Doctors encourage parents to watch for scoliosis signs during summer months

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — As children spend more time in swimsuits and summer clothing, doctors say parents may have a better opportunity to spot signs of scoliosis, a condition that affects millions of children nationwide.

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the spinal condition, which affects roughly 2 to 3% of children in the United States.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that typically appears in a C or S shape. According to Dr. Joshua Meier, a spine surgeon with Norton Children’s, the condition most commonly develops during the middle and high school years.

“It’s a little more common than you might think,” Meier said. “Maybe 2 to 3% of the population might be diagnosed with scoliosis during their childhood.”

One of the challenges with scoliosis is that it often develops without causing pain, making it difficult for families to recognize.

“The typical signs would be the thing we look for most on a screening exam, which is a rib hump,” Meier said. “Other things might be a shoulder height difference where the right shoulder or left shoulder might be higher, or their waist might be a little bit different side to side.”

Meier said summer can make those warning signs easier to identify because children are wearing lighter clothing and spending more time swimming or outdoors.

“It’s not uncommon in summertime to have that kind of be a trigger to look at their child’s back, or their child notices that themselves,” he said.

Doctors stress that identifying scoliosis early is critical because untreated curves can continue to worsen as children grow.

“If a curvature gets too large, oftentimes then that can become a problem even into adulthood,” Meier said. “Early detection does help with treatments that we have to try and keep the scoliosis or the curvature as low as possible.”

Treatment options vary depending on the severity of the condition. Some patients may benefit from specialized physical therapy or bracing, while more advanced cases may require surgery.

Meier said surgery is generally considered when a spinal curve reaches about 50 degrees, a point where the curve is likely to continue worsening into adulthood. He added that females are more likely than males to develop scoliosis severe enough to require surgical intervention.

While researchers continue studying possible causes, the exact reason scoliosis develops remains unknown.

“We have lots of ideas of what may contribute, like even genetic things, but we don’t know specifically what makes the spine curve,” Meier said. “We don’t have a way right now of making it go away, or preventing it or curing it.”

Because there is no known cure, Meier encourages parents to ensure children receive routine screenings from their pediatrician or primary care provider, particularly during middle and high school when scoliosis is most likely to develop.

He said many cases can be identified through a simple screening exam, and an X-ray can often confirm the diagnosis.

For parents, that means paying attention to subtle physical changes this summer could make a lasting difference.

“Screening and early detection,” Meier said, “is the way we find it.”