How tall would I be without scoliosis? You may be one or two-inch taller without scoliosis. Though it totally depends on how big your curvature was. Read on to know more.
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Do you know standing in the wrong posture can make you look shorter than you actually are? Standing in a correct posture is an essential factor to consider to know your actual height.
Many times a poor posture is caused by scoliosis or any other spinal problems. It can make your body bend or slump a little, which makes your height look shorter.
Many people ask this question: how tall would I be without scoliosis? Usually, you will be one or two inches taller without scoliosis. This totally depends on how your curvature was. Having a straight back will make you look at least two inches taller.
However, poor posture may make you look short and may even lead to permanent loss of height if not corrected in the long run. Let us look in detail at how scoliosis affects height and how you can treat and correct your posture.
In this article, let us further look at:
- Does Scoliosis Affect Your Height?
- Structural And Non-Structural Scoliosis
- How Can You Treat Scoliosis?
- How much taller do you grow after scoliosis surgery?
- Does scoliosis shorten your height?
- Does Poor Posture Have Any Effect On Your Height?
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Does Scoliosis Affect Your Height?
Scoliosis makes a person bend a little, and this affects the person’s actual height. It makes them look shorter and gives them an asymmetrical appearance.
As the spinal curve of the person progresses, his posture changes and even worsens. It is essential to know the symptoms of scoliosis early and get it treated. Depending on the severity of the curvature, you can start your treatment.
Scoliosis may affect different parts of the body depending on the degree of the curve a person develops. Let’s look at how it affects the height of a person.
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Spinal Anatomy
There are a few factors that affect a person’s height. Genetics and posture are the main factors to consider.
A person’s spine is made of 33 bones called vertebrae. These are stacked one above the other, and the intervertebral discs join all the individual bones. This prevents them from grinding with one another. Further, this makes the spine flexible and stronger. It maintains healthy curves. There are three main curves that help maintain good posture and stand straight.
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Spinal Deformity
There are many ways through which scoliosis affects the other parts of the body. The effect of spinal deformity is felt in more areas of the body than just the spine.
The spine has three healthy curves that give your back flexibility and strength. It also allows you to have a correct posture. But if one or more curves are lost, the spine will be off-balance.
Having just a small or mild curve may not affect a person’s height, but if scoliosis progresses and gets worse over time, the curve will increase and affect a person’s height. A person will not be able to stand straight in an upright position.
Though there are different types and severity levels of scoliosis that affect a person’s height.
Scoliosis Severity
A person’s severity level of scoliosis depends on his age, cause, severity, and curvature.
The main factor that determines the severity level of the person of his cobb angle. It mainly tells how a person’s back bends and rotates and to which degree the curve is.
There are different levels of scoliosis.
Mild Scoliosis
A person with mild scoliosis may not require immediate treatment and may not even be visible to the person of any posture disorder. A person with mild scoliosis will have a curvature between 10 to 25 degrees. It can be treated by exercise.
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Moderate Scoliosis
A person can treat mild scoliosis by doing some exercise. They can even wear a back brace if the doctor recommends. A person with moderate scoliosis will have a spine curvature between 40 to 45 degrees.
Severe Scoliosis
A person with severe scoliosis will have a curve measurement of more than 45 degrees. These are usually treated with spinal surgery.
The more severe a person’s spinal curvature is, the more it affects their height and posture. In mild scoliosis, the height is not affected. But if scoliosis progresses and is left untreated for a long time, it affects the height. There are different types of scoliosis that people can get at any age. It is important to look at the cause of development.
Structural And Non-Structural Scoliosis
Generally, scoliosis is of two categories- structural and non-structural, which is also known as functional scoliosis. The main difference between them is the spinal rotation.
Structural scoliosis is the most common scoliosis which involves spinal rotation. The spine is curved to at least 10 degrees or more. This type of scoliosis affects the structure of the spine and needs to be treated. Structural scoliosis may even get severe and lead to spinal deformity if not treated early.
In contrast, non-structural scoliosis is a temporary cause and is just a side curvature of a spine. It does not involve spinal rotation. It is more of a muscle imbalance or posture problem. This form of scoliosis usually goes away when a person bends or is in any other position.
Types Of Structural Scoliosis
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
This is the most common type of scoliosis that people may develop between the age of 10 to 18. It is a small curvature around the spine that occurs in late childhood or adolescence. The curve is either “S” or “C” shaped and is slightly twisted.
Around 80% of people are diagnosed with AIS, and the rest 20% are of different forms. According to some studies, it was found that girls with IAS were not taller than most of the average girls. Though there is no known cause for this, and there can be many factors relating to the cause of AIS.
Also, most people may not have that skeletal maturity in most AIS cases, and it may be difficult to monitor their height as the spine is still growing.
