Treatment of scoliosis in adolescents: what to do, how to fix it at home, exercises, causes

Center for Neurosurgery Dr. Baklanov A.N. successfully treats childhood and adolescent scoliosis of any degree. We will answer all your questions by phone. You can also ask a question by filling out the request form below.

The spine begins to form from birth. And even then it can begin to bend. Because of which? Lateral curvature of the spine (also called scoliosis) appears for various reasons. And we’ll tell you exactly which ones now. The causes of the disease must be known for more effective treatment.

And under no circumstances should parents turn a blind eye to this disease, because the consequences are not pleasant. It is only initially that scoliosis is a curvature of the spine, that is, it is an external deformation. But little by little it develops, which causes not only discomfort, but also pain to the child, which makes motor functions difficult. And the task of parents is to prevent the disease from developing further.

Why does scoliosis develop?

Scoliosis can be congenital or acquired.

Congenital scoliosis develops during fetal development. It is associated with improper formation of skeletal bones and vertebrae. Naturally, it is impossible to prevent congenital scoliosis, but there are ways to correct the defect that will make the spine straighter.

Acquired scoliosis develops in healthy children. Curvature may have the following reasons:

the child has incorrect posture;
weak muscle corset that does not provide sufficient support for the spine;
excessive physical activity at an early age, for example, playing strength sports;
constantly carrying a heavy bag or backpack on one shoulder: the teenager has to bend to maintain balance, as a result of which the spine develops incorrectly;
physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle;
incorrectly selected school or home furniture, due to which the child is forced to sit bent over for a long time;
injury to the spine or pelvic bones;
lack of vitamins necessary for proper skeletal development. For example, a lack of vitamin D before the age of 14 leads to rickets, the main consequence of which is delayed ossification of the spinal column. During periods of rapid growth, this can cause curvature of the spine.

Doctors believe that the main reason for the development of scoliosis in a teenager is incorrect body position while studying at school or doing homework. The child strives to take the most comfortable position, as a result of which he leans forward. As a result, scoliosis may form in the thoracic spine.

Another important factor leading to the formation of scoliosis is the wrong mattress. If the mattress is too soft, the spinal column bends during sleep. As a result, a curvature of the spine is formed, and the child complains of back pain.

Measures to prevent postural disorders in children

Therapy for postural distortions requires a lot of time and effort. It is much easier to prevent disease. After all, in order to keep bone structures healthy, it is enough to accustom the child to:

active lifestyle;
playing sports with uniform loads on the entire body;
proper nutrition, which will allow you to control weight and prevent obesity.

At the same time, it is important to regulate the time that the child spends at the computer or TV and take breaks during classes. It is also necessary to ensure that the shoes are the right size and meet orthopedic standards, and that the chair and table at which the child works are selected according to height and anatomical features. Source: Prevention of poor posture in children. Pokatilov A.B., Novak A.P., Khvorostova A.V. Chief Doctor of the South of Russia, 2021. p. 13-19.

Sources:

Prevention of postural disorders in children. Pokatilov A.B., Novak A.P., Khvorostova A.V. Chief Doctor of the South of Russia, 2021. p. 13-19
Etiology and classification of postural disorders. Levin A.V., Vikulov A.D. Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin, 2013
Poor posture in children of primary school age. Methods for the prevention and correction of poor posture using physical education. Gorbunova T.A. Innovative Science, 2016
Correction of poor posture in school-age children. Danilenko L.A., Artamonova M.V., Artemyeva E.M. Medicine: theory and practice, 2021. p. 181
Diagnosis of postural disorders and spinal column deformities. Orlov S.A., Yukhvid E.V., Ionina E.V. Russian Bulletin of Perinatology and Pediatrics, 2021. p. 269
Exercise therapy for postural disorders, scoliosis and flat feet. Aliverdieva M.S., Demyanova L.M., Smirnova O.S. Psychology and pedagogy: methods and problems of practical application, 2016

Kinds

Depending on how the disease progresses, there are three main forms of scoliosis:

C-shaped. There is only one curvature;
S-shaped. Two sections of the spinal column are subject to curvature;
Z-shaped. The spine is curved in three places.

