Idiopathic scoliosis is a misunderstood condition, as are the recommended do's and don'ts for people with scoliosis. You may think scoliosis stems from weak muscles or a problem with the spine, but it's actually a genetic condition triggered by environmental factors. The spinal curve is the most prominent symptom of miscommunication between the brain and muscles. Activities and poor postures can't cause scoliosis, but they can accelerate its progression and cause increased pain. Learn what to avoid when you have scoliosis:* If you prefer, jump ahead to our recommended scoliosis activities. You may have recently learned that your son or daughter has idiopathic scoliosis. If this doesn't feel right to your paternal instincts, that's because waiting is foolish. Your child will benefit from early intervention and neuromuscular retraining even if the spinal curve is less than 10 percent. Early intervention can reduce your child's spinal curve and stop scoliosis progression.
The forward, bent-head position of texting is terrible for people with scoliosis. It's not good for anyone, actually. It puts pressure on the spinal cord and compresses blood vessels to the spinal cord. Texting can damage the spinal cord and degenerate vertebra over time. If your child has the scoliosis gene, texting can trigger scoliosis progression. Using talk to text functions, holding the phone at eye level and lying on a cervical roll are the safest ways to text. Competitive swimming and scoliosis are not a good fit. Swimming laps for hours daily causes the thoracic spine (spine from the base of the neck to the bottom of the ribs) to flatten, which can drive curve progression. Avoiding environmental drivers of scoliosis progression is important so the three dimensions of the spine stay as close to normal as possible. This is an example of scoliosis and sports not being a good fit. Football is a high-contact sport even when it's played safely, so it can result in traumatic body and spine injuries.
Traumatic sports like football put significant stress on your child's spine. Your son will not develop scoliosis because of football, but if he has the idiopathic scoliosis gene, it can be triggered by football. Playing football is also dangerous if your son has metal rods in his back from scoliosis surgery. Sleeping with scoliosis can be a challenge. Sleeping on your stomach is the worst scoliosis sleeping position because it causes the thoracic spine to become flatter. Scoliosis is three dimensional; if one dimension gets worse, the others follow. Sleeping on your belly also requires you turn your head to the side, which twists your spine. Repeatedly extending your thoracic spine in backbends, gymnastics, high jumps, dance maneuvers (especially in ballet) and certain yoga positions causes vertebrae to rotate further into the hollow of the scoliosis curve. The force often causes rapid scoliosis progression. Rather than force your child to quit these activities, have them limit back bends and use modified poses.
We have written an article on recommended yoga poses for scoliosis (and those to avoid). Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland when your child sleeps. This hormone regulates puberty, especially in girls. Studies show that people with scoliosis have lower melatonin levels. Since melatonin is secreted primarily while you sleep, even the faintest light can slow or stop its release. A melatonin deficiency can cause early onset of puberty and associated growth spurts, as well as scoliosis progression. If your child enters puberty early, she has an increased risk of scoliosis progression because their brain and body aren't yet in sync. Consequently, sleeping with a light, night light or television is harmful for children with scoliosis, or who are at risk of scoliosis due to it running in the family. A streetlight shining in the window also disrupts sleep and melatonin secretion. If you have adult scoliosis, you'll want to avoid light at night, as well. Long-distance running with scoliosis can pose several problems.
Spinal compression occurs every time you or your child takes a step, jumps or runs. Running over hills and uneven terrain also makes you bend or rotate your back. Prolonged running or jogging creates a great risk of scoliosis progression. If you pound a bent nail with a hammer, it becomes more bent. We suggest limiting running to 400 meters, which is one lap around the track, or less. Horseback riding also compresses and jars the spine. Jumping on trampolines is disastrous if your child has scoliosis. It can lead to a rapid advancement of spine curvature and postural collapse because jumping compresses the spine with every bounce. If your child has even mild scoliosis, it's best to avoid this backyard fun. Carrying heavy things, especially on one side, adds to the natural pull of gravity and compresses your spine further. An overloaded backpack is terrible for your child with scoliosis. Carrying the pack over just one shoulder is also unhealthy. The total weight of a backpack should not exceed 10 percent of your child's body weight.
Ask the school to provide a set of books for school and a second set for home. Doctors may tell you to wait six months to a year if your child has a mild curve, but the greatest results may be achieved if your child gets muscle retraining and nutritional support before the curve reaches 30 degrees. You have the right to get a second opinion and chose the best scoliosis treatment options. While there's no best bed for scoliosis, finding the best mattress for scoliosis can take some work. Typically, a firm or medium-firm mattress is the best scoliosis mattress you can choose, but you want to be certain to pick one that fits your child's body well – or yours, if you have scoliosis. Skip the cushiony mattress pad, but use extra pillows for comfort. Sitting or standing in one place for too long stresses the spine. Stretch or take a walk as often as possible. Choose a chair with great support if you must sit for extended periods of time. Activities that require bending like cleaning bathrooms and floors can exacerbate scoliosis, so it's best if your child doesn't do them.
If you have scoliosis, get help with these chores. Stretching helps mitigate pain and discomfort. See 10 stretches to help alleviate scoliosis pain. Do exercises to improve core strength. Core exercises are the best exercises for scoliosis because core muscles support the spine. Examples of core exercises are: For additional exercises for people with scoliosis, see this page. If your child has mild scoliosis, soccer is a great exercise that does not worsen scoliosis or cause its progression. It's a good aerobic sport that strengthens the core muscles. All positions except goalie are fine. If your child has moderate to severe scoliosis, however, it's best to talk to your doctor before enrolling in soccer. Dancers with scoliosis need not fret! There's no reason to make your child stop dancing. Some dance movements like repeated back bends can aggravate scoliosis, but avoiding those movements makes more sense than eliminating dance altogether. Scoliosis muscle retraining treatment is a long-term commitment.