Degenerative Scoliosis
This form of scoliosis occurs in older age. Usually, the spines degenerate and affect the intervertebral discs. This decreases a person’s height to some extent. The spinal degeneration occurs slowly with time as the person ages.
Though this does not mean getting older will lead to spinal degeneration. It depends on your lifestyle, your posture, diet, and how you lift heavy objects. This further shows how healthy your sine is as you age. Usually, when the spine degenerates, it’s the intervertebral discs that affect your age and lifestyle choices. This can further lead to a loss in height.
Neuromuscular Scoliosis
In this type of scoliosis, a person may not walk properly due to an irregular curve on the spine. This is mostly due to muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or spinal cord injury. This condition affects the nervous system and can be treated with spinal fusion surgery. It is advisable to consult a doctor and get the treatment done.
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Congenital Scoliosis
This type of scoliosis is usually found in infants. It is a very rare case and affects about one among 10000 babies. This type of scoliosis usually occurs when the vertebrae are not formed properly. This curve is usually treated by surgery.
Non-Structural Scoliosis Causes
Non-structural scoliosis is caused by posture or muscle imbalance. It is usually a temporary curve in the spines. However, it is relatively uncommon but is caused due to muscle spasms, inflammation, or difference in leg height.
- Muscle Spasm. If you feel some pain or muscle cramps at the back, this means your spine is getting pulled in one direction, and a side curve may occur. It can go away with some stretching exercise and massage.
- Inflammation. You may find one side of the spine or any other part of the body inflamed, resulting in scoliosis. Sometimes it is caused due to pneumonia or appendicitis.
- Different In Leg Height. Sometimes, when one leg is longer than the other, it may result in scoliosis. You will find a slight curve when you stand straight.
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How Can You Treat Scoliosis?
The effect on the person’s height due to scoliosis depends on the severity of the condition. If the curves are severe and more than 45 degrees, it needs to be treated with surgery to lessen the curve and prevent it from getting worse.
A person who has had fusion scoliosis surgery may increase height after the operation, and the spine gets straighter than it was. If you get proper treatment of scoliosis done on time, you get back to your actual height.
However, surgery is not the only option to regain height due to scoliosis. There are some effective exercises that help regain height. Let us look at some exercises for mild scoliosis that will help improve posture and build strength.
Spider
In this, stand in front of the wall and keep your feet together. Now lean forward and keep your hands on the wall at the height of your chest. Keep your abs tight, and try moving your fingers on the wall. Now, straighten your arms over your hands and stand on tiptoe and move down your fingers. Try doing it two to three times and keep your back muscles engaged.
Back Stretching
You can do some back stretching by lying down on your stomach in a stability ball and keeping your feet on the wall. Try doing reverse crunches by lowering your torso in the ball and then lifting it back up.
One Step Down And One Arm Up
If one of your legs appears longer than the other, this exercise will help your balance.
Place your feet in a small box with a leg that appears longer than the other. Try lowering the other leg down as you bend in your knees. Along with this, try raising your arm as your lower down the legs on the floor. Like if you are lowering your right leg, raise your right arm.
So How Do You Manage Scoliosis?
If the scoliosis is mild, you can do some exercise, consult your doctor, and you can get some physical therapy done. For some people who have mild scoliosis, yoga or pilates is recommended as it helps reduce back pain, improve posture and increase flexibility.
If the scoliosis is progressing and is moderate, doctors recommend wearing a back brace to reduce the spine from progressing. It is advised to get your curvature checked and get the right treatment done timely.
If scoliosis becomes severe and the person reaches a certain age, they may have to undergo surgery. However, the type of surgery will depend on certain factors like:
- How the spine is shaped.
- How tall a person is.
- If the other parts of the body are also affected by spinal curvature.
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Taller Do You Grow After Scoliosis Surgery?
After your spinal surgery, your spine is made straight and looks longer than before. You may get one or two inches taller. Sometimes the height gain will be minor and may not be noticeable as such.
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Does Scoliosis Shorten Your Height?
Yes, scoliosis makes your look short. If the curvature is more, the more it bends on the side, resulting in structural change. This makes you look shorter as well. With timely treatment or exercises, you can regain your actual height.
Does Poor Posture Have Any Effect On Your Height?
It is essential to look at the posture when you look at your actual height. Poor posture makes you look short and makes your body slouch and slump. With poor posture, you will notice some pain in your neck and back as you age.
Having a good posture will not only reduce pain in your neck and back but also make you look taller.
So How Tall Would I Be Without Scoliosis?
Generally, you are one or two inches taller without scoliosis. However, this depends on how severe your scoliosis was or how large your curvature was earlier. Having a poor posture also makes you look short and may lead to back pain over time.
So it is important to look at how you stand, sit and sleep to have a comfortable and pain-free lifestyle. You can gain back your lost height by eating a healthy diet and doing exercise regularly that will help improve posture and increase flexibility.
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