Why Is Scoliosis Screening Important?

There are a number of causes for scoliosis including bad posture, injury, neuromuscular and congenital conditions. However, among the common causes of scoliosis is idiopathic scoliosis; or the condition by which the cause is unknown.

Idiopathic scoliosis usually begins during childhood with children under the age of 10 being the most often diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis. These children experience several effects on the body at an early age including physical deformity, hindrance in growth, occasional pain and even restricted respiratory function. If the spinal condition is not treated during childhood, patients will be prone to more severe effects on the body later in life – sometimes leading to highly invasive surgery. It is therefore important for children to undergo scoliosis screening to detect symptoms of scoliosis at an early age.

Scoliosis screening is usually recommended by a primary care physician and is a simple test to see if your child has symptoms of scoliosis. There are also programs in some communities and schools that provide screenings on children for scoliosis. Once a child shows a sign of possible scoliosis condition, an x-ray is then initiated to confirm if an abnormal curve is present in the spinal column.

-Dr Sid
Esprit Wellness (Find us on Facebook)