WHEN TO SEE A SPINE SPECIALIST

Medical care should be sought when a scoliosis is fist detected. Your primary care physician will most likely refer you to a chiropractic physican or other spine specialist for further examination and consideration for care and/or monitoring. A thorough evaluation will include assessment for scoliosis. If you notice or have been told that that you have uneven shoulders or an uneven pelvis you should be screened for scoliosis.

You should seek the advice of a spine specialist if neck or back pain persists for more than two weeks or if it is progressive in intensity and/or distribution. You should seek immediate healthcare attention if neck or back pain occurs as the result of an injury or if it is associated with serious illness and/or a high fever. Additional signs and symptoms, which warrant prompt medical attention, include:

• Neck or back pain associated with bowel and/or bladder dysfunction
• Neck or back pain associated with extremity weakness or difficulty with coordination
• Extremity numbness or muscle weakness
• Neck or back pain that is associated with impaired walking (gait) or difficulty with balance
• Numbness, tingling and/or muscle weakness associated with a back or neck injury

SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS

If you think your child may have scoliosis, you should bring the child in to your doctor for an examination. The doctor will ask questions including if there is any family history of scoliosis, or if the child has any pain, weakness, or other medical problems.

There are different ways to evaluate for scoliosis. A standard exam that is often used by pediatricians and in initial school screenings is called the Adam's Forward Bend Test. Most schools test children in the fifth or sixth grade, and the Adams’ Forward Bend Test can be administered easily by school nurses or parent volunteers. For this test, the patient is asked to lean forward with his or her feet together and bend 90 degrees at the waist. The examiner can then easily view from this angle any asymmetry of the trunk or any abnormal spinal curvatures. It should be noted that this is a simple screening test that can detect potential problems, but cannot determine accurately the exact severity of the deformity.