Scoliosis Awareness Month: Early Detection Is Key

(CBS4)- June is Scoliosis Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and education about the disease. Kelly Werthmann spoke with Dr. Jaren Riley from Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.

Scoliosis affects some 6 to 9 million people in the United States. Detecting and diagnosing a curvature in the spine is important, especially for young boys and girls.

Dr. Riley says it's important especially if you have a teenager who's active in sports or any other extracurricular activities. He says treatments like having to wear a brace can be tough, especially for young girls.

He even mentioned how some parents of patients remember living with scoliosis saying, "Braces can be really tough. So actually, I get a lot of mothers in my office whose children need to be braced and the mother was braced when she was a teenager and they still carry scars from that."

The key to proper scoliosis treatment is having full support from a doctor and staff when children are involved.