Your Child with Scoliosis

My office has done over a dozen follow up x-rays for Scoliosis throughout January.  These patients’ ages range from 6-24 years old.  Seeing the mostly positive results from the patient’s first and second x-rays, reiterates why we treat this disease.

This is an article written two years ago by our office to help parents understand Scoliosis:

How do I know if my child or I have Scoliosis?
   
Scoliosis is defined as having an abnormal curve of the spine when looking at someone from the front or back.  Although it specifically related to the bone structure seen on an x-ray of the back, scoliosis can be detected by muscle imbalances and postural irregularities. 

    Many factors can lead to scoliosis.  Inheritance plays a significant role, but other factors such as diet and abnormal physical stresses will also play a role.  Scoliosis is most distinct during the rapid growth stage of 8 years old until 22, when eventually the bones of the spine stop growing. 

    The most common signs of scoliosis when looking at a standing adolescent would be leaning to one side, having one shoulder higher than the other, having one leg and foot rotated out, non-traumatic pain next to the back that does not go away with rest, and increased pain with exercise.  In the early stages of scoliosis there is usually no pain or other symptoms.  With progression, symptoms can become more frequent, and signs more obvious. 

    To restore normal symmetry of the spine requires the use of carefully prescribed exercises, spinal alignment, bracing, and/or surgery in severe cases. 

    Early detection and prevention of scoliosis allows the least physical complications as one 
continues to grow and mature. 

You can see the illustrations with the original article at our website by clicking "About Scoliosis in Children and Adults"

In severe cases, scoliosis is a physical abnormality seen upon a chiropractic postural exam.  Unfortunately, this degree of severity requires months of treatment that may not be successful. Even with treatment the child not be able to avoid surgery. 

On the brighter side, scoliosis, when caught in its early stages, allows the abnormal curvature to reduce quickly.  Then it can be checked infrequently with x-ray to keep it at bay.

The reason we have been successful in our office at catching children at the early stages of scoliosis is checking the parents’ x-rays first.  Inheritance is the primary factor.  Then the children are given a physical exam and an x-ray, if warranted, to rule it in or out. 

The difficulty in detection of early stages of scoliosis is the absence of physical signs or pain.  But the importance of checking every child far outweighs having the child undergo surgery this early in their life. 

For more information regarding scoliosis or a free consultation for you and your child, please contact us at:

http://www.euclidchiropracticinc.com
email us: euclidchiropracticinc@yahoo.com
(909) 981-5666

Comments

  1. I was drawn to your article about children with scoliosis and appreciate your proactive approach to help parents see the value in chiropractic care for their children. Having a child with scoliosis can be so disheartening as we, as parents, want to help them overcome the devastating effects of scoliosis. And we're not sure where the answers are. Hopefully, my post will help you.

    With this said, my daughter, Lindsay, was diagnosed at age 12 with severe scoliosis, and her pediatrician referred us to an orthopedic surgeon. After hearing his recommendation (breaking my daughter's back and legs, and putting her in a full body cast), we knew there had to be a better answer, and felt led to chiropractic care.

    To make a long story short, Lindsay (now age 25), went from a 75% curvature to about 10% curvature with chiropractic care, nutrition and cleansing. Lindsay went through a few chiropractors and naturopaths to find the right fit. Fortunately, this perseverance paid off!

    During this 13 year evolution, I, as a parent, was frustrated in her progress as I wasn't seeing results. It was when Lindsay decided to really embrace some nutritional changes and cleansing her body that the results began to dramatically appear. She went off wheat, gluten, dairy, sugar, and also eats very little fruit. Although challenging, she knows she feels so much better adhering to a diet that is conducive to her health, and her scoliosis. Now, it's become very natural, and she doesn't think twice about it. There are many restaurants who cater to gluten and wheat intolerance.

    Last year, I took Lindsay to Las Vegas to celebrate her 25th birthday. We were laying out by the pool, and then Lindsay got up to go to the restroom. When I watched her walk towards the restroom, and could really see her back, I broke into tears as I saw no evidence of the curvature of the spine. Then I knew everything she has done, including working with a chiropractor, had paid huge dividends for the rest of her life.

    When you think about that initial recommendation by the orthopedic surgeon, I'm just so grateful that I listened to my intuition to see a chiropractor. Scoliosis is absolutely reversable!

    Thank you, Dr. Ratkovic, for what you do to help children with correcting their scoliosis.

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