How to Detect Scoliosis

A side-to-side curvature of the spine, Scoliosis afflicts approximately 2 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men in the general population. More than 80 percent of all cases are "idiopathic," meaning there is no known cause, but you are more likely to develop scoliosis if someone in your family has it. Idiopathic cases most commonly first appear in children during the adolescent growth spurt. The remaining scoliosis cases are the result of an accident, cerebral palsy, spina bifida or other disorders. There is no cure, but treatment and/or surgery can arrest or straighten the curves. Early detection, followed by an appropriate course of treatment, can be key in preventing scoliosis from getting worse. This article will guide the reader through the process of detecting scoliosis in children. The same process can be used on adults.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure Ruler or straight stick Swimming/bathing suit

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Instructions

• 1

  Clear your mind of any assumptions about being able to see scoliosis in a loved one. In a large percentage of cases, parents and other family members fail to notice what may be obvious to medical professionals and others who don't see the patient every day. Just as you may not notice a mole on your own body until it has been there for some time, you may not notice the subtle changes taking place in a family member's body. To complicate matters, adolescents are often excessively modest while their bodies are going through the changes of puberty, allowing parents to see them only fully clothed. This period of rapid growth is also when scoliosis usually presents itself, making it difficult to see during ordinary daily encounters.

• 2

  Have your child dress in her bathing suit. For girls, a form-fitting one-piece suit may work best. Any type of trunks will work for boys, but a form-fitting bikini style will make the job easier. Have the child stand up straight, feet together and arms relaxed at the sides, in front of a wall. Observe the tops of the shoulders: do they appear skewed at all, with one shoulder higher than the other? Does the waist appear straight and hips level? Now have the child stand right next to the wall without quite touching it (same position). Look at the distance between his shoulder blades and the wall: is one shoulder closer to the wall than the other? Do the same distance test at the waist, then the hips. If any discrepancies exist, make a note of them.

• 3

  Measure the distance from each hip bone to the floor. Here, you're looking for the pointed bone on each side of the pelvis. Next, measure the distance from the same place on the top of each shoulder, to the floor. Record the measurements for each side.

• 4

  Ask the child to take a step forward. Keeping the feet planted parallel to each other at whatever distance is comfortable for the child, have her drop her upper body toward the floor, bending at the waist. Arms and neck should be allowed to go limp like a rag doll. Let the child take a moment to completely relax all muscles. First do a visual exam, paying particular attention to the upper torso near the shoulder blades. Does one side of the rib cage appear higher than the other? Do the hips appear level? You may find it easier to compare these by placing a ruler or straight stick across the shoulder blades and upper buttocks. What the naked eye fails to see, the stick may make obvious. Make a note of any apparent discrepancies.

• 5

  If you've found no discrepancies from one side of the child's body to the other, that's good news. A curved spine will cause some or all of the measurements to be unequal. Discrepancies of 1/4 inch or less are probably meaningless. If your child is completely symmetrical, she is not showing any signs of scoliosis ... yet. Repeat this exam every six months or less until the child stops growing, then every year or so until age 18. The child's doctor should also be watching for scoliosis, but don't assume anything. If in doubt, ask the pediatrician if an X-ray might be warranted.

• 6

  If your child's measurements are unequal or there is a visible difference from one side to the other in any of the steps above, make an appointment with a pediatrician or other doctor to have the child receive a medical screening for scoliosis. Time is of the essence with scoliosis, so you should not procrastinate. Bring your notes and measurements to the appointment and share them with the doctor. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that your child wasn't standing exactly straight or you have misinterpreted the data. Everyone has a very small, natural curve that forms the human shape. On the other hand, you may have caught your child's scoliosis early enough to avoid a later surgery. Either way, the outcome will be better if you keep a close eye on the spine during your child's growing years.