Scoliosis is not a disease, but it often appears in more than one member of a family of the same or different generations. It does not develop as a result of anything that a child or his parents did or did not do. It is a spinal disorder that usually appears during the early teen years, although it may appear in younger children as well.

One of the most common signs of scoliosis is a prominent shoulder blade, frequently the right one. One shoulder may also be higher and the child tends to lean to one side. The hips may be uneven and one seems to be higher than the other. Scoliosis should not be confused with poor posture. Scoliosis will not disappear as a child gets older. Very often the first indication of scoliosis is that there is something wrong with the fitting of clothes. This is very apparent in girls when observing the hem line of a skirt or dress. When a child with scoliosis bends forward, the appearance of a rib hump is one of the most striking signs.

Is Scoliosis Very Common?

Approximately 10% of the adolescent population have some degree of scoliosis. This means that about 1,000,000 youngsters in the United States alone have scoliosis. Some scoliosis may be so mid that treatment may never be needed, but approximately one-quarter of these will require attention. The Doctor of Chiropractic, with his greater knowledge of the importance of the spine and its alignment, and of the significance of even minute changes in this alignment, knows the victims of scoliosis are truly in need of specialized treatment.

Are There Different Types Of Scoliosis?

There are many causes for the development of scoliosis. About 80%-90% of the patients have the type that is known as idiopathic scoliosis. This means that the exact cause of this type of curvature is unknown. It has been shown that idiopathic scoliosis often runs in families and appears to be genetic in nature. It is not known what causes the development of the curve, or why some curves progress more than others. Scoliosis occurs in perfectly healthy children. Because scoliosis may appear at any time during the growing years, it is essential that the spine be checked regularly until growth is complete. The curvature may progress considerably during the rapid growth spurt. Scoliosis can also be caused by nerve and muscular disorders, as well as abnormalities in the development of the vertebrae and other diseases such as "polio". It is important that the cause of the development of the scoliosis in a particular patient be diagnosed to aid in the proper treatment. Your Doctor of Chiropractic is eminently qualified in this area: the spine and nerves are his specialty. Scoliosis, in its early years, produces no pain and may be difficult to detect. It may be present for several years in a form so mild that even a Doctor might very well fail to recognize it. One of the easiest ways to detect scoliosis is by using the forward bending test.

Can Scoliosis Be Cured?

There are currently no medications to treat scoliosis, nor can its onset be prevented, the treatment is mechanical in nature. When the curvature is recognized early in its development, there are methods of correcting the curvature and/or preventing its increase. Delay in treating scoliosis may necessitate more major treatment. Scoliosis should be treated by someone who specializes in these problems. Many years of professional schooling in basic and clinical sciences have given your chiropractor the necessary background for discretion and judgment in caring for the sick. Your chiropractor knows that each patient is an individual...that each spinal column is different...and that each spinal column needs specific chiropractic care.

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