7: The Truth About a Sports Physical and Scoliosis

“Is a sports physical enough to find and diagnose scoliosis?” This question pops up a lot in our world. A sports physical typically takes 30 minutes and is focused on measuring important vital signs to assess whether it is safe to start a new sport or a new sports season. Checking for scoliosis is not always at the top of the list, therefore a scoliosis diagnosis might be missed during the exam. Or it might be found, but be given the “wait and see” suggestion if the physician is not specialized in it. Today Dr. Mandy shares some important information that parents need to know about a sports physical and scoliosis. Gaps in the sports physical process: * Not all kids play sports, so they don’t get a sports physical. Scoliosis can be missed simply from not having any doctor appointments.* Parents assume the sports physical will catch scoliosis, but it doesn’t. And then a diagnosis gets missed. What can you do? * Kids ages 10-14 should be checked ever year for scoliosis. If a sports physical is already scheduled, specifically ask your provider to check their spine for scoliosis or request a referral to a specialist if needed. * If you have been told there is a curve in your child’s spine, get an x-ray so you know exactly what kind of scoliosis you are dealing with. Thanks for listening to this episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get this show on your device each week. Connect with us for more scoliosis resources. This show is produced by RAYMA Team Media.