Surprisingly to many parents, children with scoliosis often don't have any symptoms.
Scoliosis and Back Pain
Back pain is usually not thought to be a symptom of scoliosis, even though many kids with scoliosis do indeed have back pain. In fact, back pain is a common reason that parents may bring their teen to the pediatrician and what leads to the initial diagnosis of scoliosis.
How can that be?
Scoliosis is common, affecting about 2 to 3 percent of teenagers.
Back pain is even more common, occurring in over 17 percent of children, especially older children and teenagers. With so many children visiting their pediatrician with back pain, it shouldn't be surprising that some of them will have scoliosis, even if it isn't what is causing their underlying back pain.
Scoliosis Signs and Symptoms
Children with uncomplicated scoliosis don't usually have any other typical symptoms that you would think of either, such as muscle aches, back spasms, trouble walking, leg pain or muscle weakness. Instead, their scoliosis is usually detected at a scoliosis screening at school or during a physical exam by their pediatrician or at a routine school screening.
Children with scoliosis do typically have physical signs of scoliosis though, which can be detected on a physical exam and which can include:
- a "hump" on one side of their back when they bend forward (the forward bending or Adams test)
- a sideways curve to their spine
- uneven shoulders
- uneven hips
Children with more severe scoliosis and very large curves can begin to have symptoms, including difficulty breathing, chronic back problems, and problems with their self-esteem. Fortunately, early diagnosis and treatment can often stop progression of scoliosis before it leads to these symptoms.
When scoliosis is suspected because of typical signs, symptoms, and physical exam findings, a scoliosis screening x-ray can help confirm the diagnosis.
Sources:
Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed.
Evaluation of back pain in children and adolescents. Bernstein RM - Am Fam Physician - 1-DEC-2007; 76(11): 1669-76
