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What are the signs?
Patients often notice chest deformity and disturbed balance. At the same time, they may be aware of the condition by signs such as shortening in their height (clothes no longer fit). However, it is often the back pain and loss of ability which bring the patients to the doctor. Difficulty in standing up after a long period of sitting, difficulty in the initial steps of walking, spasm in back and lower back muscles, progressive decrease in walking distance over the years, and leg fatigue are the chief complaints. Patients with severe nerve compression may experience weakness or numbness in the legs. In adult idiopathic thoracic (in the upper back) scoliosis, patients may have difficulty in breathing and experience early fatigue.