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What is scoliosis and what does the future hold for those with it

What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is when the vertebrae, that makes up your spine, form a curved line that can look like a “C” or “S” shape that goes side to side, instead of being straight. The most common type of scoliosis is called “Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis” or AIS. Idiopathic means “of unknown origin”, meaning the majority of people with scoliosis have no particular cause to why their scoliosis occurred. Research into the cause of scoliosis suggests that there may be a genetic factor which affects the control of the growth of the spine.
Scoliosis is usually first detected in children between the ages of 11 and 15. However, it can appear in younger children aged 3 to 10 years and in babies, as well in adults with no previous history, usually due to spinal degeneration and aging.

How do we recognise scoliosis?

Sometimes, scoliosis is really easy to see. A curve in the spine can make the body tilt to the left or right, like you’re leaning to one side. Sometimes it’s a simple as one shoulder being higher than the other or one shoulder blade sticks out a little bit more than the other does. However, a lot of the time scoliosis is not something that has obvious signs to look out for and find.

Things to look out for in your children:
• Look for a lack of symmetry, such as uneven shoulder height.
• Look out for when clothing, such as shorts, ‘don’t quite fit’ evenly on each side.
• Listen carefully if the child suddenly informs you that their clothing is not fitting well on one side, or they are struggling to find clothes that fit well.
• If your child bends to touch their toes and you notice one side of their ribs are raised higher than the other, this could indicate a scoliosis curve.

Looking ahead to the future:

The best thing for scoliosis is early detection. If you do suspect you or your child has scoliosis, our chiropractors can perform a thorough scoliosis exam, even refer you off to have x-rays to determine if you do have a scoliosis curve. From there we can evaluate the best course of action and care.

At Knox Chiropractic & Wellness, if needed,we collaborate scoliosis cases with ScoliCare. ScoliCare are world leaders in non-surgical scoliosis treatment.

 

References:

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