The Online Edition of the Annandale High School Newspaper.

The A-Blast

The Online Edition of the Annandale High School Newspaper.

The A-Blast

The Online Edition of the Annandale High School Newspaper.

The A-Blast

Succeeding with scoliosis

Bad posture, back pain, braces and surgery are all related to scoliosis, which, according to WebMD, “is a lateral curvature in the normally straight vertical line of the spine.”

“In a general x-ray, scoliosis looks like an ‘s’ or ‘c’ shape instead of straight,” athletic trainer Chris Austen said.

There are four main types of scoliosis: Congenital, Neuromuscular, Degenerative,  and Idiopathic.

Despite the challenges and obstacles that teenagers suffering from scoliosis must face, many are still able to do what they love, such as sophomore dancer Aine Kohler above.

Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of scoliosis, and has no single proven cause, but studies show that heredity is a major deciding factor. It typically worsens during periods of growth but plateaus in adulthood.

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Sophomore Aine Kohler suffers from scoliosis, and will be undergoing surgery in November.

“I found out freshmen year. When I was at a normal checkup at my doctors, she noticed something was wrong with my back so they sent me to an orthopedists to take x-rays,” Kohler said.

The spine of someone with scoliosis looks curved when viewed from the side. The average spine is straight when viewed from the back, but for those with scoliosis the curve can worsen over time.

“When I was first diagnosed the curve was 46 degrees and I wasn’t going to need surgery, but they retested me over he summer and it had moved to 53 degrees,” Kohler said.

Scoliosis can impact daily physical activities and hobbies, which is something Kohler struggles with in dancing.

“I have been dancing for about three years now. Sometimes I can’t move some ways that other girls can, so when I have to dance to choreography I tilt a different way to change it a little,” Kohler said.

“I’d say 5 percent, if that, of student athletes at AHS have scoliosis that interferes with their sports,” Austen said. “But there is a box to check on a physical form [if a student athlete has scoliosis.”

There are many side effects that come with scoliosis, varying in severity depending on the type of scoliosis.

Junior Tyler Laffin takes over-the-counter pain medications for his scoliosis, but still has to “take it easy” by not participating in wrestling or other contact sports.

“I tend to sit lopsided and when I bend over my shoulders are uneven and pop out,” Kohler said.

Austen said that because high school students are typically fully grown, doctors usually test for scoliosis at a younger age. Early signs in children include visible misalignment of the head, shoulders, shoulder blades, hips or ribs.

“When I was ten I had such bad posture that my mom took me to the doctor,” Laffin said.

Scoliosis worsens with body growth, and catching it early can prevent breathing problems as an adult. If a child shows symptoms, a doctor can take an x-ray to measure the spinal curve in order to test its irregularity, and monitor its growth every 4 to 6 months.

“There are rehab exercises to make core and back muscles stronger,” Austen said. However, WebMD states that electrical stimulation, exercise and movement are of no consequence, but encourages those with scoliosis to stay fit.

According to WebMD, severe cases of scoliosis (the cases which require treatment) are most often found in girls.

The most common treatment, braces, is for children with a spinal curve between 25 and 40 degrees who have at least 2 years of growth left. Braces merely prevent a curve from worsening, and are only a temporary fix. Children who have had scoliosis surgery are typically required to constantly wear a brace. This is because the technique used in children’s scoliosis surgery does not involve spinal fusion due to its stoppage of spinal growth.

If braces are not effective, surgery may be required for those whose curves are of more than 40 or 50 degrees. Surgery does not completely straighten the spine, but corrects some curvature with implanted bone grafts. These bone grafts eventually join as one for spinal fusion. Until then, they are held in place by metal implants to create rigidity in a specific area, joining vertebrae permanently.

“When [the doctor] first told me that I had scoliosis I was okay with it, but over the summer when they told me I would have to get surgery and wouldn’t be able to dance I freaked out and cried a lot. The doctors are going to take bone marrow from my hips and they’re going to put it in my spine to make it straighter. Then they’re going to take metal rods and put them on both sides of my spine. My spine is going to grow around the rods and will be straight,” Kohler said.

The surgery can be beneficial, but also have a long recovery period.

“I’m going to have a straighter spine, more flexibility and less pain. It will be at least six months until I’ll be able to dance, but I can run and swim after two or three months,” Kohler said.

As with any surgery, it is also very likely to have to participate in  some kind of rehabilitation to build back strength, but may be limited with scoliosis.

“I’ll have to go for walks everyday, but mainly I’ll just rest, but I can’t lift anything heavy. I can’t do any rehab because it might move my spine back to the way it was,” Kohler said.

Despite the obstacles that come with it, many students do not let scoliosis negatively impact their lives.

“I only have mild scoliosis so it doesn’t largely affect my every day life, but its weird knowing that my back is crooked,” senior Evelyn Jaramillo said.

By Betsy Kruse and Kate Grandchamp

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  • G

    GregOct 24, 2018 at 3:25 pm

    I agree with the comment before mine, it’s best if scoliosis is detected by a doctor sooner rather than later that let’s you monitor it’s progression. In many cases including those with a substantial curvature surgery may not be necessary but it’s important to consult with a professional if anyone is looking for information on non-surgical treatment options I found an article that might be a good jumping off point https://scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-treatment/

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  • T

    Treating ScoliosisNov 2, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    It’s important to detect scoliosis at an early age. Even if it’s only a moderate case, it still needs to be monitored. If the condition begins to worsen, treatment options can be recommended.

    Reply
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Succeeding with scoliosis