A Common Question That Patients Often ask When They Find out That They Have Scoliosis is “Who Should I see First About my Scoliosis?”.
There are lots of health professionals that offer advice about scoliosis. Some have general training that touches on scoliosis, while others have more specialised training and have an in-depth knowledge about scoliosis and its management. The advice given by health professionals will also often vary depending on the types of treatment that the health professional offers; for example a surgeon is more likely to offer advice on the role of surgical management (an area they specialise in) compared to non-surgical management.
When seeking advice about your scoliosis the first and perhaps most important thing is to understand why you have a scoliosis. In most cases scoliosis is not caused by a serious pathology or disease. However, in approximately 20% of cases scoliosis can be caused by an underlying pathology or disease. Therefore, in the first instance it’s important that any serious underlying conditions are ruled out as a cause of your scoliosis.
If your scoliosis is found to be idiopathic (of unknown cause) or adult degenerative then the next thing that needs to be established is if the scoliosis is likely to worsen or be progressive? Is the scoliosis linked to any symptoms such as back pain or is the scoliosis causing a noticeable change of shape in your body? Once understood, it’s then possible to explore various treatment options depending on your goals.
There are now a growing number of non-surgical health professionals with in-depth training and understanding of scoliosis. The International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) provides guidelines, research and conferences for health professionals that specialise in scoliosis. They make recommendations in regards to the conservative care options, such as scoliosis specific exercises and bracing, available for patients with scoliosis and hyperkyphosis.
At ScoliCare our clinicians have undergone extensive postgraduate training beyond their professional degrees. ScoliCare follows the SOSORT guidelines and this approach in combination with our extensive experience makes the ScoliCare team an ideal to give you the best advice about your scoliosis and its management.
Find your nearest ScoliCare clinic here: Find a ScoliCare Clinic
