This blog series is about the health needs of teen girls. From preventing sports injuries to dealing with the physical and hormonal changes of adolescence, we wanted to shine a light on the specific issues facing some teen girls. Today, we’re talking about a rare but serious condition called ‘Scoliosis’.
You may have heard of scoliosis and wondered what it is. You might even look at your teen daughter and wonder if her slouch is a symptom of scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine, most commonly affecting pre-pubescent children. During this stage of life, the body grows at an accelerated pace which means that undiagnosed scoliosis can suddenly become visible. It also means it is now at risk of becoming a permanent condition, resulting in long-term spinal dysfunction. While advanced treatment of scoliosis can be as significant as surgery, less invasive options are available, including bracing and chiropractic care.
Scoliosis may be painful. It can also affect your teen’s mood, energy and self-esteem. Treatment is a critical component of scoliosis with families looking for effective alleviation of symptoms, helping their child to lead a more normal life.
Chiropractic care may be one of the most affordable options for your pre-teen who has recently been diagnosed with scoliosis. It is important to treat scoliosis at the earliest possible stage, to prevent those long-term effects. Chiropractic treatment offers a natural and holistic approach to treating scoliosis, often helping the body and spine to heal itself.
Chiropractic treatments help build strength in the patient, along with increased stability and a wider range of motion – all of which helps prevent injury and pain, while minimizing muscle deterioration. During treatment of a patient with scoliosis, we are not limited to spinal adjustments. We may also use ice/heat therapies, ultrasound, electric nerve stimulation and muscle stimulation, as part of a physiotherapeutic treatment plan. We can also acquire the right brace for your teen, helping to keep the spine in a more normal position and alleviating the acceleration of the condition.
Because girls are more likely to develop scoliosis (the condition occurs ten times more often in girls over the age of 10, than in boys of the same age), we are sharing this information during our blog series on pre-teen girls.
Most cases of scoliosis are idiopathic – meaning the cause is unknown. There may be a genetic factor, so children should be tested at early ages if a parent or older sibling has the condition. The earlier a patient is diagnosed, the more wide-ranging and effective the treatment options are, including chiropractic care. If diagnosed at a young age, before the spine curvature has begun to advance, more can be done to prevent extreme advancement of scoliosis.
If your child has been diagnosed with Nonstructural Scoliosis, which is not related to the structure of the spine, chiropractic care may be the most effective method of locating the source and effectively treating it, while helping to prevent advancement of the condition.
