Adolescent Spinal Curvatures

Before and after images of the spine straightening with treatment

Adolescence is a critical time for spinal health. The postures and habits of your children from 10 to 15 years of age will determine the health or ill health of their spine for the rest of their lives.

Girls grow rapidly with puberty from 10 years of age (year six) to 16 years of age (year 11). Boys grow rapidly with puberty from 12 years of age to 18 years of age. The decisions they make about how they sit at desks, work with computers, carry their school bags, sit and stand will determine the extent of the poor curvatures in their spines. This will determine if they will have extensive spinal pain later in life.

15 per cent of adolescent school children have curvatures outside the range of normal. Parents often don’t notice these curves until they have become advanced and even then do not know what to do about them. Traditional medicines usual attitude is to wait and see; unfortunately the end result of waiting can be life threatening surgery to correct the problem by inserting a steel rod into the spine (Harrington rods for scoliosis stabilization). Chiropractics role in treating curvatures of the spine is pro-active in preventing and reversing spinal curvature  not reactive as is traditional medical with surgery.

By acting early and preventing the curvature while the spine is growing the curves can be prevented from getting worse and in some cases reversed. The simple principle of ‘prevention is better than cure’ applies. Our doctors first measure the extent of the curve by X-ray and digitised images (see above) on a specialized computer program. Prescription exercises based on Pilates principles are supplied with specific stretching and strengthening actions to straighten the spine.

Regular clinical checking to determine progress is completed. We have hundreds of adolescents that have healthy spines thanks to early intervention.

Remember as the twig is bent, so grows the tree ?