He went to the doctor thinking he had a herniated disc, and learned he had scoliosis! 'Early diagnosis is the most powerful weapon'
Scoliosis is defined as the sideways curvature of the spine. This curvature can sometimes be controlled only with exercise and sometimes with major surgeries. Scoliosis, which has various consequences ranging from decreasing the quality of life to different health problems, is a common condition in society. Scoliosis, which is seen in 3 out of every hundred children, is especially common in girls.
Acıbadem Maslak Hospital Spine Health Center, which organizes various events every year to increase public awareness of scoliosis, which has increased treatment success with early diagnosis, held the “Scoliosis Warriors Back to Back, Fearlessly” event this year. In the event; Acıbadem University Orthopedics and Traumatology Department Faculty Member and Spine Health Center Orthopedics and Traumatology Specialist Prof. Dr. Ahmet Alanay shared the most recent developments in scoliosis treatment. He also held a talk where scoliosis warriors shared their own processes and experiences. The event ended with the songs sung by young artist Melis Fis for scoliosis warriors.
'I THOUGHT I HAD A HERNIATED DISC'
In the interview, 23-year-old Melis Fis, who talked about her scoliosis experience, said that she travels a lot due to her busy concerts and that she went to the doctor earlier this year due to back pain , and that she was diagnosed with scoliosis while she was expecting a herniated disc diagnosis. The young singer spoke as follows:
“I actually just recently learned that I have scoliosis. I am currently 23, going on 24, and this is a condition that I have just encountered. But thanks to my teacher Ahmet, I have learned that this is not something to be afraid of and how important early diagnosis is, because I could have had it diagnosed earlier. However, right now, I have learned to live with my scoliosis and I give concerts with it. I go on tour, travel, and I am actually living my life in peace with it.”
The young singer, who emphasized that early diagnosis and treatment are very important in scoliosis, said, “ First of all, I really want to say that scoliosis is something that is seen in approximately three out of a hundred young people and children. Especially in girls. That is why I want to emphasize that families should pay attention to their children's posture and that early diagnosis is very important in this disease as in every disease.”
'THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WE HAVE IS EARLY DIAGNOSIS'
Prof. Dr. Alanay emphasized that the most powerful weapon in the fight against scoliosis, which means the spine is curved to the side, is 'early diagnosis' and emphasized that regular check-ups are essential for children and said:
"The most common type of scoliosis that we see, which includes almost 70-75 percent of all scoliosis, is the type of scoliosis called idiopathic scoliosis, which occurs especially in adolescence, that is, between the ages of 8 and 14. The frequency of its occurrence in adolescence at this age I mentioned is 3 percent. Actually, 3 percent is a very large figure, that is, it is an important public health problem. But we are lucky that not all of these are progressive, they do not disrupt the quality of life, almost 20 percent of them require treatment. If diagnosed early, simpler methods can be used, but if it is late, surgical treatment may be required."
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Alanay stated that thanks to the rapid developments in technology and medicine, they can use motion-preserving surgical techniques in some patients today, and that the most striking of these is the Vertebral Body Tethering technique, which means correction with tape and rope, and that with this method, when applied to the right patients, they can correct the curvature with closed surgery while also preserving the child's growth and the natural movement of the spine.
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