28 Apr 😮Did you know that a child 👧 with special needs is at an increased risk of developing scoliosis in their spine Scoliosis refers to the curvature that develops in the spine causing the spine to bends sideways and rotates along its vertical axis. 🥺Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity in children and a child with special needs is at a higher risk of scoliosis because of the 3 following reasons:
😬1.Muscle Imbalance on each side of the body. For example a child with hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy where one side of their body is affected, tends to use one side of their body more than the other, which causes the spine to rotate and bend more towards one side.
😬2.Variable muscle tone. Children with Cerebral Palsy have movement dysfunction due to either increased muscle tone or decreased muscle tone, which means that the muscles along the spine may pull unequally on each side leading to scoliosis in the spine.
😬3. Decreased mobility. Children with Cerebral Palsy who are unable to walk, tend to spend more time seated in a wheelchair which means that their spine tends to be in the same position for a prolonged period of time. Over time, this leads to increased risk of scoliosis developing along with increased risk of hip dislocation.
Due to the above reasons, it is important to have annual Spine Checks for your child with special needs to monitor your child’s spine development. Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists 🤓are proactive towards preventing scoliosis in children with special needs. We offer a variety of treatment solutions such as Dynamic Garment Orthosis to correct and counter balance movement dysfunction along the spine, Seating systems to ensure that a child’s spine is well supported in sitting and Early Intervention Physiotherapy to help a child learn to move symmetrically to prevent muscle imbalance leading to scoliosis.
So if you have a child with special needs and you are concerned about their spine health, reach out to My Favourite Physio 📱on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to find out how our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists can help your child improve their spine development today!