Scoliosis means that the spine curves somewhat from side to side rather than being straight down the back. The spine is made of bones called vertebrae that normally stack one on top of the other in a straight line. Scoliosis develops gradually as your child grows. Scoliosis is usually noticed just before or during puberty when your child is going through a growth spurt.
Girls get scoliosis more often than boys.
Usually parents do not notice the gradual changes caused by scoliosis. The curvature is usually discovered by a doctor or school nurse. At first, the symptoms are painless and not always easy to recognize. There are many causes of scoliosis. Sometimes vertebrae are incompletely formed or misshapen.