04 Apr How To Check Your Child For Scoliosis
Adolescent Physiotherapist, Requel Trevillion demonstrates a simple test you can do to check your child for a Scoliosis.
Full Video Transcript
Hi, my name is Requel Trevillion. I’m one of the physiotherapists that works at St Leonards Physiotherapy and I see a lot of the adolescents that come to our practice. Parents come in worried that their child may have a scoliosis.
A scoliosis is a slight rotational twist to our spine. As we’re growing, around the ages of 10 to 13, we can develop a bit of a sideways curve and rotation in our spine, and this is what a scoliosis is.
When I was a child, we used to be screened for scoliosis when we were in high school, but the government no longer does that and it’s up to parents to check their children’s backs. So, if you’re wanting to check your child’s spine, what you can do is a simple test.
Get them to bend forward, you let their arms dangle, and then stand behind them and have a look at their spine. And look at their rib cage and see if one side of the rib cage is sitting slightly higher than the other, and if it is, you should probably bring your child in, have them checked. If their rib cage looks quite even, then they’re probably fine. So, a simple quick test that you can use to check your child’s back.