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Home > Conditions > Children > Scoliosis in children
Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve sideways and almost every parent of a child who has it, utters similar words. It’s a common scenario – a parent unfamiliar with what scoliosis is? How to notice the warning signs in their children? Or what to do about it if they do notice something. In fact, scoliosis in children is not on people’s radars until it’s too late so early intervention is very important.
Scoliosis develops in healthy children and if a cause cannot be found it’s called idiopathic scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis can start at any age during childhood and adolescence, but it most commonly starts during a growth spurt, usually in adolescence.
Idiopathic scoliosis is named according to the age at which it starts:
Idiopathic scoliosis can develop quickly during a child’s growth. The more quickly a child grows, the more likely scoliosis is to develop quickly.
Idiopathic scoliosis is also described as mild, moderate or severe, depending on how curved the child’s spine is.
Often a child with scoliosis doesn’t experience any symptoms. But, common symptoms are a mild ache in the low or middle back area. As a chiropractor, for example, we are able to recognise the early indicators of possible scoliosis.
Therefore, we can help parents by telling them to be aware of:
Scoliosis treatments aim to stop the spine’s curve from getting worse. This can limit the chance of other health problems later in life. So our chiropractors will diagnose scoliosis on the basis of medical history and physical examination. We can also refer for MRI, CT or X-Ray if needed. The diagnosis is the basis for treatment and totally dependent on the underlying cause. Treatment may consist of, among other joint corrections, muscular therapy and ergonomic advice. To avoid recurrence the chiropractor will provide training exercises; training in the correct use of muscles and proper posture will in most cases have a preventive effect.