Family Physician: A Friend to Depend On

Posted on: 31 August 2016

When you have a child that is diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature in the spine, you may wonder what you can do to help them deal with and overcome this condition. After all, scoliosis can cause numerous issues for your child including aches, pains, posture issues, and the like. There are several treatment options available for scoliosis treatment. Get to know some of these options so that you can be sure that your child is getting the right scoliosis treatment for them.

Physical Therapy and Stretching

There is a chance that your child will not need invasive or extreme medical treatments to deal with their scoliosis. However, physical therapy, stretching, and general physical exercises can be extremely helpful in managing this spinal condition.

Physical therapy can help your child to strengthen their muscles and gain flexibility in their body. The muscles' strength, particularly in the core and back will better support the spine and prevent the curvature of scoliosis from causing significant problems with posture, health, and mobility. And even outside of physical therapy, regular stretching and physical exercise will only serve to benefit your child.

Back Braces

A customized back brace is also an option in scoliosis treatment. These back braces are designed to deal with minor curves in the spine and to help prevent the curvature from worsening as your child continues to grow through childhood and adolescence.

Each brace is different based on the precise curvature in your child's spine. Basically, there are two types of scoliosis braces. The first is a rigid brace. These are often made from hardened plastic and are fastened around the torso (oftentimes from the armpits down to the pelvis) using Velcro. The rigidity helps to prevent the curve in your child's spine from worsening and can even reduce it. 

There are also softer elastic back braces that are more dynamic. These braces still have hard plastic or metal pieces in them to provide structure where it is needed. The use of soft elastic back braces is only an option when your child does not have numerous curves throughout the spine, and there are only certain areas of the spine that need that rigid bracing and support.

Surgical Options

For severe scoliosis or scoliosis that does not respond to bracing, there are surgical treatment options as well. Traditional scoliosis surgery involves implanting metal rods into the spine to realign the vertebrae and straighten the spine.

This type of surgery involves spinal fusion. The vertebrae are fused together and locked in position using metal rods and/or through bone grafts. This is meant to keep the spine from reverting to a curved state.

A newer option for scoliosis surgery is a procedure known as vertebral body tethering. This procedure is less invasive than spinal fusion surgery. It involves essentially tethering the anterior side of the spine to modulate its growth. The front of the spine (facing toward the front of the body) is restrained using titanium bone screws. This allows the posterior side of the vertebrae and spine to continue to grow, correcting growth abnormalities and reducing the curve in the spine through controlled growth.

Now that you know some of the treatment options for your child's scoliosis, you can be sure that you get them all of the care and treatment that they want and need. For more information, contact C D Denison or a similar medical professional.