Updated March 13, 2018 10:17:27The best way to correct a spine curve in children, especially in children with multiple sclerosis, is to first correct the curvature of the spine and then make the correction, a spine rehabilitation specialist said.
In a study of children who were evaluated in the early stages of MS and spinal cord injury, the National Spine Center in the United Kingdom found that only about one in 10 patients with multiple-sclerosis had a curve that was perfectly straight.
“In children with MS, it is often difficult to make corrections,” said Dr. John Mather, chair of spine rehabilitation at the National Center for Spine Rehabilitation in Bethesda, Maryland.
“The correct curvature is one of the first things to correct.
When the curve is perfect, there is no need to make the corrections,” he said.
The curve is usually a little more curved in the adult brain than in children because the brain is more developed and the brain needs more time to develop and correct.
To correct the curve, Mather recommends changing the angle of the wrist and placing a small pillow on the back of the child’s neck to prevent the spine from bending.
“It is important to be mindful of the curvatures and correct them as soon as possible,” Mather said.
Children who have more than one condition can have more problems.
“We find that children with more than two different types of spinal cord injuries have a greater chance of developing the correction and more difficulty correcting the curve,” said Mather.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that adults with MS should also try to correct the spine curve as soon and as often as possible, even if they don’t have other conditions that may require correction.
“Correcting the curve early is one step towards treating and preventing other problems and the spine curvature that is characteristic of multiple sclerosis,” said CDC spokesperson Jessica Schmitz.
“The best approach is to use the corrections and corrective movements as much as possible to correct and correct the spinal cord curvature.”
This is an update to an earlier version of this article that was published on March 12, 2018.