Scoliosis isn’t always obvious! It’s more common than people realize. Often people imagine that scoliosis only affects those people that are completely hunched over with poor posture, but that’s not always true! In fact, even people with severe scoliosis may look fairly balanced in their posture on the outside, and might not even have pain until much later in life. The problem is that by the time the scoliosis really starts to affect their life, it may be too late to treat effectively.
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The only way to truly diagnose it is from spinal xrays. About 5% of all kids have scoliosis, which is typically who we think about the condition affecting. But did you know that nearly 30% of adults over the age of 65 have scoliosis?? This means that our older adult population develop new conditions of scoliosis as they age. These cases are particularly dangerous because they go undetected and can cause pain, falls, poor balance and disability issues. But these cases can be treated, sometimes alongside the management from an orthopedic surgeon, and sometimes not. Often these cases can be treated conservatively without surgery.
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Concerned for yourself, your child or a loved one? We’re offering free scoliosis screenings all summer long at our convenient Honolulu office. Video consults available for neighbor island patients. Contact us today!
