Today we invite you to talk about the prevention of scoliosis in children. This problem is quite common. Scoliosis is understood as a curvature of the spine in any direction and a change in the shape of the vertebrae.
It should be said right away that this is not only bad for the appearance of the child, but entails a number of serious problems, from loss of posture to diseases of internal organs.
In this problem, the main thing is to identify the disease in childhood and start treatment. After all, only a child's spine can be corrected. It is unfortunate, but parents seek help from a specialist late (at the moment when the problem is visible to the naked eye). And this is all, despite the wide spread of the disease, because scoliosis, which has varying degrees of severity, was detected in more than 50% of schoolchildren.
The development of the disease always occurs in childhood, during the period when there isintensive growth of the skeleton. It is for this reason that scoliosis is commonly referred to as a "childhood disease". Thanks to modern methods of therapy, such a problem in children is solvable, since at the moment the spine has not yet been fully formed. However, in adults who have reached the age of 20, posture correction is an incredibly difficult matter.
Reasons
Let's try to learn more about the causes and prevention of scoliosis in children. Many parents believe that the only cause of the disease is the wrong posture while studying. In some ways, they are right, because incorrect posture while walking or sitting leads to muscle relaxation, and the lack of tone in them leads to curvature. But it is worth paying attention to the fact that this is far from the only cause of scoliosis.
We will give you a list of just a few of them:
- deformations that occurred during childbirth or during the period of intrauterine development of the child;
- injury of the spine (absolutely any of its departments);
- improper distribution of the load during sports;
- carrying a briefcase on one strap;
- rickets;
- infantile cerebral palsy;
- avitaminosis;
- pleurisy;
- tuberculosis;
- shortening of one leg (even if it is visually imperceptible);
- anomalies in the development of the ribs and vertebrae;
- presence of a large number of scars and burns and so on.
At an early stage, the disease can only be detected by an experienced specialist. Therefore, it is worth regularly checking the child with an orthopedic doctor. If you prescribe timely treatment for the baby, then the progression of the disease can be stopped.
Risk factors
Before we turn to the treatment and prevention of scoliosis in children, we suggest that you consider the existing risk factors. Who is more likely to develop this disease? This pattern cannot be refuted: boys are less likely to suffer from this disease than girls. Why is this happening? Doctors have not yet been able to find an answer to this question, but you can’t argue with statistics.
In addition, children with diseases are at risk:
- rickets;
- problems of the nervous system;
- rheumatism.
In addition, it is worth noting heredity. Of course, scoliosis is not inherited, but many genetic diseases can lead to its occurrence. We propose to consider the hereditary factor in a little more detail in the next question of the article.
Hereditary factor
Many young couples who are preparing to become parents are interested in: can scoliosis be inherited from parents? Of course not! Although there is some relationship between this disease and heredity. There are a number of hereditary diseases that affect the development of pathology. These include:
- muscular dystrophy;
- diseases of the nervous system.
It is important to remember that there is no gene for scoliosis as such.
What to do so that the child does not suffer from a similar problem? Measures need to be takenprevention of scoliosis in preschool children. Regular visits to the orthopedist will help to identify the problem at an early stage.
Views
If age is taken into account, there are three types of scoliosis:
- infantile (up to three years old);
- juvenile (ten - fourteen years old);
- teenage (fifteen - seventeen years old).
The first variety on our list usually clears up on its own. A more aggressive nature is observed in adolescent scoliosis, which is caused by the rapid growth of the skeleton.
If a student has a stoop, then this is a serious reason for contacting an orthopedist. It is with stoop that many parents confuse the first degree of the disease. That is why it is so necessary for parents to take measures to prevent scoliosis in children. If you skip the first step, then the symptoms of curvature become visible to the naked eye, and it is much more difficult to correct them.
Classification
For the correct treatment of the problem in medical practice, it is customary to divide all types of scoliosis into three types of curvature and four degrees of severity.
Types of spinal curvature:
- C-shaped curvature (one arc of curvature);
- S-shaped (two arcs);
- Z-shaped (three arcs, is the most difficult type).
