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Essay Name       : 577.txt 
Uploader         : Derek Ivy
Email Address    : rivy@ldd.net 
Language         : English
Subject          : Health
Title            : Coping with Scoliosis
Grade            : 100%
School System    : Sikeston Public Schools
Country          : U.S.A.
Author Comments  : 
Teacher Comments : well done
Date             : 11/3/96
Site found at    : Classmate
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DEREK IVY - COPING WITH SCOLIOSIS

Aitcheson, C. (1996). Guest Editorial:  Ready to straighten up?  This common condition
that contorts spine and self-image is correctable!  Cosmopolitan, Feb., 116-120.


SUMMARY


	Gracefully, the statuesque Southern belle walked toward the stage, each delicate 
step bringing her closer to the moment she'd been dreading.  After seven years as a
beauty-pageant contestant, she was facing her first swimsuit competition, about to     
perform a 360-degree turn wearing only a one-piece bathing suit, heels, and a smile. 
Although it was a significant portion of the competition, she executed the twirl a bit too
fast, because she didn't want the judges to scrutinize a scar that ran the entire length of
her spine, the result of an operation eleven years earlier to correct scoliosis.  In the end,
neither her imperfect pivot nor flawed posterior seemed to matter:  Michelle Mauney,
twenty-five, won the swimsuit competition and the title of Miss North Carolina U.S.A.
1995.
	"I was scared and self-conscious until the instant the winner was announced,"
recalls Michelle.  "Walking around in a bathing suit in front of all those people was the
hardest thing I'd ever done, but it really boosted my confidence and made me feel normal
for the first time in my life!" 
	No one knows exactly what causes scoliosis, but since the disorder seems to run
in families, researchers have long suspected genetics play an important role.  Less-
common causes include vertebral birth defects and neuromuscular diseases such as
cerebral palsy and spina bifida. 
	What is scoliosis?  A chronic, progressive condition affecting approximately 2
percent of the population.  Typically, it strikes girls between ages ten and fifteen, causing
their backbones to bow from side to side rather than grow in a straight line from neck to
tailbone.  Although not life-threatening, if left untreated, a misshapen spine may rotate,
constricting rib cage, encroaching on lungs and heart, and often devastating self-esteem.
PERSONAL REACTION
	I feel that most people with scoliosis are hesitant to talk about their body's
becoming crooked.  If poor body image is not addressed, it may lead to lack of
participation in normal activity.  We should encourage people to be active and to deal
with the very private feeling of the asymmetry of their bodies.  
	There's no physical activity a scoliotic can't do, within reason.  Exercise won't
stop a curve's progression, but it will help stretch muscles and ligaments of even braced
and surgical patients.  Staying limber can help reduce backache, fatigue, and stiffness. If
you are involved in activities that require repetitive twisting, bending and turning, you
should apply good body mechanics.  Exercise properly to acquire good muscle tone and
increase your endurance.
	I feel that it is important for schools to have mandatory screening programs, since
many cases are discovered this way.  The screening programs are mandatory in twenty-
one states, and voluntary in several others.  Although the onset of scoliosis usually occurs
in adolescence, many people delay treatment until they're grown.
	Spines curved by ten to twenty-five degrees should be periodically observed by a
doctor; in most cases, the arch won't get worse or require any treatment.  For some people
a back brace is prescribed to hold the spine in place.  For curves of fifty degrees or more,
surgery can stop the progression, rebalance the body, and possibly reduce the arch.
	A scoliotic's family and friends should be extremely supportive of them.  From
their experience with scoliosis, they must learn the correct way to handle strangers' stares
because they look a little different.  Most important, they must have a fighting spirit that
uses laughter, reason, and love to overcome all obstacles!                              
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