There are also several degrees of scoliosis depending on how curved the spinal column is. With the first degree, the curvature reaches 10 degrees, with the 2nd degree it ranges from 11 to 25 degrees, with grade 3 scoliosis - from 26 to 50. The fourth stage, the most severe, is diagnosed if the spine is curved by more than 50 degrees.

Types of posture disorders in children

Doctors resort to the following classification of distortions:

Disturbances in the sagittal plane are an incorrect relationship between the physiological curves of the spine. These include smoothing or increasing vertebral curves, increased or decreased lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis (round or flat back, stoop).
Disorders in the frontal plane - asymmetrical arrangement of the halves of the body.

Experts also distinguish three degrees of severity of curvature :

First degree – posture is slightly changed; the pathology can be easily eliminated by simply concentrating the child’s attention on the correct body position.
The second degree is more severe deformation, which is treated by unloading the spine.
The third degree is severe distortion that requires complex long-term treatment.

Preschoolers are most often diagnosed with pathology of 1-2 degrees, in schoolchildren and adolescents - more complex types of 2-3 degrees. Source: Etiology and classification of postural disorders. Levin A.V., Vikulov A.D. Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin, 2013.

Symptoms

As a rule, at the first stage, scoliosis in schoolchildren goes unnoticed. Its symptoms begin to actively manifest only when the disease develops to the second stage.

At the second stage of the disease, you can notice the following manifestations of scoliosis:

one shoulder is located higher than the other;
head slightly lowered;
one of the shoulder blades is lower than the other or slightly protruding;
noticeable stoop;
on the deformed side, protrusion of the ribs is noticeable.

The child may complain of the following symptoms:

in the bending area, the back begins to hurt, which forces the teenager to take a forced position while working at the table;
headaches, dizziness;
shortness of breath associated with chest deformation and compression of the lungs.

In the third and fourth stages, the deformation can be seen with the naked eye. The child develops a slight hump, and the shoulders differ noticeably from each other in height. Back pain becomes more pronounced.

A set of physical exercises for scoliosis for teenagers

This complex is divided into three parts: warm-up, main part and final part.

Warm up. You need to perform each exercise from five to ten times.

You need to stand with your back against the wall, pressing your heels, calves and buttocks against it. You need to keep your back straight. Then you need to move away from the wall, maintaining the correct position of your back. Breathing should be smooth and calm.
You need to stand up, let your arms go over your body, and place your legs at a distance from each other. Then you need to start squatting, stretching your arms forward, while continuing to keep your back in the correct position.
The legs are located at a distance from each other. First, you need to inhale and raise your arms up, then stretch up and, as you exhale, release both arms.

Basic exercises.

This exercise should be performed while lying down with your back down. Raising your legs above the floor, maintaining an angle of forty degrees, you need to perform the “scissors” exercise. For best results, this exercise should be performed in four sets of thirty seconds each.
Sitting on all fours, you need to sit with your buttocks on the floor and place your hands on the floor. Then you need to try to move in different directions using your hands. Here you need to repeat the exercise ten times, equally in each direction.
As in the previous exercise, sitting on all fours, you need to arch your back up, then release it down. A slow pace is fine here. It is necessary to perform five approaches.
Standing up, placing your feet at shoulder distance, you need to move your shoulder blades and hold on for about ten seconds. This action must be repeated up to ten times a day.
Standing on all fours, you need to stretch your left arm in front of you and the opposite leg back. You need to hold this for about ten seconds and then change arms and legs.
To perform this exercise, you need to lie on your back with your legs bent. Then you need to turn your head to the left and your knees to the right. And change position in the opposite direction. In order to achieve the desired effect, this exercise is performed seven times.
With your hands clasped behind your back, you need to start walking on your heels, then change the position of your feet to your toes. You need to spend thirty seconds in each position. It will help restore breathing.

After this course of exercises, you need to rest for half an hour. For its effectiveness, it is necessary to perform the exercises every day, since a positive result depends on this.

How is diagnosis carried out?

Only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Typically, external examination and radiography are used for this. Magnetic resonance imaging may be prescribed as an additional method.

