Don’t slouch!  Sit upright! Stop looking at your phone! Do you want to be hunch in the rest of life?

Though we mean well, do they really listen to us?

We as parent, often worry on the development of scoliosis on children, therefore we ourselves must have some understanding on what is scoliosis. Scoliosis commonly develop during puberty 10 to 15 years old, the exact reason is still unknown but practically scoliosis is related to habit of posture and personal behavior.

The habit of slanting body to one side while doing homework, hunching the back while attending online class, standing like leaning to one side and side bend the head are commonly seen on children who has the risk on developing scoliosis.

Therefore, early diagnosis is the key. Parents could observe:

• Uneven shoulders and shoulder blades.
• Unequal distance between the arms and body when standing.
• Uneven hips.
• Ribs that are prominent or stick out in one area.
• Muscles that are prominent in the lower back or that bulge on one side.
• Uneven skin folds at the waist.

An official diagnosis of scoliosis requires X-ray confirmation of the abnormal lateral curvature and spinal rotation, and most importantly Cobb Angle. It may present in a C curve or S curve. Anything less than 10 degrees is considered normal variation in a normal individual.  Cobb Angle 10 degree is regarded as a minimum angulation to define Scoliosis.

When there is curvature in spine, it is difficult for them to sit upright or stand straight because the ‘most preferred posture’ is follow the curve of spine. Being diagnosed with scoliosis can cause your child a lot of stress. When they were first diagnosed, they may have felt anxiety, fear, and withdrawal. Yelling and threatening them about the consequences of scoliosis could be helpful in short term in order to ensure children is discipline in doing exercise as being taught by scoliosis therapist, but this will not give you a long term outcome and it is not a healthy practice.

In Grand Care Rehab, we practice ABCDE approach to treat scoliosis effectively.

• A-assessment
• B-brace
• C-comprehensive treatment (schroth method and acuphysio)
• D-discipline
• E-exercise

The process of improve scoliosis is going to take time, practice to be a more patient parent.

Prepared by:

Lily, Chief Therapy Officer