Get 'em checked!

   If you went through grade school in this country than chances are you were checked for scoliosis at some point in school. The school nurse came in had every bend down and touch their toes. And you found out if you had it or not. We see a lot of scoliosis patients in my office, since we specialize in curve correction. Curves that shouldn't be there like with scoliosis, or with curves that have been lost and should be there. Well every patient that we treat with scoliosis had been checked by their nurse too. And let me tell you, it is not an easy thing to do with the naked eye. Some can slip through, because there are multiple types of scoliosis, and some are impossible to see while bending or standing. That is why I highly recommend getting an xray taken. That is the gold standard, the sure way to know if it is there or not. And that is why I xray any kid for free. It is so much easier to fix it while you are young, as you age it gets harder and harder and sometimes impossible. 

   But I use to have a hard time telling parents the statistics behind scoliosis. And i say parents because the majority of the patients i treat with it are young adolescent or teenage and mostly female. But the stats are that scoliosis reduce your life span by an average of 10 to 15 years. You can see why it would be hard for me to tell a parent that. But i have to, it's my job, it doesn't do anybody any good to sugarcoat it. Why do you think they check every single kid in America for it? Just because it makes your shoulders or hips a little uneven? Or because your purse will fall off one of your shoulders?! No they check every single kid in America for it because they know these statistics. That is why I beg you to get your child checked.

   No what do they do if the nurse finds scoliosis. If it's not that bad they will put them in a brace. Which one weakens muscles supporting the already damaged structure and can in the long run make the curves worse. And second do you think it is easy for a 12 or 13 year old girl to wear a big brace to school over there clothes? Of course not! It can have damaging emotional effects. So I've heard that that is a rough time in a girl's life to begin with. I'll find out in ten years when my daughter gets there. If the scoliosis is moderate or severe they will cut open their back and put titanium rods down the length of her spine. Again it doesn't fix anything, they hope it keeps it from getting worse. But of course this comes with huge risks as it is a very risky surgery. We fix scoliosis with out surgery in this office everyday. Call and 

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