Parents can identify the first symptoms of the disease at home. You can detect the initial signs of grade 1 scoliosis using the following methods:

Have your teen lie down on a flat, firm surface on their stomach. Normally, the line of the spinal column should be straight. If curvatures are noticeable and do not disappear when changing body position, the teenager probably has a curvature of the spine;
Place your teenager in front of you and ask him to bend forward and hang his arms down. Normally there should not be any asymmetry in this position. If you notice a protruding shoulder blade or protruding ribs, you should consult a doctor.

It is important to remember that the first symptoms of scoliosis are almost invisible. However, at the initial stage of the disease, the curvature of the spine can be corrected through physical therapy, while in the third and fourth stages surgical intervention may be required. Therefore, you should undergo regular preventive examinations to detect the disease at an early stage.

During periods of rapid growth, examination of the spine should be carried out more often: it is at this time that scoliosis often begins to form

A set of physical exercises for scoliosis for preschoolers

The performance of physical exercises by a preschool child should be supervised by parents, kindergarten teachers or a specialist exercise therapy instructor. Since it is still very difficult for preschool children to engage in one type of activity for a long time, classes should not exceed 20-30 minutes.

The set of physical exercises for preschool children is divided into three main parts:

Exercises in a standing position.
Exercises in a lying position (on your back and stomach).
Exercises while standing on all fours.

When performing therapeutic gymnastics exercises, it is very important to strive for systematic training. Each exercise must be performed at least 5 times and gradually increase the number of repetitions.

First group of physical activity

Includes the following exercises:

Walking in place or in a circle. It is often difficult for preschoolers to march in place, so they are allowed to move around the room. However, it is important to watch your posture.
The exercise is performed while standing, with your arms raised and stretched upward as you inhale, your legs placed on your toes and lowered as you exhale. When raising your arms, you need to try to stretch forward with all your might.
The exercise is performed in a similar way to the previous one, but in this case the feet should not lift off the floor, but on the contrary, it is necessary to press them as tightly as possible to the support.

Second group of exercises.

Performed lying on your back, the complex includes the following types of loads:

The right elbow reaches towards the left knee for the count of “one”. On the count of two, return to the starting position. On the count of “three” the left elbow reaches towards the right knee, on the count of “four” - the starting position. Perform the exercise slowly, stretching the spine well.
Lying on your back, pull both knees to your chest, clasping them with your hands on the count of “One.” On the count of two, hold your breath and fix your body in this position. On the count of “three,” release your knees and lower your legs; on the count of “four,” rest. Perform the exercise slowly, stretching the spine well.
Repeat the movements 5 times or more, gradually increasing the load.
Lie on your back and press your hands to the floor. Raise your legs vertically up and tilt them forward and back, keeping your hands on the floor.
Pull your bent legs closer to your stomach. Raise your body forward and clap each time you lift it.
Press your arms and shoulders to the floor, focus on your legs. As you inhale, bend your back, lifting it up, lifting it off the floor. In this position, hold your breath and stand for at least 15 seconds. The number of repetitions for preschoolers is 5 and above.

The following exercises are designed to be performed while lying on your stomach:

Place your hands in front of you, raise your legs up. Stay in this position for 15 seconds. Number of repetitions for preschoolers from 5 and above.
Join your hands behind your head. Raise your head and stay in this position for 10 seconds. Do not lift your feet off the floor. The number of repetitions is from 5 and above.
Place your palms on the floor and lift your legs alternately.

The third group of physical exercises. They need to be performed while standing on all fours:

On the count of “one,” stretch forward with your right hand, simultaneously stretch your left leg back, and hold in this position for 10 seconds. On the count of “two” - rest, return to the starting position. On the count of three, stretch forward with your left hand, simultaneously stretch your right leg back, and hold in this position for 10 seconds. On the count of “four” - rest, return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise 5 times with both pairs of arms and legs.
Exercise “cat”: as you inhale, round your back, lowering your head down; as you exhale, arch your back down, raising your head.
As in the previous exercise, you need to bend your back, but now you need to reach your head with your knee. Do this 10 times and repeat the exercise for the second leg.

