Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a 3D curvature of the spine. It occurs in approximately 3% of the population and has a higher ratio of occurrence in females to males (3:1). It is seen to progress in children or teenagers during their peak growth spurt due to the rapid bony growth which will exacerbate their curvature. Often this is first noticed by seeing a shoulder blade that always pokes out or is uneven. Sometimes it appears that your teen is always slouching or leaning to one side more when standing.

It is certainly worthwhile going through a simple screening test to see if there are any of the following criteria that may indicate early onset scoliosis.

Adams forward bending test.

• Stand with feet together, knees together and hands together

• Bend forwards and reach to toes

• Look at the spine and ribs to see if one side looks noticeably higher than the other.

Standing posture picture (side on and back view). Looking for uneven shoulders, off centre trunk to hips. Pictures from further back can help you see this easier.

In adults, scoliosis has the potential to progress in imbalanced or curves greater than 45-50degrees due to lack of strength and or degenerative changes in the spine. Curve size and pain associated with scoliosis, much like most degenerative changes of the spine, can be managed through appropriate exercises and challenging your body to find a good alignment.

We can offer you programmes for postural re-education and evidence based physiotherapeutic exercises specific to your Scoliosis.

If you’re concerned about your child or yourself having Scoliosis, we would recommend coming in to see our Scoliosis Specialist Physiotherapist Chrissy who can take a look for you.