance rather than pain — significant pain in a teenager with scoliosis actually deserves its own assessment. Degenerative scoliosis in adults, by contrast, commonly does cause pain: low back ache, stiffness, and leg symptoms when nerves are crowded. So whether scoliosis hurts depends heavily on which type it is.
Can adults develop scoliosis?
Yes — degenerative scoliosis develops in adulthood as the spine wears unevenly, and some adults also have an old adolescent curve that progresses over the years. Adult scoliosis is managed mainly on symptoms: guided exercise, strengthening, and pacing for most, with specialist review if leg pain, weakness, or a shrinking walking distance suggests the nerves are being crowded.
Reviewed by Dr. Abhishek Anand, MBBS, MS Orthopaedics (AIIMS), Spine Surgeon · 2026-07-26
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