Methods and duration of treatment directly depend not only on the type of disease, but also on the severity. In total, it is customary to single out four of them; for more detailed information, youfind in the table.
| Degree | Angle of curvature (in degrees) | Brief description of the problem |
| 1 degree | 1 to 10 | Almost imperceptible to the average person. Distinctive features: shoulders are reduced, slight stoop. Measures to prevent scoliosis in children in this case include: exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises) and gymnastics. |
| 2 degree | 11 to 25 | Visible changes, possibly a change in the shape of the pelvis. In this case, a special set of exercises is needed to prevent the transition of scoliosis to the third degree. |
| 3 degree | 26 to 50 | Distinctive feature: the formation of the costal hump or their retraction, the pelvis is oblique. In this case, complex treatment is necessary. Correcting the situation, although difficult, is still possible. |
| 4 degree | more than 50 | The fourth degree is practically untreatable. All vertebrae are deformed, muscles are stretched |
If you do not carry out the prevention and treatment of scoliosis in children, it progresses very quickly. Every day the chance to correct the spine is less and less. Do not delay a visit to the doctor, sound the alarm as soon as the first signs begin. Give your child a he althy and happy future.
Possible Complications
As mentioned earlier, the prevention of scoliosis in school-age children and preschoolers is a must. If you do not treat the initial stage of the disease, then it will begin very quickly.progress. Literally in one year, slight stoop can develop into grade 4 scoliosis, which is almost impossible to cure.
What does inaction lead to? The following complications are possible:
- the spinal column is severely deformed;
- a rib hump forms;
- possible asymmetry of the pelvic bones;
- muscular dystrophy;
- headaches;
- lung volume decreases;
- the work of the cardiovascular system is disrupted.
It is also important to know that scoliosis contributes to many problems not only in the back.
Symptoms
As mentioned earlier, scoliosis of the first stage does not manifest itself at all. The child feels cheerful, leads an active lifestyle. Only a slight stoop with slightly shrunk shoulders can be noticed, the child will not complain of pain or discomfort.
However, if you do nothing, scoliosis will grow to the second stage, when the signs are already visible even to a non-professional. You may notice the following features:
- head almost always down;
- stoop;
- collapsed shoulders;
- shoulders not in line.
The following signs will help to recognize the transition to the third degree:
- severe curvature of the spinal column;
- back discomfort;
- frequent headache;
- possibly increased heart rate;
- shortness of breath appears.
Diagnosis
Ifto diagnose a problem in a very small crumb, a consultation with a pediatric orthopedist is necessary, then for primary school students, parents can do this on their own.
Ask your child to remove clothing from their upper body and turn their backs to you. Let the child lean forward and let the arms hang down in a relaxed state. What you need to evaluate in this position:
- shoulder blades should be at the same height;
- the distance between the body and the arm should be the same on both sides.
Next test: the child is standing with his back to you, back straight, arms pressed to the body. If a child has scoliosis, then you will notice the following features:
- shoulder asymmetry;
- height of lowered hands is not the same;
- pelvis line is not parallel to a straight plane.
If you notice signs of this pathology, you should immediately contact an orthopedist and start treatment. But it is important to remember that the prevention of scoliosis in school-age children will not hurt anyone. You can give the baby to swimming or gymnastics. If this is not possible, then special charging and posture control will be enough.
Treatment
Prevention of scoliosis is much easier than cure. It is better to prevent a disease than to cure it. However, if you missed the moment and the child needs treatment, then the doctor may advise one or more measures to get rid of this ailment.
Treatment options include:
- corset that fixes the child's spine in the correctposition;
- exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises);
- massage;
- swimming;
- surgical treatment (very rarely used);
- medication (rarely used in advanced cases).
Gymnastics
Now we will talk a little about exercises for the prevention of scoliosis in children and its treatment. The exercise should be supervised by a specialist. As moral support, parents are encouraged to work with their children. Regular exercise is the key to a successful recovery.
The complex must be prescribed by a doctor. This takes into account both the age of the child and the degree of curvature of the spine.
What are the exercises for the prevention of scoliosis in children? Consider their varieties, given the degree of the problem.
- First degree. General strengthening, breathing and symmetrical exercises are used here. Very rarely, and under the supervision of a specialist, they resort to performing asymmetric.
