Scoliosis

What are some of the Symptoms?

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    ·        Sometimes scoliosis will be easily noticeable. Often this is a mild change and may be first noticed by a friend or family member. A curved spine can cause someone's body to tilt to the left or right. Many kids with scoliosis have one shoulder blade that's higher than the other or an uneven waist with a tendency to lean to one side. These problems may be noticed when a kid is trying on new clothes. If one pant leg is shorter than the other, a kid might have scoliosis. It's also possible that the kid does not have scoliosis, but one leg may be slightly shorter than the other or the ribs may be uneven.

    You might get examined for scoliosis at school or during a doctor visit. In the United States, about half of the states require public schools to test for scoliosis.  Folly Quarter Middle School does not require to test for scoliosis, because we believe that it is more effective if the doctor finds out, since there is nothing that the nurses can do to treat scoliosis. It's an easy test  and it doesn't hurt at all. It involves bending over, with straight knees, and reaching your fingertips toward your feet or the floor. Then, a doctor or nurse will look at your back to see if your spine curves or if your ribs are uneven.

     In most cases, scoliosis is not painful, but there are certain types of scoliosis than can cause back pain. Additionally, there are other causes of back pain, which your doctor will want to look for as well. If the scoliosis is more severe, it can make it more difficult for the heart and lungs to work properly, which can cause shortness of breath and chest pain.

  To learn about testing for Scoliosis, click the link labeled "Methods of Testing" seen above or click
here.

By:Gwynn Marsh-Armstrong, Alice Choe , and Sneha Raj