Table of Contents Scoliosis Who Gets Scoliosis? What Causes Scoliosis? Diagnosing Scoliosis Pictures of Scoliosis Scoliosis Treatments Other Scoliosis Treatments Scoliosis Treatment - Braces Scoliosis Treatment - Surgery Scoliosis Treatment - Excercise Scoliosis Research Keeping on Top of Your Condition More Information About Scoliosis

Who Gets Scoliosis?

People of all ages can have scoliosis, but this booklet focuses on children and adolescents. Of every 1,000 children, 3 to 5 develop spinal curves that are considered large enough to need treatment. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (scoliosis of unknown cause) is the most common type and occurs after the age of 10. Girls are more likely than boys to have this type of scoliosis. Since scoliosis can run in families, a child who has a parent, brother, or sister with idiopathic scoliosis should be checked regularly for scoliosis by the family physician.

Idiopathic scoliosis can also occur in children younger than 10 years of age, but is very rare. Early onset or infantile idiopathic scoliosis occurs in children less than 3 years old. It is more common in Europe than in the United States. Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 10.