Scoliosis rarely announces itself. It is usually spotted by a parent who noticed something looked slightly off in a swimsuit, or by a school screening that flagged something nobody in the family had seen.

Here is what to actually look for.

The five signs

1. Uneven shoulders – one sits noticeably higher, or one shoulder blade sticks out more than the other.
2. A waist that is not symmetrical – more of a gap between arm and hip on one side.
3. One hip higher than the other, or pants that always hang crooked no matter how they are adjusted.
4. A visible curve when your child bends forward at the waist with arms hanging down.
5. Leaning to one side in a relaxed standing position.

Any one of these is worth an evaluation. None of them means a diagnosis on its own.

The numbers worth knowing

• A curve has to reach 10 degrees or more to be diagnosed as scoliosis.
• Almost all scoliosis patients have a family history of it. If it runs in your family, screen earlier and more often.
• 6 out of 7 scoliosis patients are female.
• Curves progress fastest during growth spurts, which is exactly when they are easiest to miss, because everything about your kid’s body is changing at once.

Why “wait and see” is the part we disagree with

The standard orthopedic approach is to monitor curves up to about 25 degrees, recommend rigid bracing beyond that, and consider surgery around 40 degrees and up.

Our objection is simple: large curves always start as small curves. Watching one progress is like watching a small kitchen fire and deciding to act when it reaches the cabinets. The moment when you have the most correction available to you is the moment the curve looks least alarming.

We address curves proactively at any size. For kids, the goals are to prevent the need for surgery and to achieve as much correction as possible before skeletal maturity.

What is different about how we treat it

Dr. Joe Coffman is the only doctor in South Florida certified in the SpineCor bracing system, and has used it since 2009 to help patients avoid surgery.

SpineCor is the only flexible, dynamic brace in use anywhere. Every other scoliosis brace is a rigid hard shell, and studies have shown rigid bracing causes muscle weakness and eventual curve progression in the majority of cases. SpineCor works the other way. It balances and strengthens the spinal musculature and retrains neurological feedback, so the brace is not forcing the spine straighter. It is retraining the brain to activate the muscles that let the body correct itself.

Alongside bracing where it is indicated, treatment includes chiropractic adjustments tailored to the specific curve, plus scoliosis-specific corrective rehab.

If something looks off, get it measured

You do not need a referral and you do not need to be sure. A complimentary consultation is a conversation with one of the doctors about what you are seeing.

Call (305) 661-4775. We see a lot of kids here, about half our practice, and we would rather look at ten spines that are fine than miss the one that is not.