Often when people hear the word scoliosis, they think of a terrible deformity with lots of physical problems. This is rarely the case. While scoliosis is an abnormality of the spine, it is not the scary thing that people think it is.<\/p>\n
In fact, most cases of scoliosis in kids do not need treatment; rather, the curvature of the spine is monitored for changes over time. Scoliosis happens when the spine grows with an abnormal, side-to-side curve and is typically diagnosed in kids between the ages of 10-15.<\/p>\n
Because scoliosis is often misunderstood, I\u2019d like to clarify the most common misconceptions about it.<\/p>\n
MISCONCEPTION #1: SCOLIOSIS IS RARE<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #2: SCOLIOSIS IS ALWAYS PAINFUL<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #3: ALL CASES OF SCOLIOSIS REQUIRE SURGERY<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #4: BRACING FIXES THE CURVE<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #5: KIDS WITH SCOLIOSIS CAN\u2019T PLAY SPORTS<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #6: SCOLIOSIS FORMS AT BIRTH<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #7: WE KNOW WHAT CAUSES SCOLIOSIS<\/strong> MISCONCEPTION #8: IT\u2019S DIFFICULT TO DETECT<\/strong> If you suspect your child may have scoliosis, or to learn more about the ScolioLife \u2013 Scoliosis & Spine Correction Clinic, please call +6581884536 or email us clinic@scoliolife.com for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Often when people hear the word scoliosis, they think of a terrible deformity with lots of physical problems. This is rarely the case. While scoliosis is an abnormality of the spine, it is not the scary thing that people think it is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":605596,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605595"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/605596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scoliolife.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nScoliosis is fairly common. Around 2% of kids are diagnosed with it. Most spinal curves are small and not problematic. It is the severe form of scoliosis that is rare. The smaller curves tend to happen equally between boys and girls. The bigger the curve gets, the higher of incidence happens in girls.<\/p>\n
\nThis is not true. The majority of kids with scoliosis do not have pain; in fact, it\u2019s more common for scoliosis to not be painful. That said, it also matters where the curve of the spine happens. Kids with a curve in the lower part of the back tend to have more pain than those who have a curve in the upper part of their back. <\/p>\n
\nThe vast majority of kids with scoliosis require observation, not surgery. Less than 10% of kids with scoliosis will need surgery, and it is based upon the severity of the curve. Those with a moderate curve may need bracing or therapy.<\/p>\n
\nBracing is appropriate for kids with moderate curves with significant growth remaining. Bracing will not make the curve better; rather, it prevents the curve from getting worse. When worn appropriately at the prescribed times, bracing is 80% effective at doing just that. The ultimate goal is to prevent the need for surgery later on.<\/p>\n
\nAnother common misconception is that kid with scoliosis, including those wearing braces, can\u2019t play sports. This simply isn\u2019t true; in fact, we encourage kids to continue being active. Even after surgery, there are very few activities that we limit. Kids with back braces typically have to wear them 18 hours a day, but they can break that time up however they would like. This includes taking it off for their favourite sport or physical activity. <\/p>\n
\nScoliosis can form at birth, but it most commonly happens in adolescence. Congenital scoliosis is the type of scoliosis that babies are born with, which is a type of early onset scoliosis. About 75% of the kids we treat are over the age of 10 when the curve develops; this is called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.<\/p>\n
\nWe don\u2019t understand why scoliosis develops. Most curves tend to develop around puberty. We think there is a genetic basis, but not exclusively, and it\u2019s not straightforward like inheriting mom\u2019s blue eyes. Around 65% of kids with scoliosis do have a family history. <\/p>\n
\nTo the untrained eye, it may be difficult tell if a child has scoliosis, especially in mild cases. However, in a well-designed screening program, it is easy to detect. The asymmetry can be seen when kids bend over and have a level on their backs. Pediatricians or chiropractors typically check for scoliosis during their yearly checkups.<\/p>\n