After an exercise session, you need to rest for half an hour. For its effectiveness, it is necessary to perform the exercises daily, since a positive result depends on this.

Consequences

Treatment of scoliosis in a teenager should never be neglected. This is due to the fact that any curvature of the spinal column has a negative impact on the functioning of internal organs, which change their natural position, are compressed and are subject to increased stress. In addition, scoliosis leads to a change in the shape of intervertebral cartilage, as a result of which osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia and other pathologies can develop in adulthood. Such changes can occur at the age of 15 if treatment for scoliosis is not started in time.

Deformed vertebrae put pressure on the nerves, which leads to impaired sensitivity and pain.

To avoid the consequences of scoliosis, you should begin treatment for the pathology as early as possible and follow all the prescriptions of your doctor.

How to correct your posture?

Step 1. You should carry out the tests described above and determine if the child has problems with posture. If they are present, but in an undeveloped stage, then you can try to do a number of exercises that will help cope with uneven posture.

Identify posture problems

Step 2. It is recommended to ask the child daily to press his buttocks, the back of his head, and his heels against the wall and stand there for 1-2 minutes. At the same time, he must try to remember the position of the body and maintain it while walking or everyday activities.

This is how a child should stand every day

Step 3. You can relax your neck muscles using a massage ball. It is placed under the neck of a child lying flat and asked to move his head from side to side for 5 minutes.

Using a massage ball

Step 4. Every day it is advisable to stretch the neck muscles in other ways - by tilting your head to the sides and down using your hands.

Head tilts

Step 5. Every day you need to perform a set of exercises for your back. It will help develop muscles. It is important that the complex for the child is selected by a doctor.

General principles of treatment

At all stages of scoliosis, a teenager should follow the following recommendations:

Gymnastics for scoliosis 1st degree

You need to keep your back as straight as possible. Posture can be corrected using special braces that should be worn while going to school and doing homework;
you need to sleep on a fairly hard mattress that holds its shape;
Teenagers with scoliosis are not recommended to jump from heights, make sudden movements or engage in strength sports. You can do simple exercises that eliminate stress on the spine;
You should not carry a heavy bag or backpack, especially on one shoulder. It is recommended to purchase a special orthopedic backpack that allows you to evenly distribute the load on the spine;
the table and chair must be of a suitable size for the teenager so that he does not bend his back during classes;
You should not drink strong tea and coffee: caffeine has the property of leaching calcium from the bones.

It is advisable to perform surgical correction of the spine when the child has reached 16 years of age: during this period, the spinal column almost completes its development. If the operation is performed too early, the skeleton may not form correctly in the future.

Conservative treatment of scoliosis

One of the main methods of treating scoliosis in adolescents is physical therapy (PT). Thanks to regular exercise, the muscle corset is strengthened, which creates reliable support for the spinal column. A doctor should select exercises for a teenager. He will adjust the degree of load and also change the set of exercises depending on the results achieved.

Exercise therapy in combination with therapeutic massage can correct scoliosis. Massage improves blood circulation in the affected area, and also increases the tone of the body and reduces the intensity of pain.

As one of the means of correcting scoliosis, special corsets and belts are used. They are usually used for fairly severe curvature of the spinal column. However, if, in addition to scoliosis, the teenager has other postural disorders, for example, kyphosis, wearing a corset is contraindicated. It is recommended to wear a corset at least 5 hours a day. As a rule, a teenager wears a corset while attending school.

Physiotherapy is indicated for scoliosis:

ultrasound. Thanks to vibrations, metabolic processes in tissues are enhanced, as a result of which deformed areas are restored faster;
electrophoresis. Weak currents deliver the necessary ions to the bone tissue, accelerating regenerative processes;
Charcot's shower. The effect of a stream of water directed at the back is comparable to the effect of a massage. Charcot's shower helps relax muscles, which are subject to increased stress due to the curvature of the spine.

Surgery

What to do if the spinal column is curved by more than 40 degrees? In this case, surgery may be required. As a rule, it is used at the fourth stage of pathology if other methods have not given the desired result.

