Scoliosis or curvature of the spine affects about 1.5 per cent of the adolescent population. When it occurs for no apparent reason, it is called idiopathic scoliosis.
Newer testing procedures may be shedding some light on the causes of scoliosis. There is some evidence to suggest that scoliosis may be a neurologic disorder of some sort.
Studies show that some people with scoliosis have other neurologic symptoms that point to a central nervous system (CNS) problem. Ultrasound has also been used to show that the muscles on one side of the spine are larger than on the other side. Muscle testing shows an equal amount of asymmetry in muscle strength from one side to the other.
It’s not clear yet if these changes in muscle size and strength result in the scoliosis or if they occur naturally as a result of the scoliosis. EMG studies are underway to help sort this out.
And in another study, adolescent athletes who used one side more than the other were more likely to develop scoliosis from the uneven use of the muscles. This observation was made in athletes who used single-arm skills. Javelin throwers, tennis players, and swimmers were at greatest risk.
Your son should not stop exercising or participating in sports. He may benefit from a specific exercise program that targets the paraspinal muscles (muscles alongside the spine).
Progressive resistive exercises for the trunk should be done to both sides using exercise equipment for this purpose. He should start out with weight equal to one-fourth his own body weight. When he can easily do 20 repetitions of each exercise, then he can increase the resistance by five per cent. The exercises should be done twice weekly for 15 minutes.