HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SCOLIOSIS?
Scoliosis is a condition of the spine which causes it to form an “S” or “C” shape when viewed behind. As Scoliotic curves get bigger there can be negative impacts to health. In younger people Scoliosis tends to progress over time – becoming worse if not treated. Untreated, Scoliosis can lead to physical deformity, pain, difficulty with exercising and mobility and in severe cases can impact the functioning of the vital organs.
About 2 – 3% of all adolescents will develop Scoliosis. (that’s approximately one in each class at school), with the majority of cases initially appearing in those between 11 and 14 years of age. Research indicates that seven out of ten children with this condition will worsen and require active treatment – this is especially the case for those who develop Scoliosis as a Juvenile, in which case curves almost never resolve without treatment.
Until recently, it was thought that surgery was the only way to correct Scoliosis – however, over the last decade or so, there has been huge progress in Scoliosis treatment, so that today we can successfully treat most cases which are detected early without surgery. Early detection is key however, and in the UK, there’s currently no program to screen children for Scoliosis. This, in our view, is major problem since screening takes less than 2 minutes once you know how.
Today there is significant evidence which shows that the number of scoliosis sufferers eventually requiring surgery can be substantially reduced where non-surgical treatment (such as scoliosis-specific exercise, or bracing) is available – just look at the photo below! The earlier treatment is started, the better the outcome. Research also confirms that in areas where screening programs exist, fewer patients ultimately require surgery for scoliosis.
June is Scoliosis awareness month, and this June, our founder Dr Paul Irvine, wants to teach as many parents as possible how to screen their own children for Scoliosis, but if you’re a parent, or teacher, we need your help!
WHAT WE’RE OFFERING
This Scoliosis Awareness Month, the UK Scoliosis clinic is offering local schools a totally FREE presentation and awareness event for parents of children in the age groups where Scoliosis screening can be valuable – this will include:
- Presentation in person from Scoliosis expert, Dr Paul Irvine
- Free handouts and information material
- Demonstration of how to screen their children for Scoliosis
- Information on how to seek help in the event of concerns about Scoliosis
- Question and answer session
In order to reach as many parents as possible, we need your help:
Parents – Please get in touch with your school and ask them to arrange a free presentation!
Teachers – Please fill out the form at the bottom of this page and we’ll contact you to discuss your free presentation!
A couple of other important points:
- Presentation times and dates will be arranged to be convenient for parent groups and school administrators, the expectation is most will take place after school hours, Monday – Friday.
- The presentation is given primarily to promote awareness and empower parents to screen their children on an ongoing basis. As such, it will not involve any screening of parents or children for scoliosis and no diagnostic services will be provided, however, we will be happy to welcome anyone to the clinic should they have concerns they would wish to discuss at a consultation.
- Presentations will be FREE of charge, including any relevant handouts and reading material.
- Bookings for free presentations are open until 30th June, 2024.
- Please fill out the form below, and we will contact interested schools with further information and to arrange your event ASAP.
WHAT IS THE UK SCOLIOSIS CLINIC?
The UK Scoliosis Clinic is the leading provider of Non-surgical treatment for Scoliosis, based in Chelmsford, Essex. It was founded by Dr Paul Irvine in 2017 and offers treatments such as bracing and exercise-based approaches.
While the UK Scoliosis Clinic is a business, we dedicate our time and money to raising Scoliosis Awareness each year, especially during Scoliosis Awareness month. As a Parent, Paul is especially extremely concerned with raising the awareness level of other families, since there is little to no information available to most people.