- Second degree. General strengthening, breathing, less often - asymmetric and detorsion exercises.
- Third and fourth degree. In this case, it is more expedient to conduct individual lessons. The whole complex of exercises is applied here. Contraindications are those movements that can increase the flexibility of the spinal column. This category includes turns, tilts, and so on.
Such classes are usually held no more than four times a week. The duration of one lesson should not exceed 45 minutes. Exercise stressis selected individually, taking into account some factors:
- endurance;
- degree of scoliosis;
- age;
- duration of treatment.
The pace of execution should never be fast. All exercises have a slow or medium pace, and their purpose is muscle development and adjustment of the spinal column. When performing the complex, it is necessary to take into account the fact that children with scoliosis have pathological changes in the work of the heart and lungs. That is why you should monitor the patient's pulse and blood pressure.
Swimming
Swimming has a special place in the treatment of this problem. What is the benefit of this sport?
- There is a natural load on the spine.
- Spinal traction allows you to unload the growth zones of bone tissue.
- Engaging all muscle groups.
- An obstacle in the asymmetry of the vertebrae.
- Improving the coordination of movements.
Scoliosis 1 degree. Only two swimming techniques are performed - breaststroke and crawl (since they are symmetrical).
Scoliosis 3 and 2 degrees. Asymmetry. After mastering such styles, correction exercises are performed.
Scoliosis 4 degrees. Exercises for the respiratory system, gymnastics with symmetrical exercises. It excludes swimming in an upright position and exercises that twist the spine.
Massage
To measures to prevent scoliosis in childrenpreschool age and treatment of this disease include massage. The main tasks of massage in the treatment of this disease:
- relieve spasm from overworked muscles;
- increase the tone of weak muscles that lag behind in development.
Thus, massage is an important moment in the complex treatment of the disease and its prevention. This method has not only a general strengthening effect, but also contributes to the correction of changes in the muscles. The latter is typical for this disease, since when muscles are overloaded, the following are observed:
- foci of hypertonicity;
- hyperplasia;
- weakness of stretched muscles.
Massage helps to eliminate all of the above problems. Thus, the uneven load on the spine is reduced. All this leads to a stop in the progression of the disease. In addition to everything that has been said before, massage has other effects:
- pain reduction;
- improved circulation.
At the end of this section, it is worth noting that massage is prescribed for absolutely any degree of the disease.
Physiotherapy
Procedures must be prescribed by the attending physician. They help not only to get rid of scoliosis, but also to prevent it. Also, some physiotherapy is prescribed to treat complications of the disease. All of them are aimed at activating the immune system and increasing blood circulation. Physiotherapy includes:
- magnetotherapy;
- electrostimulation;
- ultrasound;
- paraffin;
- electrophoresis.
Corset
We have considered a lot of possible measures to prevent scoliosis in children of school and preschool age. But wearing a special corset is suitable exclusively for the treatment of 2, 3 or 4 stages of curvature of the spinal column.
Prolonged and proper use helps to effectively get rid of the disease. Please note that the corset should only be selected by the attending physician so that it fits your child as best as possible.
Recommendations for wearing it include: wearing clothes under a corset with a small number of seams and irregularities.
Disease prevention
Many parents ask the question: what is the role of a nurse in the prevention of scoliosis in children? Let's try to answer this question clearly and concisely. The nurse must know the basics of orthopedics. In addition, a very difficult task falls on her shoulders - to establish contact with the patient. Her duty is to prepare the baby for an examination of the spine, for example, for an MRI or CT scan. It is from the correct preparation that the veracity of the result depends. Two more responsibilities - help with the exercises, recommendations to parents.
The best way to prevent scoliosis in children - gymnastics, daily morning workout, maintaining posture when walking or sitting. In addition, there are a few more recommendations:
- use of orthopedic mattress;
- control over the activity of the child (active games should alternate with calm activities);
- proper nutrition;
- proper portfolio selection and so on.
These simple recommendations will help to avoid this disease and give your baby a he althy and happy future. A timely appeal to a specialist will warn you of serious consequences. Remember that disease is much easier to prevent than to cure.
