What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis cannot be prevented, but with treatment, doctors can help slow its progression. While it can affect your child's posture, there is no known cause of idiopathic scoliosis. Congenital scoliosis occurs when parts of the vertebrae don't grow properly during fetal development. It can get worse as a child gets older and is sometimes not detected at birth. Neuromuscular scoliosis is a result of weak muscle control. It is usually caused by conditions like cerebral palsy and spina bifida. What is known about idiopathic scoliosis is that years of toting a heavy backpack to and from the bus stop will not cause it.

Early signs of scoliosis include noticing that your child's head is not centered with the rest of their body. While not as common, some children may experience lower back pain prior to a diagnosis. They may have uneven shoulders or you may notice as they pick a toy up off the floor that one side of their rib cage is higher than the other. Scoliosis can also affect a child's gait and balance.

As a young child, I noticed that after several months of continuous wear, the soles of my shoes would wear out unevenly. We didn't give it a second thought. Years later I was diagnosed with mild scoliosis and sent to a specialist.

Mom to a 12-year-old, Kim Bryant says her daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis accidentally. "Looking back, we always talked about how clumsy she was and that she was always kind of leaning to one side or another," she told Mom.com.

Scoliosis is normally diagnosed during a routine spine check at a child's annual checkup. During the exam, the physician checks to make sure the child's head and neck are aligned. They will also check to make the sides of the body are symmetrical. Because children grow so quickly during puberty, idiopathic scoliosis is often diagnosed during the adolescent years.

For Bryant's daughter, the diagnosis came during a chiropractic exam and X-ray. "It was in this free exam that my daughter's X-ray showed her scoliosis,” she said. “It went completely unnoticed by her pediatrician for 10 years."

While chiropractic care and treatment are popular options for some, parents should discuss scoliosis screenings with their child's pediatrician if they have concerns. The severity of the spine curvature will dictate what your child's treatment looks like.

In my case, I was instructed to perform core-strengthening exercises, my scoliosis was monitored for a few years and later resolved itself as I got older. Doctors may suggest continual observation and monitoring, since as a child grows and throughout puberty the spine can straighten out.

Bryant can attest to this. She told Mom.com that it has been 4 years since her daughter's diagnosis. "As she gets taller, her curves have actually decreased slightly."

If your child's pediatrician suspects scoliosis, they will refer you to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. A complete evaluation will offer you the opportunity to ask specific questions and discuss treatment plans.

Scoliosis treatment options

When a physician opts to monitor the child's spine curvature, they take a few things into consideration. Generally, a girl will continue to be monitored through the start of her first menstrual cycle. It is then that a girl's growth will normally slow. For boys, who stop growing around age 16, spine checks will continue as they grow. Your child's doctor may also take into consideration the age at which they were first diagnosed to determine how long to continue with screenings.

For children with spine curvatures beyond 25 degrees, doctors may suggest orthotics or braces. For more pronounced curves, usually in excess of 45 degrees, surgery may be advised.