If you bend your back, you can see scoliosis

The cause of scoliosis has not yet been determined

We don't know the exact cause of scoliosis, but we think it's genetic. There are many reasons besides the genetic relationship. If you look up a book or something, there are more than 200 causes of scoliosis. The fact that there are so many different causes means that no one knows exactly what's going on. I don't know the exact reason because there could be other reasons than 200.

In Korea, scoliosis is usually detected and treated at an early stage, so it is rare for it to become severe. When we use the word scoliosis, it's more than 10 degrees. If it's less than 10 degrees, it's not called scoliosis. I think that's about one in 50. The brace is then filled in during the growth phase from 25 to 40 degrees. I think the probability is about 1 in 500. And then we do surgery when it's over 50 degrees, and that's about one in 5,000 people.

The importance of physical education activities in adolescence

According to the theory of a professor at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Chungnam National University, the growth of bones and the growth of muscles are slightly different. There is a process in which bones grow first and then the muscles adapt to them.

The most important thing in the process is physical education. The age at which it happens is between the ages of 13 and 16. That's why we have to balance that through sports so that we don't have problems. Without proper education, muscle growth with skeletal growth may not be balanced, leading to severe scoliosis.

What if you suspect scoliosis?

When you stand up and bend forward, if your spine is the same height, there is no problem, but if one of them is up, it means that your spine is curved. There's a machine that measures how many degrees you've turned. If it exceeds 7 degrees, you will be asked to take an X-ray.

In addition, growing girls grow fastest in the first six months before and after menarche. So usually scoliosis proceeds at that time. So, parents need to be mindful during this time. If there is no problem at that time, it is fine, but if there is even the slightest abnormality, it is better to come to the hospital and have it examined.

After the growth is complete, you can proceed according to the angle. If the angle exceeds 50 degrees, it will progress about 1 degree a year. Between 30~50°C, it is recommended to take X-rays once a year to check the progression in order to determine the overall direction of treatment.