Treating Scoliosis

Every person's spine can curve. A certain amount of curvature is necessary for us to balance, move, and walk properly. But 3 people out of 100 have scoliosis, a condition that causes the spine to curve from side to side.

No one knows what causes the most common form of scoliosis, called idiopathic scoliosis. The condition can be hereditary, so a child who has scoliosis might have family members who have it. Girls are much more prone to developing severe cases of spinal curvature than boys are.

Scoliosis can develop very gradually, in most cases it isn't diagnosed until a child is between 10 and 14 years old. Most cases of scoliosis don't require treatment, but even when they do, kids can usually resume an active life after treatment.

About Scoliosis

In scoliosis, the spine becomes abnormally curved from side to side into an "S" shape. No one knows what the underlying cause is in most cases of scoliosis. If the curve gets severe, it can be visible and cause discomfort. If the curve gets very severe, it can lead to other health problems, possibly affecting the lungs, heart, and joints.

Most of the time, scoliosis is mild enough that it doesn't affect a child's life and requires no medical treatment. In some cases, doctors will have a child with scoliosis wear a back brace or perform surgery to correct the problem.

Diagnosing Scoliosis

Some kids show visible signs of scoliosis. Sometimes a curvature of the spine is obvious: the ribs are pushed out or one shoulder blade is noticeably higher than the other one. Other times, though, it's not so obvious. And because scoliosis doesn't hurt or happen suddenly, it's not always easy to diagnose.

Some schools in the United States test for scoliosis. But the most accurate way to diagnose it is to see a doctor. Doctors routinely check kids for scoliosis during regular physical exams.

Treating Scoliosis

In most cases, scoliosis does not require medical treatment. The doctor just regularly checks the child's spine to make sure the curve doesn't become any larger.

If your child needs medical treatment, the doctor might order X-rays to get a clearer view of the spine and refer your child to an orthopedist (a doctor who specializes in treating medical conditions involving the bones).

The orthopedist may mention the Cobb angle, a measure of the curvature of the spine in degrees. The number of degrees helps the doctor decide what type of treatment is necessary. A scoliosis curve of 10 to 15 degrees usually means that nothing needs to be done except for regular checkups until pubertal maturation and growth are complete (the curvature of the spine usually doesn't get worse after that point).

If the curve is 20 to 40 degrees, the orthopedist will generally suggest a back brace. A Cobb angle of 40 or 50 degrees or more may mean that surgery is necessary. Keep in mind that when the orthopedist draws the lines for the Cobb angle, there is some "measurement error." This means that the number will change a little from one X-ray to another (up to about 5 degrees), even though the curve hasn't changed.