Adolescent Scoliosis Symptoms and Screening

There is a high incidence of spinal disorders. In general, common spinal disorders in children include: scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, kyphosis, spinal tuberculosis or tumors, and spinal cord injuries. One of the more common is scoliosis. According to epidemiologic data, the incidence of scoliosis among adolescents in China is as high as 15% or more. Scoliosis can be broadly categorized into congenital scoliosis, idiopathic scoliosis, degenerative scoliosis, neuromuscular scoliosis, etc., of which idiopathic scoliosis accounts for about 85%, and the vast majority of adolescents belong to this type. Although it is frustrating that the true cause of idiopathic scoliosis has not yet been found, scoliosis can be exacerbated by poor sitting or standing posture. In the case of scoliosis deformity, for example, a medical professional examining a patient with scoliosis often begins with a medical history and physical examination. Some medical history is helpful for diagnosis, such as scoliosis in neurofibromatosis patients with hereditary disease, and congenital scoliosis is often accompanied by congenital heart disease, urinary malformation, neurological lesions and so on. In addition to routine appearance examination, neurological examination, examination of heart, lungs and other internal organ functions, and X-ray examination of the spine are also essential. In addition, CT, MRI and other imaging examinations will be conducted according to the situation in order to provide a reliable basis for determining the treatment plan. After these tests, it is possible to determine whether the problem is serious enough to require surgery or a special brace, or whether the child should simply be monitored closely for progression of the scoliosis and be seen on a regular basis as prescribed by the doctor.