When my youngest daughter was four years old she was diagnosed with Scoliosis. I had never heard of Scoliosis before and was shocked and embarrassed that I hadn’t noticed this 43° curve in her spine. I had no idea that this was something that could happen to someone. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to promote National Scoliosis Awareness Month this June.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website provides the following information: Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. Everyone has normal curves in the spine, and when looked at from behind, the spine appears straight. However, children and teens with scoliosis have an abnormal S-shaped or C-shaped curve of the spine. The curve can happen on either side of the spine and in different places in the spine. In most people, the cause of scoliosis is unknown.
For most children and teens, the cause of scoliosis is idiopathic. This means researchers and doctors do not know the cause. However, they think that a combination of factors plays a role in the development of the disease.
Doctors diagnose scoliosis by examining your child or teen and taking x-rays. This helps doctors develop a treatment plan, which depends on the location and severity of the curve. Children and teens with milder curves may just need to visit their doctor for regular check-ups. Others may require bracing or surgery.
With treatment, observation, and follow-up with the doctor, most children and teens have normal, active lives.
Anyone can get scoliosis. However, idiopathic scoliosis, which is the most common type, usually occurs in children age 11 and older. Girls are more likely than boys to have this type of scoliosis. You are more likely to have scoliosis if your parent, brother, or sister has it.
Most children and teens with mild scoliosis do not have symptoms or pain. Sometimes, the child, teen, or a family member may notice changes in posture, which may be a sign of scoliosis. Other signs may include the following:
Top of shoulders are uneven; One shoulder blade (in the upper back) is more prominent or visible than the other; One hip appears higher than the other; One side of the rib cage is higher than the other when bending forward.
If the scoliosis is progressing and the curve is more severe, the changes in the shape of the spine can lead to back pain. If the curve is severe, rarely, some children may develop difficulty breathing.
Since scoliosis is a structural issue, not a muscular one, massage cannot help to cure it but it can help to relieve pain and increase blood flow. My daughter was very active in dance and gymnastics and even though she did wear a brace throughout her childhood, it didn’t slow her down and she is now a happy, healthy mother of two.
