Pay attention to scoliosis and help children avoid taking a detour

What is Scoliosis

Scoliosis is an abnormal C-shaped or S-shaped curvature of the spine greater than 10°.

The types of scoliosis include idiopathic, congenital, and syndromic scoliosis. Among them, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common type. According to the previous epidemiological survey data of the Spine Disease Prevention and Control Committee of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, combined with authoritative magazines and domestic expert consensus, it is estimated that the number of primary and secondary school students in my country with scoliosis has exceeded 5 million, and is increasing at a rate of about 300,000 per year.

In recent years, scoliosis has become the third largest health problem among Chinese children after myopia and obesity, posing a serious threat to the physical and mental health of children and adolescents.

Hazards

01Deformed appearance

02Back pain, nerve dysfunction

If scoliosis in children and adolescents is not discovered, intervened and treated in time, the degree of deformity will gradually worsen, and even low back pain will occur. If the spinal nerves are compressed, the patient will have decreased mobility or even paraplegia. At the same time, the treatment will become more difficult and costly, ultimately placing a serious burden on families and society.

03Abnormal cardiopulmonary function

Severe scoliosis can compress the respiratory and circulatory systems and deform the chest, affecting the development of cardiopulmonary function and leading to irreversible damage such as paralysis, cardiopulmonary dysfunction or failure.

04Psychological barriers

Scoliosis not only affects the patient's physical function and appearance, but also makes these children feel fear and worry about socializing. They are often ridiculed by their classmates because of their poor image, which can lead to low self-esteem and autism. This affects their learning and social skills, as well as their employment and marriage in adulthood.

Scoliosis "danger signs"

1. Four horizontal lines and one vertical line

Parents can use the "four horizontal and one vertical" method to observe whether their child's back is symmetrical, whether the two shoulders are at the same height, whether the lower angles of the two shoulder blades are at the same height, whether the two waist dimples are symmetrical, whether the heights of the iliac crests on both sides of the pelvis are consistent, and whether the line connecting the spinous processes is in the midline.

2. Forward flexion test

Put your heels together, straighten your legs, bend your torso forward 90 degrees, and put your hands together between your knees. If there is spinal deformity, there will be obvious height asymmetry on both sides (≥5 degrees), which is medically known as "razorback deformity". You can also detect it yourself through this action.

If the above "dangerous signals" appear, you should go to a medical institution for treatment in time, and early detection and diagnosis can be achieved through full-length spinal X-ray and other examinations. Mild scoliosis can be controlled by wearing a brace.

How to prevent scoliosis?

The main causes of postural scoliosis are prolonged poor sitting posture, lack of exercise and malnutrition.

01Change sedentary behavior and correct bad standing and sitting postures

Children and adolescents who stand or sit in incorrect postures for long periods of time will cause inconsistent stress on both sides of the spine and unbalanced muscle strength on both sides of the spine. Long-term incorrect sitting posture will cause scoliosis.

The height of desks and chairs at school and home, lighting conditions, and the use of electronic products may all affect their sitting posture. When reading, doing homework, and reading electronic products, you should adjust the appropriate light intensity, maintain a proper distance, and maintain a normal sitting and standing posture. When doing homework, your eyes should be about one foot (about 30cm) away from the book, your body should be about one fist (about 6cm) away from the desk, and your fingers holding the pen should be about one inch (about 3cm) away from the tip of the pen. Do not lie down to read books or watch electronic products.

02Increase physical activity and exercise

Lack of exercise and malnutrition can lead to insufficient back and waist muscle strength. Children and adolescents should do at least 60 minutes of moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise every day, and at least 3 days of high intensity physical activity or resistance exercise to enhance muscle strength and bone health every week. Parents should also provide children with a balanced diet that is beneficial to bone health and promotes healthy spinal development.

refer to

[1] Compilation Group of Technical Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Abnormal Spinal Curvature in Children and Adolescents, Ma Jun. Interpretation of Technical Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Abnormal Spinal Curvature in Children and Adolescents[J]. Chinese Journal of School Health, 2022, 43(02): 165-170+175. DOI: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2022.02.002.

[2] Wu Jing, Liu Haiying, Wang Limin. Handbook of prevention and treatment of scoliosis in children and adolescents - Epidemiological survey project on scoliosis in children and adolescents in China [M]. First edition. August 2021.