3 questions to ask heading back to school with scoliosis
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Does my school do screenings for scoliosis?
If your child has scoliosis it is important that it is monitored on at least a yearly basis. During the adolescent years scoliosis has the greatest opportunity to improve or get worse. Knowing the degree of the curve and beginning a scoliosis specific exercise program is essential at the earliest age it is detectable. You can begin to fight the vicious cycle of uneven loading and curve progression.
There is a genetic link with scoliosis. If you are a parent who has scoliosis, keep an eye on your children’s posture and look for signs of imbalances like uneven shoulder or hip height, rib protrusions on one side of the back when they bend forward, or different pant leg heights. These are all signs of scoliosis.
What should you do if you see any of these signs?
First, go to your primary care physician and have them assess to see if they need any x-rays done. If they measure the rib rotation using a scoliometer and it falls around 7 degrees of rotation, that’s a sign that your child needs x-rays. In order to be called scoliosis, the angle measured on the x-ray is 10 degrees or more. Anything less isn’t called scoliosis, but should still be very closely monitored.
If you see these signs and your child is classified as having scoliosis and your doctor doesn’t refer you to a scoliosis specific therapist, you need to be your child’s advocate. In most states you don’t need a doctor’s referral to enroll in physical therapy. If you aren’t sure how to find a scoliosis specific provider, look at: osteopilates.com or www.schroth-barcelonainstitute.com/scoliosis-certified-physical-therapists-usa.html to find a provider near you.
There’s a possibility you might not find a local provider. I am happy to have a conversation with you and get you started on some basic adjustments your child can make in the way they’re holding themselves so they can begin countering their curve instead of feeding their curve.
2. How heavy is their backpack and how are they wearing it?
Their backpack should not be heavier than 10% of their body weight. This might not be as much of a concern anymore with things changing over to be more digital. I was talking with one of my younger clients the other day and she said her backpack is pretty light because she doesn’t need to carry around books. That blew my mind because our backpacks were sooo heavy growing up. We had to tote all of our textbooks around to and from school for our classes.
The backpack design should have two wide straps that even out the load on both sides of the body. Backpacks and bags that have thin straps just dig into the neck and shoulders.
The backpack should be worn so that the trunk stays midline when you look from the front, back and side. If you’re tipping forward, backward, or to the side, you likely need to make some adjustments in the length of the straps.
3.How is their sitting posture in class?
This is something that seems sooo nit-picky…but I wish our teachers would have been more nit-picky about how we positioned ourselves at our desks in school. I know I was hunched over, crossed my legs and hung out in my curve.
Since teachers likely don’t teach their students about this (at least from my experience), parents, this is going to be up to you. I’m sure you will get some major eye-rolls, but if you can at least put a little bird in their ear about how they should sit and keep up with it at home, you will be helping your child out in the long-run.
While sitting both feet should be flat on the floor and legs uncrossed. If anything must be crossed, crossing at the ankles is best. Then hips, ribs, shoulders and head all stack right on top of each other. Obviously it’s hard to hold this position all day long, but sitting in this position most of the day is better than not.
It's ideal to change positions and stand every 20 minutes. Our professors in PT school didn’t even help us out with that, so I doubt school teachers do, but it’s worth a shot to ask!
Are you interested in learning more helpful tips to make living with scoliosis more comfortable? Check out my YouTube channel here!
