Don’t let your child become the next scoliosis surgery victim

Orthopedic surgeons perform approximately 38,000 scoliosis surgeries a year and more than half of the scoliosis fusion surgeries are done on teenage children. The long-term effects of this highly invasive scoliosis surgery often lead to chronic pain, flat back syndrome, and disability in later life. As with most things in life, much can be learned from a “hind sight is 20/20” retrospective view of how a mild scoliosis case progresses to the point of “needing” scoliosis surgery.

One of the most unfortunately problems facing the adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patient is inadequate and poorly designed/performed scoliosis screenings that fail to detect the scoliosis spine development at a younger age and smaller curve size. The failure to do detect mild scoliosis cases, often prevents the usage of prognostic genetic testing (Scoliscore) and pro-active early stage scoliosis intervention techniques, such as scoliosis specific rehabilitation that targets the re-training of the automatic postural control centers in the brain. These amazing advancements in pro-active scoliosis treatment technology remain on the “sidelines” in many cases due to poor scoliosis screening results.

Mild scoliosis cases that are positively identified by scoliosis screening programs are generally referred out to an orthopedic scoliosis specialist, whom is almost always unconcerned with early stage scoliosis and advises the parents and patient to “watch & wait” to see if the curve progresses in the next 6 months. In many cases, the patient dutifully accepts this recommendation and may even follow this path of “observation only” for many months without the curve getting worse, before they hit a significant period of rapid growth and the scoliosis spine curve progresses from mild to severe in what seems like over-night.

The visit to the orthopedic scoliosis specialist is very different this time. This time, the specialist’s casual attitude is replaced with a serious sense of urgency and a flurry of scoliosis brace treatment options and surgical procedures is immediately recommended, including scheduling a date for the highly invasive scoliosis surgery BEFORE the parent and patient leave the facility that day. Generally, long-term complications and the actual “need” for scoliosis surgery (which is primarily indicated for cosmetic improvement of the condition, not medical necessity) are not discussed before the massive spinal fusion surgery decision is made and scheduled. This “reactive” scoliosis treatment process is repeated time and time again, Monday thru Friday, 52 weeks a year around the world and is not serving the best interest of the scoliosis community.

How can you prevent your child from becoming the next scoliosis surgery victim? Learn and look for the early signs of mild scoliosis posture evaluation (an interactive guide can be found on http://www.treatingscoliosis.com/early-stage.html#), insist on Scoliscore genetic testing (if

the case qualifies), and adopt a pro-active sense of urgency about treating early stage (mild) scoliosis, before it progresses rapidly into a scoliosis surgery level curvature. Remember, the one thing all severe scoliosis spine curvatures have in common is they all started out as mild scoliosis spine curvature first.

About the Author:

Treating Scoliosis.com offers alternatives to scoliosis surgery when treating scoliosis of the spine in adults and children. Visit http://www.treatingscoliosis.com for more information on non-invasive scoliosis treatment plans.