Scoliosis in Spanish

What it means

Scoliosis is an abnormal curving of the spine. Everyone's spine naturally curves a bit, but people with scoliosis have a spine that curves sideways, and it might look like the letter C or S. MedlinePlus says scoliosis is most common in late childhood and the early teens, when children grow fast, and that symptoms include leaning to one side and having uneven shoulders and hips. Most of the time the cause is unknown, which is called idiopathic scoliosis. To make a diagnosis, a doctor uses the medical and family history, a physical exam, and imaging tests. People with mild scoliosis might only need checkups to see if the curve is getting worse, while others might need to wear a brace or have surgery.

Scoliosis in Spanish

Spanish term: Escoliosis
Gender and article: feminine: la escoliosis
Pronunciation: ehs-koh-LYOH-sees

Escoliosis is the term used by MedlinePlus en español, and it is feminine: la escoliosis. The RAE dictionary marks it "f. Med." and defines it as a deviation of the spinal column with lateral convexity. MedlinePlus en español lists curvatura de la columna (curvature of the spine) among the other names of its topic page. No separate variant is given here, because the cited pages offer no other name for scoliosis itself.

For the backbone, MedlinePlus en español uses columna vertebral and espina dorsal, and it describes the curve as hacia los lados (sideways), shaped like a letter S or C. Types named by age are escoliosis infantil, escoliosis juvenil and escoliosis adolescente; when the cause is unknown it is escoliosis idiopática, and there are also escoliosis congénita and escoliosis neuromuscular. The brace is called corsé on the MedlinePlus en español topic page, and the encyclopedia mentions an exam with an escoliómetro.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	The school nurse said my daughter may have scoliosis.	La enfermera de la escuela dijo que mi hija puede tener escoliosis.
Clinician	Please bend forward so I can look at your spine.	Por favor, inclínese hacia adelante para que pueda ver su columna.
Clinician	One shoulder is higher than the other.	Un hombro está más alto que el otro.
Clinician	I am going to order X-rays of the spine to measure the curve.	Voy a pedir radiografías de la columna para medir la curva.
Patient	Will she need to wear a brace?	¿Tendrá que usar un corsé?
Patient	My back hurts at the end of the school day.	Me duele la espalda al final del día escolar.
Clinician	We will check the curve again in six months to see if it has changed.	Volveremos a revisar la curva en seis meses para ver si ha cambiado.
Patient	My mother also has scoliosis. Does it run in families?	Mi madre también tiene escoliosis. ¿Es hereditaria?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Scoliosis
Spanish (Español)	Escoliosis
Chinese (中文)	脊椎側彎
Korean (한국어)	척추측만증
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Vẹo cột sống
Filipino (Tagalog)	Scoliosis
Portuguese (Português)	Escoliose
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	กระดูกสันหลังคด
Japanese (日本語)	脊椎側弯症

Where you'll see it

chartEOBreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: M41 → Scoliosis

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Bones, joints and muscles

All terms in this area: Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.