Early screening can make a difference If there is a history of any spinal deformity in your family, your child should be examined at age 12 or 13 and followed closely to make sure a curve doesn't develop. If we see a patient early enough, then wearing a brace or an exercise program may help stop the curve from getting worse and make surgery unnecessary. Parents should be aware of both scoliosis and kyphosis so problems in their children can be identified, and treatments can be started, thereby preventing more serious problems in many cases. He is an orthopaedic surgeon with The Colorado Spine Center, Aurora, Colorado. This medical group has a national reputation for success with anterior and posterior spinal fusion surgery.
Scoliosis tends to run in families.
In fact, it's not unusual to see families where several children have some form of scoliosis. It used to be believed that scoliosis came to a halt when maturity was reached. This is absolutely untrue, and this misconception may prevent people from getting treatment which can prevent more serious problems. Pregnant patients with scoliosis may experience greater back pain than pregnant patients without the condition, although scoliosis usually has no adverse effects on the pregnancy itself. In a significant number of adults, scoliosis gets worse as they grow older, and may cause distressing symptoms of pain and disability.