The operation must be performed by a neurosurgeon. During the intervention, a special rod equipped with several clamps is installed in the spinal column. Thanks to the clamps, you can change the length of the rod as the child grows.

Usually the rod remains in the spinal column until the end of skeletal growth, that is, until the age of 24-25. However, sometimes it is not removed due to the fact that the operation to remove it is quite complicated and requires a long rehabilitation period.

Another option for the operation is possible, in which the intervertebral disc is removed from the damaged area and replaced with a plate of bone tissue. The plate can be taken from a donor or it can be made from the patient's large femur.

Diet for scoliosis

If a teenager has scoliosis, it is recommended to carefully monitor his body weight. Excess weight creates additional stress on the spine, as a result of which the disease progresses.

The following should be completely excluded from the diet:

fatty foods (mayonnaise, high-fat meat):
foods that contain easily digestible carbohydrates, such as fast food or sugary carbonated drinks.

Preference should be given to the following products:

foods rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, rosehip decoction). Vitamin C promotes rapid regeneration of connective tissue and muscle development;
products that contain a large amount of protein (beef, chicken);
foods containing large amounts of vitamin E (spinach, dried fruits).

It is important that a teenager's diet is balanced. You need to eat food four times a day in small portions. Vitamin complexes are indicated to avoid vitamin deficiency and help accelerate the regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue.

Each form of spinal curvature is individual, so the corset must be selected taking into account many factors: the stage of the disease, the age of the patient, the presence of kyphosis or lordosis in addition to scoliosis, etc.

A set of exercises for scoliosis for children of primary school age

The proposed exercises should be included in the child’s routine and must be performed every day. One lesson will take no more than forty minutes a day. It would be ideal to do these exercises for the first time under the guidance of a special doctor, then you can do it on your own.

It is very important when performing physical therapy to do several repetitions of each exercise. For elementary school students, you can start with 10 repetitions and gradually increase the load. Ideally, a child should be able to repeat the exercises at least 20 times in one approach.

This complex can also be divided into three parts:

Exercises in a standing position.
Exercises in a lying position (on your back and stomach).
Exercises while standing on all fours.

Another rule of such gymnastics is the need to repeat each exercise ten times. In the future you can increase it to twenty.

First group of exercises.

It includes the following exercises:

Walking. It is performed on the spot, and a necessary condition is to maintain an even posture. Adults monitor compliance with this rule.
Exercise on your toes: you need to simultaneously stretch your arms up as far as possible, then slowly release.
The exercise is performed by analogy with the previous one; the feet should not lift off the floor, but on the contrary, it is necessary to press them as tightly as possible to the support.

Second group of exercises.

They are performed lying on your back and include the following exercises:

Make a movement with your right elbow to the opposite knee, return from the starting position and repeat it 10 times or more, then perform the exercise with the other hand.
Lying on your back, alternately pull both knees to your chest, hold your breath and hold for 10 seconds, return to the starting position and, after a 10-second rest, repeat the approaches.
The next exercise is performed with your hands pressed to the floor. And the raised legs need to be tilted alternately to the left and to the right.
The legs must be bent and pulled closer to the stomach. Then you need to lift your torso and clap each time.
Press your shoulders tightly to the floor, focus on your legs, back arched and raised. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds. The number of repetitions is from 10 and above.

The following exercises are designed to be performed while lying on your stomach:

Your arms are stretched out in front of you, your legs need to be raised up. You need to hold on like this for about thirty seconds. The number of repetitions is from 5 and above.
The hands are connected behind the head in a lock. Then you need to raise your head and hold it for a few seconds. The number of repetitions is from 5 and above.
It is necessary to rest your palms on the floor, and then perform leg lifts, alternating left and right.

Third group of exercises.

They need to be performed while standing on all fours:

Stretch your right arm straight forward, simultaneously lifting your left leg, and stay in this position for a few seconds. Then you need to do the same thing, but with a different set of arms and legs. Perform the exercises alternately with both pairs of arms and legs 10 times or more.
In this exercise, you need to bend your back while raising your head. You need to stick to the maximum level. You need to hold this position for a few seconds.
As in the previous exercise, you need to bend your back, but now you need to reach your head with your knee. Then you need to change your leg.

