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Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a lateral (side) curvature of the spine that can occur in children aged 10 to maturity. The spine may curve to the left or right. Sometimes AIS may start at puberty or during an adolescent growth spurt.Idiopathic means the abnormal curve develops for unknown reasons. There is undoubtedly a genetic pre-disposition for some adolescents to develop AIS. Three to five percent of adolescents will be found to have some form of scoliosis. Most of these children will be girls, in which curves may be more progressive. Scoliosis is a curving of the spine. The spine curves away from the middle or sideways.

Idiopathic scoliosis is considered in three age groups: Infantile–from birth to three years of age, juvenile–from greater than three years of age through nine years of age and, adolescent from 10-18 years of age. The adolescent type is the most common and represents about 80% of this type of scoliosis. In addition to the amount of spinal deformity, the patient’s physiological age is assessed, i.e., is growth completed or is there more potential spinal growth .

Scoliosis is detected by examination of the back. sometimes unequal shoulders helps find it but mostly the bend-over test is most helpful. The picture demonstrates how the child is bent over to touch their knees and the ribs are seen to be unequal in height. They are usually close to 1 inch or more difference. Sometimes the shoulders can be unequal and the back is straight.

Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis and is present in 2 to 4% of children aged 10 to 16 yr. Boys and girls are equally affected; however, it is 10 times more likely to progress and require treatment in girls.

Idiopathic spinal deformity, also called idiopathic scoliosis, is a curvature of the spine that cannot be attributed to any other known cause or diagnosis. While some youngsters spontaneously get better, or as some say “grow out of their scoliosis,” for most children it is critical to treat the problem as soon as it is discovered in order to have the optimal benefit of treatment during their growth years. Once the skeleton is mature, the alignment of the spine can only be changed by surgical intervention. It is not possible to predict which children will spontaneously recover and so it is imperative that all children with spinal curvatures have an evaluation by a skilled team of expert medical caregivers. If the child is a candidate for electrical stimulation to treat their idiopathic scoliosis, the home protocol is easy to implement.