I think DS has scoliosis but nobody doing anything about it

[hobbgoblin]

Have several health things going on with DC at the moment but promise I do not suffer from Munchhausen's by Proxy wotsit.

DS has always had a sticky out rib since birth and at under a year old I mentioned to HV who said not to worry. Ever since then been told he'd grow out of it.

Well, he hasn't and is now 9 and says it hurts sometimes so I took him to GP following school's observations of him having a strange gait. He had a strabismus diagnosed at age 7 so I thought his awkward walk was due to that but that's now corrected and still he walks oddly.

GP said he had a twist in his upper body - she did not use the term scoliosis but I have Googled since. Anyway, she decided not to refer unless he experiences pain. I am not sure if I am happy with this.

Admittedly the problem seems mild, and is not causing him pain yet but I understand that things can change during pubescewnt growth spurts.

Should I go back?

DH and my bf both have scoliosis. DH's is mild and he was just monitored throughout puberty. He had and has some pain with it, but nothing unmanageable. His ribs are odd, he actually has an extra rib but his right rib cage is more prominent than the left and his right shoulder higher than his left (ditto his hips/shoulderblades etc, also has one leg longer than the other- all down to the scoliosis).

My bf has quite severe scoliosis that required surgery on a few occasions and several braces. She was treated while we were at primary school and onwards. DH was also diagnosed in primary school.

I think sometimes the wait and see option is fine but it's such a wide ranging condition that if you're not happy I'd ask for further investigation.

Thank you, that's both reassurring and helpful. How does one define mild do you know?!

I don't know. I presume mild and 'needing no treatment' were synonymous in dh's case. It caused no problems that weren't manageable and did not affect his quality of life. In fact any efforts to correct it would have been more invasive, potentially more dangerous even than just dealing with the odd issue. He had to have orthotics once he'd been through puberty but only as he was a keen sportsman and the leg length difference was causing muscular problems.

DH is a triathlete btw. V fit and active, cycles 25 miles to work every day. It hasn't held him back in the slightest.

Hi Hobbgoblin, I have just answered your other thread. Yes go back. Scoliosis involves both a twist and an uneveness of hips. Scoliosis is also sometimes found in sufferers of EDS. You need to get a referral to a rheumatologist and an orthopaedic surgeon. Your gp or your paediatrician should be able to do this. Has the paediatrician ever done a full phsyical examination of your ds, looking at his spine, and how it moves etc? Have you ever had spinal xrays, although these must NEVER be used as definitive in a dx of scoliosis, dx should be on clinical examination only (NHS and NICE guidelines)