📌 Book a free discovery call: https://scolicare.com/denver-colorado/

Your pediatrician spends a few seconds looking at your child's back at each checkup. That is not scoliosis screening.

The most accurate physical sign of scoliosis is completely missed by a standard standing check, and by the time a curve shows up that way, it has often already progressed past the point where it is easiest to treat.

In this episode, I'm going to show you exactly how to screen your child for scoliosis at home, step by step, what each finding means, and what your next move should be if something comes up.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Why standard standing checks miss scoliosis
1:22 What the Adams Forward Bending Test is and why it works
2:23 Step-by-step: how to perform the Adams test correctly
4:01 Why viewing angle makes all the difference
5:18 How to read what you see and gauge whether it is significant
7:04 How to use a Scoliometer for more accurate home measurement
8:59 What a positive result means (and what it does not diagnose)
10:51 The complete home screening checklist: 6 signs to check from behind
12:32 How to find a true scoliosis specialist and what to ask for
13:27 How often to recheck if everything looks clear today


❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What is the Adams Forward Bending Test for scoliosis?

The Adams Forward Bending Test is the most accurate physical screening for scoliosis. Have your child bend forward at the waist with hands together and arms extended, then crouch behind them and look level with their spine. You are looking for any visible humping in the mid or lower back caused by spinal rotation.

Can you check for scoliosis at home without any equipment?

Yes. The Adams Forward Bending Test takes a few minutes and requires nothing but your eyes. Have your child bend at the waist with arms straight and look horizontally along their spine from behind. Seeing the same rib hump or lumbar bump repeatedly across multiple checks is a reliable signal that professional evaluation is warranted.

What does a positive Adams Forward Bending Test mean?

A visible hump on one side of the rib cage or lower back during the Adams test indicates spinal rotation, which is the most reliable physical sign of scoliosis. A positive result is not a diagnosis on its own, but it means full-spine standing X-rays should be ordered by a scoliosis specialist to confirm the curve and measure its severity.

📱 RESOURCES
Website: https://scolicare.com/denver-colorado/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScoliCareDenverColorado
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scolicaredenvercolorado/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScoliCareDenverColorado

🔔 Subscribe for evidence-based scoliosis education, treatment updates, and patient stories from a specialist who treats scoliosis and hyperkyphosis every single day.

ABOUT DR. CHRIS GUBBELS:

Dr. Chris Gubbels is a scoliosis specialist at ScoliCare Denver with 18 years of experience and over 6,500 patients treated. He specializes in non-surgical treatment of scoliosis and hyperkyphosis using 3D corrective bracing (ScoliBrace) and scoliosis-specific rehabilitation (ScoliBalance).

His philosophy: the right treatment at the right time is the difference between staying ahead of the curve and ending up in surgery.


#Scoliosis #ScoliosisTreatment #ScoliosisExercises #ScoliosisBrace #SpinalHealth

📌 Book a free discovery call: https://scolicare.com/denver-colorado/

Your child's scoliosis could be progressing right now without a single complaint or symptom. By the time most families notice something is off, the most effective treatment window has often already closed. These five signs are subtle, easy to dismiss as bad posture, and almost always present long before a diagnosis is ever made.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the five visible warning signs of scoliosis every parent needs to know, plus how to screen your child at home in under five minutes.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Early Scoliosis Signs Most Parents Never Catch
1:49 Sign 1: Uneven Shoulders Are Not Just Bad Posture
4:00 Sign 2: Rib Humping and the Adams Forward Bend Test
5:45 Why School Scoliosis Screenings Were Eliminated in the U.S.
8:00 How to Do the Adams Test at Home
8:46 Sign 3: Scapular Winging and What It Actually Reveals
10:07 Sign 4: Uneven Hips and Pelvic Asymmetry
13:00 Sign 5: Asymmetrical Waistline and Body Shift
15:37 The Linchpin: Why Puberty Is the Critical Detection Window

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q: What are the earliest visible signs of scoliosis in children?
A: The five most common early signs are uneven shoulders, rib humping, scapular winging, uneven hips, and an asymmetrical waistline. Most appear well before any pain, which is why families so often miss them until the curve has already grown significant.

