Check Your Child for Scoliosis in Edina, MN

It might seem that it would be easy to detect scoliosis in yourself or in your child, but often even large curves can be difficult to see clearly. It is easier to find a scoliosis when you know what you are looking for.

Postural evaluation is the first line of defense against scoliosis.  There is a simple test called the “Adams Test” wherein you have the child stand with feet comfortably apart.  Then have them put their arms straight out in front of them and put their hands together. Have them then bend forward, putting their hands between their knees. Now, simply, while standing behind the child, look along the spine.  Both sides of the back, on either side of the spine, should be level with each other.  If they are not level, either in the low back and/or the mid back, then there is cause for concern and further evaluation by a doctor who is qualified and knowledgeable about scoliosis should be done. The other thing to do is to simply look at the child’s posture. When a child has scoliosis you will see some or all of the following

• The shoulders look uneven, one higher than the other when you look at them from the front or behind.
• One of the shoulder blades is more prominent, sticking out more than the other.
• There is a visible curve when you look at their back.
• The hips are uneven.
• The waist looks unsymmetrical, with one side looking more indented and the other more flat.

Once you have made the observations above you can enter the information in an app by going to app.scoliscreen.com and it will indicate the level of risk for your child.  At ScoliTech we perform these postural evaluations and do additional tests to identify potential underlying health conditions that might be causing the scoliosis. In addition, we do computerized postural evaluation and, if necessary, take x-rays to determine the exact location and magnitude of the curves.