COULD THIS BE YOUR BOY OR GIRL

One Sunday morning a few months ago, a phone call interrupted my leisurely breakfast. The voice belonged to a young woman whose family I had known for years. In desperate tones she asked me if it was possible for her to come to my clinic today with her 12-year-old boy. She said he looked “strange”. Four hours later she was in my office with her boy. I needed only a few minutes to explain to her that her boy has scoliosis.
The right shoulder was higher than the left, the pelvis lifted, high on the left, lower on the right. I asked him to take off his shirt, and there was the right thoracic curve. In short, all the signs, nothing strange.
We worked together for two and a half months, once a week in the clinic, and the boy was given exercises to do at home. The excercises included active, symmetrical, asymmetrical, manipulative, breathing, imagery and meditation exercises. After this he was almost straight. His mother had brought him in just in time. Now he continues with this exercises. In two or three months he will come for a check up and tune up.

What is Scoliosis ?
Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine. Generally it will be discovered accidentally. At the onset of Scoliosis, symptoms are minimal and only in the growth period when deformations accelerate rapidly, will it be noticed. Early recognition of scoliosis and its treatment are of major importance before irreversible changes occur. Mostly there is no pain in the beginning. The client will want to seek treatment when his unsightly appearance bothers him socially because he is different. Of course he still has no idea where this faulty postural appearance will lead if it is not arrested in time and the curves become progressive, the vertebrae rotate and push the ribs until respiratory symptoms appear. Therefore it is the parents’ task to take the child to an orthopedist and a scoliosis qualified practitioner because the use of special exercises hand tailored for the child has long been advocated for scoliosis.

Statistics
10% of all teenagers are scoliotic and will develop a curve severe enough to warrant  regular observation or corrective treatment. Scoliosis can be looked at in two different ways, according to its severity, or its origin.
The severity depends upon the degree of the curvature of the spine from the norm. The fewer degrees, the more treatable the scoliosis. Curves from 1o to 20o   can be improved by special exercises. Structural Integration (S.I.) and Structural Awareness (S.A.). Most scoliosts falls into this category. Curves above 20o  are usually treated with a brace, which must be worn 23 hours a day for 4-6 years, or in cases above 40o , may need surgery. With the excercises and S.I. and S.A. after surgery they will improve and the curve lessen. Unfortunately, many cases of scoliosis are not treated because it is thought that the child will simply grow out of it. This seldom happens.

One form of scoliosis is genetic. This form can be mild to excessive and occurs mostly in girls. It can be improved, according to its severity, by special exercises. It can be seen when the client lies prone on the table. The other form is an acquired scoliosis, often self made through monotonous, repetitive function. With the help of exercises, it can be mostly totally corrected without braces or surgery. It can not be seen when the client lies prone on the table. In both cases, treatment of the progression of scoliosis by special exercises is preferable. Scoliosis is frequently progressive during the years of rapid growth from 8-12. It stabilizes after the maturity of the spine is complete, which for girls is at 16 and boys at 18.

Unfortunately here in Israel there is no law that all school children between the ages of 11 and 16 undergo screening for scoliosis as there is in many other countries. The idea of the law is that scoliosis will be detected early to prevent children from developing large curves. Much agony could be prevented by the keen eye of the kindergarten teacher, the PE teacher, the school nurse or the family doctor who could order an X-Ray to confirm his suspicion. The examination takes only a few minutes.

 

 

 

In summing up, the importance of early detection cannot be stressed enough. Severe scoliosis has the possibility of causing heart and lung problems, along with chronic back pain. Early detection and care can prevent the need for surgery. The moment a parent suspects that there is something wrong with his child’s posture, he should go to an orthopedist M.D.
Scoliosis can also cause psychological problems. Often the child cannot participate in normal age-appropriate physical activities. He feels that his clothes hang from his shoulders, and that everybody notices him (though this is usually not the case). However it damages his self-images and confidence. It can be particularly upsetting for teenagers who want to spend time at the beach but are not happy with their appearance. It is an ordeal for anyone to wear a brace.
It is important to remember that the larger the curve, the more difficult it is to reduce. Parents need to understand the severity of the situation. The scoliotic child between 8 and 12 years does not feel pain, and does not understand that the curve will not go away simply because he doesn’t like it.

Gabriel Rosenthal is an advanced practitioner of Structural Integration and is certified in Structural Awareness. He specializes in the treatment of scoliosis and other spinal curvatures. He wrote and conducted an intensive workshop on scoliosis for the school of the Guild for Structural Integration (Boulder, Colorado, USA) of which he is a member.
Gabriel has been a body worker for 23 years and is certified also in shiatsu, acupressure, hand and foot reflexology, applied kinesiology and many other treatments. He has continued to study over the years, and has gathered an extensive knowledge of the human body. He has helped many people to overcome the effects of scoliosis and to lead a happy and useful life.
Gabriel can be reached at his home on 03-5495032, or at the clinic at the Doctors’ Offices in Sprinzac Street, Tel Aviv, phone 03-6967222.
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