By Karena Thek
Has your child just been diagnosed with scoliosis? Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the conflicting information and advice you are finding about scoliosis? Relax and take a deep breath. You are doing a great job being an advocate for your child! In this blog post, we will walk you through some basic definitions and the next steps to take in treating your child’s scoliosis. When it comes to children and scoliosis, you have options!
Let us get a few facts straight. Your child did not develop scoliosis from:
- carrying a heavy backpack
- poor posture
- a minor leg length difference
- playing sports
In fact, The National Scoliosis Foundation (NSF) states, “over 80% of scoliosis occurs for unknown reasons”. Such cases are called idiopathic scoliosis. Children with scoliosis are categorized as infantile scoliosis or juvenile scoliosis. According to the NSF, infantile scoliosis is diagnosed at birth to 2 years old, and juvenile scoliosis is diagnosed from 3-9 years old.
What are your options?
It is first important to establish a relationship with a medical doctor. If you don’t already have an established doctor check out the Scoliosis Research Society’s (SRS) link to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Depending on the degree of the curve, your doctor will direct you on your treatment options. Listed below are the current recommendations according to srs.org based on the degree of curvature:
- < 20 degrees = observation
- > 20 degrees = bracing
- >30 degrees = surgery is considered
How can you manage your child’s scoliosis?
If observation and or bracing is recommended by your doctor, scoliosis specific exercise is a great option for children. Scoliosis specific exercises like Scolio-Pilates® will help the curve from getting worse in cases of observation only and will help to stabilize the improvements made with bracing. Look at the beautiful work our Scolio-Pilates® practitioner, Patti Green is doing with Blake.
Exercise is gaining acceptance as a viable treatment option for children and scoliosis. Scolio-Pilates® will teach your child postural corrections specific to their curve that they can implement into their daily activities. With practice, the corrections will eventually become more automatic, and resting in their curvy posture will be less comfortable.
Are you ready to begin today? Whether you are someone living with scoliosis or a professional helping those with scoliosis, join our Scolio-Pilates On Demand here. You will have two weeks of free scoliosis-specific exercises with a live class every Thursday at 3 pm ET (New York, USA) and access to over 100 classes. Then, it’s time to take control. Be a Scolio-Mover!”
Are you a professional looking to serve those with scoliosis? Learn the steps towards becoming an Authorized Scolio-Pilates Practitioner.