Q: How can I check my child for scoliosis at home?
A: Have your child stand with their shirt off and look from the back. Then have them do the Adams Forward Bend Test: hands together, arms straight, leaning forward at the waist. Look for any humping or asymmetry in the upper or lower back. If you see anything suspicious, see a scoliosis specialist for a proper evaluation.

Q: When is scoliosis most likely to get worse?
A: Scoliosis progresses fastest during puberty growth spurts, especially the first two years. Girls should be screened around ages 10 and 12, boys between 13 and 14. That is the window where a small curve can become a severe one within a short time frame.

📱 RESOURCES
Website: https://scolicare.com/denver-colorado/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ScoliCareDenverColorado
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scolicaredenvercolorado/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScoliCareDenverColorado

🔔 Subscribe for evidence-based scoliosis education, treatment updates, and patient stories from a specialist who treats scoliosis and hyperkyphosis every single day.

ABOUT DR. CHRIS GUBBELS: Dr. Chris Gubbels is a scoliosis specialist at ScoliCare Denver with 18 years of experience and over 6,500 patients treated. He specializes in non-surgical treatment of scoliosis and hyperkyphosis using 3D corrective bracing (ScoliBrace) and scoliosis-specific rehabilitation (ScoliBalance). His philosophy: the right treatment at the right time is the difference between staying ahead of the curve and ending up in surgery.

#Scoliosis #ScoliosisTreatment #ScoliosisExercises #ScoliosisBrace #SpinalHealth

📌 Book a free discovery call: https://scolicare.com/denver-colorado/

Your doctor looked at the X-ray and said the curve is mild. Come back in six months. That advice felt safe, responsible, and adult, and it may be the single most damaging guidance a scoliosis patient or parent ever receives.

By the time most families realize what watch and wait has actually cost them, the easiest treatment window has already closed.

In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the five realities of watch and wait that almost no provider explains, so you can stop waiting and start staying ahead of the curve.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

0:00 The Worst Scoliosis Advice Doctors Give (A Specialist Exposes the Truth)
1:35 Reality 1: Every Big Curve Started as a Small Curve
4:25 Reality 2: Why Bracing Thresholds Are Decades Behind the Science
7:58 The Full Spectrum of Non-Surgical Scoliosis Options
9:36 Reality 3: Why "Mild" Scoliosis Does Not Mean Minor
11:40 Three Questions to Ask After a Mild Scoliosis Diagnosis
12:36 Reality 4: Every Month You Wait, the Spine Gets Stiffer
15:42 Reality 5: Stop Watching, Start Staying Ahead of the Curve
17:08 The Real Cost of Untreated Scoliosis
17:30 What to Do Tonight: One Step Out of Watch and Wait

❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q: Is "watch and wait" actually dangerous for mild scoliosis?
A: In many cases, yes. Scoliosis is progressive by nature, and waiting allows the curve to grow while the spine becomes stiffer and far less responsive to non-surgical treatment.

Q: Can a small scoliosis curve really progress into a severe one?
A: Yes. With significant growth remaining, a 13 degree curve can become a 45 degree curve within a few years if no proactive treatment is started. Smaller curves are easier to correct because the spine is still flexible.

Q: What questions should I ask after a mild scoliosis diagnosis?
A: Ask about remaining skeletal growth, the estimated risk of curve progression based on age and curve location, and what treatment options are available right now, not only once the curve gets worse.

📱 RESOURCES
Website: https://scolicare.com/denver-colorado/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scolicaredenvercolorado/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScoliCareDenverColorado

🔔 Subscribe for evidence-based scoliosis education, treatment updates, and patient stories from a specialist who treats scoliosis and hyperkyphosis every single day.

ABOUT DR. CHRIS GUBBELS: Dr. Chris Gubbels is a scoliosis specialist at ScoliCare Denver with 18 years of experience and over 6,500 patients treated. He specializes in non-surgical treatment of scoliosis and hyperkyphosis using 3D corrective bracing (ScoliBrace) and scoliosis-specific rehabilitation (ScoliBalance). His philosophy: the right treatment at the right time is the difference between staying ahead of the curve and ending up in surgery.

#Scoliosis #ScoliosisTreatment #ScoliosisExercises #ScoliosisBrace #SpinalHealth