Scoliosis is just one cause of sloped shoulders in kids and adults. Here are other things to consider.
Can Scoliosis Cause Uneven Shoulders?
Certain spine surgeons and orthopedic surgeons possess scoliosis diagnostic and treatment expertise. These specialists may have slightly different views on the uneven shoulders/scoliosis relationship.
“Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine in the coronal plane (when looking at the spine from the front or the back,)” says Jason E Lowenstein, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Scoliosis and Spinal Deformity Center at Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey. “If the curvature involves the upper portion of the spine (the thoracic spine), it can often lead to shoulder asymmetry (uneven shoulders).
“[The] upper location of the scoliosis can result in one shoulder being pitched higher, with the other shoulder being forced downward, by the curve. The most common type of scoliosis is a right thoracic scoliosis, which can frequently lead to the right shoulder being higher than the left,” he says.
Originally published Spine Universe on 12/05/2022