scoliosis screening

[scoliosisat12]

I got a question for you guys.
How many of you people get checked for scoliosis at school. Not to many happen where i live and 2/5 children get it, let me know... Thanks

[rtremb]

Jodi:
Scoliosis screening isn't done in the school's in Ottawa, Ontario. I am writing a letter to our City health department to ask that they start scoliosis screening again since there are new treatments for smaller curves now.
Ruth

[scoliosisat12]

i don't think there are to many places that do screening i wanna write a note to the school board.

[ShanaT]

My elementary school had them a time or two when I was younger.
I don't think they do it anymore though
One my friends actually found out that she scoliosis that way.
But luckily hers was a veryyyy small degree, 11 or 12 maybe?
It's been soooo long ago I don't remember
But anyway, it was not long after I had gotten my back brace, and her mom called my mom in a panic because all she knew of scoliosis was my case, which was more severe and it scared her to death
It surprises me how little people do know about it sometimes

[rtremb]

Jodi:
Very recently I spoke with the Trustee Chairperson of the Ottawa Catholic School Board who is a registered nurse about getting the scoliosis screening reintroduced. While she encouraged me to pursue asking the city health department about getting it reintroduced, she did not offer me any help. This was disappointing to say the least given how important this is!
Ruth

[MATJESNIC]

If you take your child to the doctor every year, here the doctors always look for scoli at their yearly check-ups. That is how we found out.

[Checka729]

Both my elementary and high schools were great about screening for scoli; atleast once a year every child was checked during gym class. Thats how my scoli was found! My own doctor didn't find it during my yearly check-ups. I was put in the Boston Brace a fews month after my school nurse found it.

[ElleBelleCurvz]

Scolio

HEy jodi, I finally got it activated ^_^ yay

ANyway, none of the district screens and I live in Minnesota which I understand is a fairly progressive state in health research and technology.(correct me if Im wrong) Anyway, I have never been screened at school and my wonderful family doctor didnt even think of screening until I was 12. (SHe also detected my astigmatism at a very young age) Even so, we changed fromt hat doctor due to distance and the other doctor was as unexperienced as you could guess. He didn't even check if my heart murmur was an issue let alone check for scoliosis!

I think that we should all fight for scolio screenings in schools yearly! I ve heard that for free every child can get a scolio screening once a year at school, if the school decides to set aside time to accomadate this!

I believe this is a wonderful thing to see and if you look most people are diagnosed by doctors they have had for life, but what about the people that dont or cant afford to go to the doctor?

[scoliosisat12]

we need to do something at least to get it started. kids in my grade have scoli and don't know about it and it can help people out alot

[scoliosisat12]

right now i am writing a persuiasive letter to my community hoping to get something going!!!

[ElleBelleCurvz]

jodi who are you writing it to? i want to write one too! ha but i dont know if it should go to the mayor or the superintendent or my principal! lolz..

[rtremb]

I am attaching a letter I have written to the Medical Officer of Health. I chose him since his office deals with preventing illnesses (i.e., adminster flu shots). I have carbon copied our local Councillor, the Mayor and our provincial Member of Parliament and sent them an email too asking for their support.

Ruth

[MATJESNIC]

Where we live, our doctors look at our children's back every year at their check-ups. That is how we found out about Nicole.

[scoliboymom]

Ruth
I just wanted to make a comment about your writing a letter to your school board. Have you considered going provincial with it? Maybe even a petition. To my knowledge there is no scoliosis screening in any public school in Ontario. Would be wonderful (but costly I imagine) to impliment and there would be lots of support from many parents. The other thing I wanted to point out is that the screening should be done more then once, and probably at different times for boys and girls. My sons curves progressed very rapidly within the 8 months from time of discovery to surgery. I have photos of him sitting by the pool 12 months previous to discovery, perfect view of his back, and absolutely no sign of scoliosis, no rib hump, no curved spine. We will never know if early intervention could have stopped his progression but I wish we had the chance to try.
Good luck with your letters and you have my support.
Ramona

[rtremb]

Ramona:

Thanks for your comments and support. My letter is to the Ottawa Medical Officer of Health who is also the provincial representative here in Ottawa.

I have copied the letter to Jim Watson who was previously the Minister of Health Promotion for Ontario and is our local provincial representative. I know him and his staff well from my community work. I also copied the Mayor who used to be my neighbour and our City Councillor who I also know very well from my community work. Hopefully by spreading the letter around someone will pick it up as a "good idea" and work it. I personally don't have time to do a Petition at the moment but I agree a Petition is a good idea.

I agree that early detection is everything especially with the new treatments available and I also agree with you that the screening should be done more than once during the teen years. The medical staff are in the schools administering vaccinations in Grades 7 and 8 here in Ottawa so this would be an efficient way to do the repeated screening.

I decided that involving the School Boards at this time wouldn't do any good. They won't be the ones paying for the screening. Also I spoke to the Chairperson of the Ottawa Catholic Board and I didn't get the impression she wished to take this on as and promote it. She is a nurse and did suggest I take my idea to the local health office. If the province or the City decide to start doing the screening the School Boards will have to cooperate at that time since they have to provide access to the students for issues regarding public health.

Anyway, I will wait and see what happens now that I have sent my letter out...see who responds and what their attitude(s) are towards this idea.

Ruth