Scoliosis diagnosis

• Scoliosis may be detected by your family doctor while performing a routine check-up. If necessary, it will be confirmed with an X-ray of your back.
• School screening, unfortunately, is not very common in most countries but it is the best way to detect scoliosis early. Usually, this is done using an instrument call a scoliometer, which is a simple angle finder or inclinometer that measures rotations of the spine/rib cage. A nurse, or other healthcare professional with special training, can check a child within two minutes using a scoliometer. It is simple to use and it is even possible for a parent to check their own child following some simple instructions.
• It is important to follow-up on the deformation evolution, especially during childhood. This surveillance must be done by an orthopaedic doctor through regular check-ups, every 3 to 6 months, depending on the severity of the curve, the age of the child and the family history. These check-ups include a physical examination and an X-ray, if necessary.
• Scoliosis is quantified by the measurement of the angle of your spine curvature on the X-ray. This is called the Cobb angle.
• General non-surgical treatment indications are: skeletally immature children with curves of 15º or more combined with either proven progression (5º or more in six months or less) or strong family history.

A 30-SECOND ANNUAL POSTURAL SCREENING BETWEEN THE AGES OF 10 AND 15 CAN MAKE A LIFETIME OF DIFFERENCE:

Normal (fig. 1)

• head centred over mid-buttocks

• shoulders level

• shoulder blades level, with equal prominence

• hips level and symmetrical

• equal distance between arms and body

Possible Scoliosis (fig. 2)

• head alignment to one side of mid buttocks

• one shoulder higher

• one shoulder blade higher with possible prominence

• one hip more prominent than the other

• unequal distance between arms and body

Normal (fig. 3)

• both sides of upper and lower back symmetrical
• hips level and symmetrical

Possible Scoliosis (fig. 4)

• one side of rib cage and/or the lower back showing uneven symmetry

Normal (fig. 5)

• even and symmetrical on both sides of the upper and lower back

Possible Scoliosis (fig. 6)

• unequal symmetry of the upper back, lower back or both

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