ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES BONE AND JOINT INITIATIVE, “MOVEMENT FOR NEARLY ONE IN TWO AMERICANS OVER THE AGE OF 18, AND MANY CHILDREN, IS RESTRICTED BY A MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER”.
 
WITH OCTOBER 12TH THROUGH THE 20TH BEING BONE AND JOINT HEALTH ACTION WEEK, WE TAKE A LOOK AT A DISORDER THAT IMPACTS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS – SCOLIOSIS.
 
I MET WITH DR. JAMES GUTHEIL, COVENANT MEDICAL CENTER’S PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON TO DISCUSS THE IMPACT THAT SCOLIOSIS HAS ON CHILDREN AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP DETECT AND TREAT THIS INCURABLE AILMENT.
 
“SCOLIOSIS IS AN ABNORMAL CURVATURE OF THE SPINE. WE ALL KNOW OUR SPINES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PERFECTLY STRAIGHT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT SOMEONE FROM THE FRONT, ESPECIALLY ON AN X-RAY, YOU CAN SEE THE SPINE LOOKING MORE LIKE AN “S” SHAPE”.
 
MOST OF THE TIME THIS DISORDER IS DETECTED IN A SCHOOL SCREENINGS OR A CHILD WELLNESS EXAM BUT DR. GUTHEIL HAD SOME TIPS ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR TO AT HOME TO CATCH SCOLIOSIS IN THE EARLY STAGES.
 
“ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I RECOMMEND PARENTS DO, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME, KIDS ARE OUTSIDE, MAYBE THEY’RE GOING SWIMMING, YOU CAN GET A REALLY GOOD VIEW OF THEIR BACK. AND PERHAPS YOU CAN SEE THEIR SHOULDERS UNEVEN OR A SHOULDER BLADE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROMINENT THAN THE OTHER ONE OR THE WAISTLINE LOOKS ASYMMETRIC OR PERHAPS ONE HIP LOOKS LIKE IT’S A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE OTHER ONE. THOSE ARE GOOD INDICATORS OF PERHAPS THAT THERE IS A SPINAL DEFORMITY UNDERNEATH”.
 
WHILE MANY PATIENTS WILL ONLY REQUIRE REGULAR OBSERVATION, TREATMENT WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE CURVATURE.
 
“BRACING IS USED VERY COMMONLY. IT DEPENDS ON HOW SEVERE THE CURVATURE IS – SO FOR CURVES THAT ARE MAYBE 10 TO 20, 25 DEGREES, PROBABLY NOTHING IS NECESSARY EXCEPT FOR OBSERVATION. FOR CURVES THAT ARE 20 OR 25 DEGREES UP TO SAY 40 DEGREES, WE COMMONLY USE BRACES TO HOLD THE CURVATURE IN PLACE SO IT DOESN’T PROGRESS FURTHER.  AND IT ALL KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF GROWTH IS REMAINING”.
 
“ULTIMATELY THOUGH, IF A CURVE GETS REALLY BIG, OVER 50 DEGREES, WE REALLY NEED TO DO A SURGERY TO NOT ONLY CORRECT THE CURVATURE, BUT TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING WORSE AS AN ADULT.”
 
THAT IS WHY IT IS BEST TO LOOK FOR SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO THE PROGRESSION OF THE CURVATURE. 
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE MANY TYPES OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS INCLUDING SCOLIOSIS, LOG ONTO ORTHOKIDS.ORG.