Because child scoliosis is not a painful condition, there are usually no signs or symptoms to watch for. Idiopathic scoliosis (meaning there is no known cause for the condition) can be found in infants and younger children and should be treated by a doctor as soon as it is discovered. While about ten percent of the children who have progressive curvature of the spine require some sort of corrective treatment, the other ninety percent of children do not require treatment or surgery and the condition usually does not cause any problems or long lasting impairments.

If your child scoliosis diagnosis is accurate, an x-ray should be done in order to determine how curved the spine is and in what direction. This will assist your doctor in determining corrective treatment measurements to take. There are curves, such as a slight (twenty degrees or less) curve that do not need to be addressed. These curves are usually just monitored from the time the curve is detected until a child scoliosis patient is an adult. This is to make sure that the spinal curve is not continuing to progress. If there is a progression in the curve, monitoring will help detect this and treatment, if necessary, can begin.

If the child scoliosis patient is experiencing progressional growth of the curvature of the spine, it is important to know the location of the curve. If the curve is at the small of the back (the lumbar location), or is a single curve or a double curve, bracing and surgical correction may be indicated.

Bracing a child scoliosis patient is effective when dealing with curvatures of the spine that are forty five to fifty degrees or less. Once the single curve surpasses the fifty degree mark, bracing is no longer effective and surgery is performed. Child scoliosis patients experiencing a significant curvature of the spine do in fact experience some pain, may have physical deformities and these two indicators may affect the body’s ability to function properly. Lung and heart concerns are he most serious.

Spinal fusion, or splitting of the spinal column and inserting metal rods fused to the spine in order to correct the curve, is the most common surgical procedure done for child scoliosis patients. With a huge success rate, the child scoliosis patient can live a normal life and participate in normal activities of any level. There is not any instance of airport metal detectors or other forms of security being tripped by the metal rods inserted, so your child is guaranteed their privacy.

There are other forms of child scoliosis that are not idiopathic, but congenital. These congenital or caused by a genetic or otherwise inherited trait are due in part to abnormalities, congenital heart disease, or other defects of the spine. Watching children closely and incorporating an orthopedic specialist to watch the progression of congenital curves is wise. About 25% of congenital scoliosis sufferers don’t require treatment, while the large majorities do. As with any physical condition, early detection and treatment is always the best option for long term health. The “bend over test” or the Adam’s test in the gym is not a joke and child scoliosis is not a curve that should be allowed to develop.