"Butterfly Queen" Zhang Yufei was once targeted by this disease! The incidence rate is not low, the key to treatment is here

At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Chinese female swimmer Zhang Yufei won 6 gold medals and was named the "Most Valuable Player" (MVP). But the road to fame was not smooth.

In 2012, 14-year-old Zhang Yufei defeated Olympic champion Liu Zige unexpectedly and became famous overnight, but then she fell into a slump. During training, Chinese swimming team coach Cui Dengrong discovered that Zhang Yufei had problems with her swimming style, and after seeing a doctor, he found that it was caused by scoliosis.

What is scoliosis? Wang Yue, deputy director of the Department of Orthopedics at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, explained that scoliosis is also called scoliosis. When viewed from the back, the spine of a normal person is a straight line and is basically symmetrical on both sides, while scoliosis refers to a curvature of the spine in the left and right directions. In clinical practice, doctors will use the Cobb angle to make a judgment. If the angle exceeds 10 degrees, it is diagnosed as scoliosis .

Scoliosis can be divided into many types according to different pathogenesis. Some are congenital scoliosis, which refers to the congenital developmental abnormalities of the vertebrae of the spine, and the asymmetry of the left and right development causes scoliosis, which is usually found before the age of 10; some are degenerative scoliosis in the elderly, caused by the degeneration of the spine with age; and the more common is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which usually occurs during the growth and development of adolescence, and the specific cause of the disease is unknown.

" The incidence of idiopathic scoliosis among adolescents is about 3% , which cannot be ignored!" Professor Wang Yue said that idiopathic scoliosis often occurs in people aged 10 to 20, and is more common in girls, with the incidence rate between boys and girls being about 1:4.

"Although the incidence of scoliosis is not low, the extent to which it affects life and exercise depends mainly on the degree of scoliosis," said Wang Yue, chief physician. "For people with scoliosis within 20 degrees, it is basically not affected in daily life. Except for slight abnormalities in appearance such as uneven shoulder height, it does not cause functional impairment."

The degree of Zhang Yufei's scoliosis is unknown, but chief physician Wang Yue said that for ordinary people exercising, mild scoliosis will definitely not have any major impact, but for competitive athletes and athletes who are going to participate in international competitions, scoliosis may cause them some trouble.

"For ordinary people, it is enough to be able to perform movements, run or swim, but for athletes, sometimes it is just a matter of 0.01 seconds, so they must have outstanding physical conditions in all aspects." Chief Physician Wang Yue said, "But for athletes who can reach the top of the world, compared with scoliosis, they must have stronger talents in other aspects. They can use double scientific training methods to make up for the shortcomings of scoliosis."

Indeed, according to media reports, Zhang Yufei's water sense seems to be innate. Water sense is a jargon, and Zhang Yufei's explanation is that if a swimmer does not enter the pool for three days, the water will slip through the fingers that are tightly closed; she can still hold the water tightly if she does not enter the water for two weeks. She also has an extraordinary lactic acid metabolism ability. When other athletes are out of breath, she finds that she can still swim.

Chief Physician Wang Yue also said that swimming, playing ball and other comprehensive sports are beneficial for scoliosis patients, especially swimming, which is good for scoliosis patients. "There is no evidence that exercise can reduce the degree of scoliosis. But you can imagine that even if the spine is crooked, if your waist and back muscles are strong, it can protect the spine and help maintain a normal posture." Chief Physician Wang Yue further emphasized that swimming is also a very good exercise method even for ordinary people. However, for patients with scoliosis exceeding 40 degrees, don't consider exercise first, but seek timely treatment.

"For degenerative scoliosis in the elderly, prevention measures include less weight bearing, preventing osteoporosis, and avoiding falls. Other scoliosis cannot be prevented, but early detection and early treatment are critical. Although a large proportion of patients are usually painless and symptom-free when the disease occurs, this does not mean that it cannot be detected early. By observing the shoulders and back, you can find some clues, such as whether the two sides of the back are symmetrical and flat, whether the shoulders on both sides are at the same height, whether the shoulder blade area on the back is particularly raised, etc. If any abnormality is found, seek medical attention in time." said Professor Hu Yihe, Director of the Department of Orthopedics at Zhejiang University First Hospital.

Generally speaking, for patients with a small scoliosis angle who are expected to progress, wearing a brace is the main treatment method , which is currently the only conservative treatment method that has been scientifically proven to be effective. However, patients must strictly follow the doctor's instructions for treatment and wear the brace for no less than 20 hours a day to achieve the correction effect. Whether or not to wear a brace for treatment requires the advice of a professional doctor.

If it is found that the scoliosis angle has exceeded 40 degrees and is still progressing and worsening, professional surgical treatment should be received after evaluation by a doctor.

Metropolis Express·Chengshi Interactive Reporter Jin Jing Correspondent Wang Rui Zhu Shiyi