19 May Does your child with Cerebral Palsy have an annual Spine Check X Ray to check for scoliosis
Does your child with Cerebral Palsy have an annual Spine Check X Ray to check for scoliosis
Studies have shown that there is a strong link between Cerebral Palsy and the development of scoliosis. It is estimated scoliosis occurs in between 21% and 64% of children with Cerebral Palsy. 
Spinal deformity is thought to occur before 10 years of age and unlike in idiopathic scoliosis, has been shown to progress beyond skeletal maturity. Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists
regularly carry out spinal assessments on our children with Cerebral Palsy to check if they are developing a scoliosis. It is important to be carrying out an annual Spine Check X Ray for your child with Cerebral Palsy for the following reasons:
1. Children have growing spines and because parents see their children daily, they may not notice the gradual curvature that is developing in their child’s spine with growth spurts. Our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists carry out full physical assessments of the child’s spine and if needed, refer for a low radiation 3D Spine X Ray to determine the extend of the scoliosis.
2. Regular monitoring of a child’s spine means that we are able to implement early intervention strategies to help correct developing scoliosis to prevent it from getting worse. Here at My Favourite Physio, to correct flexible scoliosis, we use Dynamic Garment Orthosis, which is a customised full body suit to correct muscle imbalance and posture to improve spinal alignment when in sitting and standing. We can also recommend customised sitting systems and sleeping systems to ensure that a child’s spine is in the best alignment at all times.
3. Early detection of scoliosis means early referral to the Specialist Scoliosis Clinics at the major Children’s Hospitals. Often these Specialist Clinics have long waiting lists to get an appointment, where waiting times can be as long as 12-18 months.
So if you have a child with Cerebral Palsy and they have never had a Spine Check, reach out to My Favourite Physio on 
(02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to find out how we can help your child today!