Early screening for scoliosis

  Scoliosis is one of the most common deformities of the spine and is a spatial three-dimensional deformity consisting of one or more lateral curvature of one or more of the spinal segments accompanied by vertebral rotation. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a spinal deformity that occurs during preadolescence or before skeletal maturity and poses a serious threat to the physical and mental health of adolescents. If left untreated or improperly treated, the disease not only affects the body shape and appearance of the affected child, but may also cause abnormal cardiopulmonary function, premature spinal degeneration, pain, and trunk imbalance. In sick children with severe deformities, even early cardiopulmonary failure occurs, increasing the mortality rate of the disease.  We say that scoliosis is mostly seen in adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, because this period is the second growth spurt in a person’s life, the spine grows faster, and the original mild scoliosis is aggravated faster during this period. Early changes in the appearance of scoliosis are not obvious, and most scoliosis is found when the child takes a bath or wears fewer clothes. Most mild scoliosis has limited development and may not continue to develop after growth and maturity, retaining some degree of deformity. However, if not detected or treated in a timely manner, some patients with scoliosis will gradually worsen and lead to significant deformity, which in severe cases may not only cause abnormal physical appearance, spinal motor dysfunction or claudication after pelvic tilt, but also heart and lung dysfunction due to thoracic deformity, most of whom have acute or frequent chronic low back pain. In a few cases, compression of the spinal cord or spinal nerves can lead to lower limb paralysis and dysfunction of the bowels, seriously affecting adolescent development, while the psychosocial changes caused by adolescent idiopathic scoliosis are now receiving widespread attention from scholars. These patients have a low level of recognition of their own body shape, a greater lack of self-confidence, and a tendency to show anxiety, frustration, uncooperativeness, and avoidance of problems, so it is particularly important to identify scoliosis patients in a timely manner and provide early non-surgical treatment. The incidence of scoliosis is generally about 1 to 3%. The prevalence of scoliosis is about 1.5%, some report 1.7%, some 2%, the total is about 1.5%. Currently, AIS (idiopathic scoliosis) is the fifth most common disease in adolescents after visual abnormalities, obesity, encopresis and psychosocial disorders. Therefore, increased awareness and understanding of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, active screening and monitoring, and targeted medical interventions have positive implications for the prognosis of this disease.  Once the symptoms of scoliosis are detected, corrective exercises should be carried out early, especially during the secondary school years, when the adolescent body is still in the process of development and its body is very plastic and easier to correct. Proper physical exercise is a good preventive measure. For example, single and double bars, vaulting, balance beam and other activities can enhance the physical fitness of students, while effectively preventing scoliosis from occurring in the spine. A good resting schedule and proper study posture can be very beneficial to the development of the body and bones, as well as maintaining proper writing and walking postures. Overweight school bags and the wrong way of backpacking may cause back injury and muscle fatigue in adolescents. A student’s backpack that is too heavy will cause backbending, side-bending forward or twisting of the spine, while carrying an overweight backpack for a long time also tends to put the student’s muscles under tension, thus causing damage to the student’s shoulders, back and neck. Therefore, the weight of students’ backpacks should be about 10% of their own body weight, and school bags should preferably be double shoulder bags to prevent unbalanced stress on both shoulders from causing scoliosis of the spine. Students in school need a variety of nutritional supplies due to the pressure of schoolwork and the growth phase of their bodies. Especially for secondary school students with incomplete spine development, it is necessary to take proper calcium supplements during the growth spurt. According to research, calcium supplementation can significantly reduce the occurrence of scoliosis.  There are three main clinical treatments for scoliosis, namely regular follow-up, brace therapy and surgery. The most common clinical condition is idiopathic scoliosis, the cause of which is not clear, as opposed to congenital scoliosis with vertebral deformities and neuromuscular scoliosis with neuromuscular lesions. The doctor will choose the treatment according to the different degrees of idiopathic scoliosis. If scoliosis is found to worsen during brace treatment, surgery will need to be considered.