Signs of scoliosis and how to treat it

See Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP's video on Signs of scoliosis and how to treat it...
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Signs of scoliosis and how to treat it

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Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine and it often presents during the years of rapid growth, before and during puberty. One of the most important reasons why you should take your child in for a check-up every year as they are growing is so their doctor can measure their spine and check for scoliosis. Now most of the time nobody's spine is perfectly straight, so a slight curvature is completely normal, but if the curvature gets to be too much, then it is called scoliosis, and in certain cases it may need to be treated by bracing or rarely surgery. So when I see a teenager in my office, and the spine looks curved, sometimes I might order an x-ray and see how curved is it? Is this really an issue? Often I will follow them over time and have them come in between their regular visits, so I can measure their spines with a device called a scoliometer and sometimes I need to refer them out to a specialist, a pediatric orthopedist.

See Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP's video on Signs of scoliosis and how to treat it...

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Tanya Altmann, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician

A leading medical authority for the popular press and entertainment industry, Dr. Tanya Altmann is a best-selling author, parenting expert and media spokesperson. A working mother and UCLA-trained pediatrician who practices in Southern California, Dr. Tanya is a designated spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, communicating complicated medical issues into easily understood concepts.  She is a child health expert for numerous news programs and talk shows including Today (NBC), and KTLA (CW Los Angeles). She stays on the cutting edge through her position as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, as the Chief Medical Advisor for the Newborn Channel and her private practice.

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