After an exercise session, you need to rest for half an hour. For its effectiveness, it is necessary to perform the exercises daily, since a positive result depends on this.

Preventive measures

It is more difficult to cure any curvature of the spine than to avoid its development. The following measures can help prevent scoliosis:

You need to sleep on a hard mattress. You should not buy high pillows for a teenager. For severe scoliosis, it is advisable to purchase an orthopedic mattress and pillow;
Under no circumstances should you wear shoes with flat soles. This contributes to the development of flat feet, which can subsequently become one of the factors in the development of scoliosis;
It is important to exercise regularly, dosing the load. Sports contribute to the formation of a muscle corset, which is a reliable prevention of spinal curvature. Ideal for the prevention of scoliosis would be gymnastics, swimming, and race walking;
Teenagers should not carry heavy bags, especially on one shoulder. The backpack must have a rigid back, which allows you to evenly distribute the load on the spine.

Scoliosis is a pathology that can significantly reduce the quality of life and cause the development of dysfunction of internal organs. To avoid scoliosis, you should lead a healthy lifestyle and regularly visit an orthopedist who can identify the disease at an early stage.

Doctors' recommendations

Conservative treatment of scoliosis includes physiotherapeutic procedures, physical education, the use of orthopedic products and medication. Together, these components help cope with the disease and avoid further relapses.

Physiotherapeutic procedures include:

manual therapy;
massage;
acupuncture;
electrophoresis.

Each procedure is carried out under the supervision of a medical professional who constantly monitors the patient’s condition and monitors the correctness of the exercises. Orthopedic products include special corsets with inserted metal plates that correct posture. Corsets can be selected at an orthopedic salon or pharmacy, having previously measured all the necessary distances. The duration of wearing posture correctors is determined by an orthopedist or other specialist.

Currently, scoliosis is treated in many highly specialized clinics and medical centers that help cure the pathology without surgical intervention. One of such medical centers is the center of Dr. Bubnovsky. This specialist has been treating seriously ill patients with serious deformities of the spinal column for a long time.

What are the benefits of therapeutic exercises?

Therapeutic gymnastics is not just a sport or fitness, but a real medical discipline.
It is developed taking into account the physiological characteristics of a person and helps restore or strengthen the patient’s health and effectively recover from injuries. If you follow the rules and recommendations of physical therapy, you can:

restore lost functions;
increase the strength and endurance of the body;
adapt the patient;
improve mental functioning;
improve the functioning of organs and vital systems of the body.

For scoliosis, therapeutic exercises are necessary to prevent further development of the disease and complications. By doing the exercises, you will maintain the health and mobility of your spine for many years.

Is surgical treatment of infantile scoliosis indicated?

In cases where infantile scoliosis progresses rapidly, there is no effect from conservative therapy, turns into juvenile scoliosis and does not respond to conservative treatment, surgical treatment can be used.

An operation to correct scoliosis in children may involve implanting a device that corrects the curvature of the spine and fixes the vertebrae in the physiologically correct position.
To correct the angle of curvature of the spine, the method of wedge resection of the vertebrae can also be used.
In some cases, a discectomy .
Subsequently, as the child grows, it is necessary to carry out staged surgical interventions aimed at correcting the progressive deformity.

After any of the above surgical interventions, the child will have a long period of rehabilitation.

The use of exercise therapy for scoliosis

At what stage can it be used and at what stage can it not be used?

Did you know that...

Next fact

Exercise therapy is considered a priority method of treating scoliosis ; the method is most often used in combination with physiotherapy, massage, and wearing an orthopedic corset. When treating a scoliotic curve greater than 50 degrees, surgical methods are used .

Correcting s-shaped scoliosis requires special exercises. The greatest effectiveness of the adjustment is observed at the age of 10-15 years, during the period of active development of the child, since the formation of the body is still ongoing .

Adult patients should also not underestimate the capabilities of exercise therapy; a strong attitude, will, and determination play an important role.