CHILDREN’S HEALTH: SCOLIOSIS
Symptoms
Visibly curved spine
Hip-shot standing position
Home care
Check the child’s posture periodically.
Precaution
Scoliosis can worsen rapidly. See your doctor if you suspect scoliosis.
Scoliosis is also known as curvature of the spine. In profile (a side view) a normal spine, or vertebral column, traces an S curve from top to bottom of the back; viewed from the front or the back, the spine is straight from top to bottom. In scoliosis, the spine curves toward one side or the other when viewed from the rear. That curve toward one side produces a second, compensating, curve in the spine to keep the head straight.
One type of scoliosis (idiopathic scoliosis), which more frequently affects girls than boys, has no known cause. It develops during adolescence and stops getting worse when the child stops growing. The other types of scoliosis can develop at any age and can be caused by damage to the vertebrae (bones of the spine) from infection, a tumour, injury, radiation therapy; abnormal development of the vertebrae or ribs; or weakness in the muscles of the trunk. Scoliosis can also result from a difference in the length of the legs. Unlike other forms of the disease, this type of scoliosis does not result in a fixed curvature of the spine; the vertebral column straightens when the child lies down.
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