Scoliosis in children

Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine or backbone. Often this first appears when you are a child or teenager.

The angle of the curve can be small, large, or somewhere in between. But anything above 10 degrees on an x-ray is considered scoliosis. Physicians may use the letters "C" and "S" to describe the curve.

Signs and symptoms of scoliosis

If you have scoliosis, you may be able to lean slightly when standing. You may also have:

A visible curve in your back
Shoulders, a waist, or hips that look uneven
One shoulder blade that looks bigger
Ribs that stick out farther on one side of your body than the other

In addition to visible symptoms, scoliosis may lead to:

Low back pain
Back stiffness
Pain and numbness in your legs (from pinched nerves)
Fatigue due to muscle strain

Scoliosis diagnosis

To check for scoliosis, your doctor may first ask you to bend below your waist to check if your spine is curved. Pediatricians often conduct such examinations in children.

If your back looks crooked, they will probably take an x-ray to make sure it's scoliosis. Your doctor may also do an MRI to rule out things like a tumor that may be causing your spine to curve.

Types of scoliosis

Idiopathic scoliosis is scoliosis without a known cause. In 80% of cases, doctors cannot find the exact cause of the curvature of the spine.

Congenital scoliosis begins when a baby's back develops before birth. Problems with the small bones of the back, called vertebrae, can lead to a curvature of the spine. The vertebrae may be incomplete or not separate properly. Doctors can detect this rare condition when a baby is born. Or they may not find it until adolescence.
Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by a disorder such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, or spinal cord injury. These conditions sometimes damage your muscles and therefore do not properly support your spine. This can lead to arching of the back.
Degenerative scoliosis affects adults. It usually develops in the lower back when the discs and joints of the spine begin to wear down with age.

Causes and risk factors for scoliosis

Some types of scoliosis have clear causes. Doctors divide these curves into two categories - structural and non-structural.

In non-structural scoliosis, the spine functions normally but looks crooked. This happens for a number of reasons such as one leg is longer than the other, muscle spasms and inflammations such as appendicitis. When these problems are treated, scoliosis often resolves.

In structural scoliosis, the curvature of the spine is rigid and cannot be corrected.

Reasons include:

Cerebral palsy
Muscular dystrophy
Birth defects
Infections
Tumors
Genetic conditions like Marfan syndrome and Down syndrome

For idiopathic scoliosis, family history and genetics may be risk factors. If you or any of your children have this condition, make sure your other children are checked regularly.

Scoliosis most often appears during growth spurts, usually in children between the ages of 10 and 15. Approximately the same number of boys and girls were diagnosed with small idiopathic scoliosis. But curves in girls are 10 times more likely to worsen and may need treatment.

Scoliosis diagnosed in adolescence can continue into adulthood. The more twisted your spine is, the more likely it is to get worse over time. If you have ever had scoliosis, ask your doctor to check your back regularly.

Scoliosis treatment

Mild scoliosis may not require treatment. Instead, your doctor may monitor you and take x-rays from time to time to see if you are getting worse. Some children come out of scoliosis.

If you or your child needs treatment, your doctor may suggest:

Braces. In children who are still growing, wearing a brace around the torso can prevent the deformity from worsening. Usually they are plastic. Many children wear them around the clock, they are not visible under clothes, and they do not interfere with daily activities.
Spinal fusion surgery. In this operation, the doctor places pieces of bone or similar material between the bones of the spine. They use hardware to hold the bones in place until they fuse or fuse. Surgery can reduce the curvature of the spine and prevent it from getting worse.
Spine and rib-based growing operation. This is done to correct more severe scoliosis in children who are still growing. The doctor attaches the rods to the spine or ribs using hardware. As you grow, the doctor adjusts the length of the rods.

Scoliosis prevention

Scoliosis cannot be prevented. So forget about the rumors you may have heard, such as childhood sports injuries causing scoliosis.

Similarly, if your children are in school, you may be concerned about the weight of the textbooks they carry. While heavy backpacks can cause back, shoulder, and neck pain, they do not lead to scoliosis.

What to do about bad posture? How a person stands or sits does not affect their chances of getting scoliosis. But a curved spine can cause a noticeable tilt. If your child cannot stand, ask the doctor to examine his spine.