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September 15, 2008 
Scoliosis is a term used when a person’s spine curves abnormally. It can vary in degree from a slight, barely noticeable curvature to a severe curvature that leaves a person with an abnormal posture. Fortunately, such severe cases are quite rare, and there are treatments available that can correct abnormal curvature when it occurs. In many cases, the condition is mild enough that it only needs to be watched and receive regular check-ups, and the child will eventually grow out of it. If the curvature is more severe, it can be treated by wearing a brace or with surgery.
Scoliosis is often, but not always, a hereditary condition, and more girls than boys suffer from it. It is most commonly diagnosed in childhood, but adults can suffer from it, too. When it is experienced by adults, it is usually for one of two reasons: either they had it as a child and it was left untreated to grow worse into adulthood, or it is a new condition caused by a degenerative disease of the joints in the spine, which causes the appearance of a curve.
The most common type of scoliosis is called idiopathic scoliosis, which simply means that doctors cannot determine the cause. Most of the time it is simply not known why a child’s spine begins to curve the way it does. Sometimes, though doctors can determine that the scoliosis is caused by a neuromuscular disorder, or when a child’s legs are different lengths. Birth defects can also be responsible for scoliosis, in cases where the fetus’s spine doesn’t develop properly and the child is born with a malformation. One of these birth defects is called congenital scoliosis, which can be accompanied by other congenital disorders.
Most of the symptoms of scoliosis have to do with a slightly distorted appearance that comes with having an abnormally curved spine: one shoulder higher than the other, the waist being uneven, the hipbones being at different heights, or the child leaning to one side when standing or walking. The child herself may feel backaches or unusual fatigue from the added stress of the curvature. Doctors routinely check for scoliosis during children’s yearly medical exams, but parents and teachers should also be aware of these symptoms and be prepared to bring them to medical attention.
