Signs of scoliosis may include:
- Uneven shoulders
- One shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other
- Uneven waist
- One hip higher than the other
- Leaning to one side
As scoliosis curves get worse, the spine will also rotate or twist, in addition to curving side to side. This causes the ribs on one side of the body to stick out farther than on the other side. Severe scoliosis can cause back pain and difficulty breathing.
Most children with scoliosis have mild curves — less than 20 degrees — and probably won’t need a brace or surgery. Periodic checkups are needed, though, to be sure the curve doesn’t progress. Kids who are still growing need checkups every three to six months to see if there have been changes in the curvature of their spines.
Curvature of the spine is due to caries or destruction of the bodies of the vertebrae. It consists in depression of one shoulder, the body being thrown out of its axis, by the curvature. This affection is caused by occupations which keep the body in a laterally distorted position, and tax one side of the body more than the other. It is produced in children who study their lessons at school, with one elbow resting on a high desk.
The Complete Herbalist; The People Their Own Physicians by the Use of Nature's Remedies by Dr. O. Phelps Brown