The physiology of newborns is significantly different from that of adults. The ligamentous-muscular apparatus of infants develops during the first year. Increased bone flexibility and clicking of the articular ligaments are common in toddlers. Often, inexperienced parents know little about this, so after the first case, they immediately turn to specialists with questions.

The development of joints in infants

Small children after birth are little adapted to life outside the womb. The systems of internal organs and the musculoskeletal system in an infant function poorly.

The dynamics of development of the whole organism is not always proportional. Babies gain weight, which interferes with the strengthening of bone tissue. After six months, the kids begin to actively move, gradually lose weight. Most children by this time learn to sit, some of them are already beginning to crawl. Fat goes away, muscles and tendons appear, bones become strong and strong. By the end of the first year of life, the child will be able to confidently stand on his feet. The development of the articular and ligamentous apparatus is a long process that lasts for several years.

Causes of crunching in the joints

During exercise, you can hear the click of the baby's arm or leg. Mothers begin to wonder why the child's joints crackle.

The main reason is the physiological feature of infants. The skeletons of a newborn and an adult are significantly different. Immature joints and bones play a role defense mechanism. In the event of an accidental fall or injury, flexible tissues are less susceptible to damage.

Lack of joint lubrication can also cause cracking. The rapid growth of children is not always good. The child is actively growing, the bones are stretched, the joints are enlarged. The skeleton becomes larger, but the body does not have time to adapt to it, and continues to secrete joint lubrication in the same volumes, but they are not enough.

Severe bruises and injuries can provoke deformation of the joints, which causes a crunch. In case of such situations, you need to take an x-ray and consult a doctor.

Problem Diagnosis

Clicking immature cartilage wears more natural character and is not a cause for concern. In rare cases, the cause is a disease such as dysplasia. This is a congenital disease in which the head of the femoral joint is not fully connected to the articular cavity. The patient's bones develop slowly, without proper treatment, the skeleton is formed incorrectly, which can lead to a child's disability.

Signs of dysplasia:

  • Explicit asymmetry of the folds in the baby's legs.
  • Clicking when moving the legs to the sides.
  • One limb is shorter than the other.

This disease is hereditary, often transmitted from mother to daughter. Girls get sick four times more often.

Arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism can also cause crunch in children. They can be triggered by metabolic disorders, sometimes they are complications of past infectious diseases.

Survey plan

Experienced specialists are able to recognize dysplasia within a few days after birth. Availability external signs in children is not enough to make a definitive diagnosis. Examination of the child should be done by a specialized doctor: a surgeon or an orthopedist. Ultrasound examination will help in clarifying the medical conclusion. Radiography is applicable only for children older than 8 months.

Dysplasia is a serious disease that requires good complex treatment and special care. If violations are found, you must follow all the instructions of the doctor, do physical exercises, massage, warm baths, physiotherapy procedures.

Prevention

The baby's body develops at a rapid pace. Full growth of bones, strengthening of muscles and ligaments is impossible without nutrition, saturated with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. The daily diet should include daily rate all useful substances, for this you need to eat:

  • dairy;
  • dried fruits;
  • eggs;
  • cereals;
  • sea ​​fish;
  • beef liver;
  • fruit.

It is clear that feeding the baby with the listed useful products impossible, so the mother must make sure that the baby can get everything he needs with milk.

Physical activity for babies will help strengthen the bones and muscular system. You can do exercises from 3-4 months. Most of the complexes of physical exercises are aimed at stretching the ligaments, strengthening the muscles, and developing the vestibular apparatus.

If a child has cracked joints, this is not a cause for concern. Up to a year this is quite common. Children grow, their musculoskeletal system develops until about 18 years of age. Limbs click in infants, usually due to natural features skeleton or from a lack of vitamins.

Dysplasia in a child: symptoms and treatment of joints in children

The word "dysplasia" literally means from the ancient Greek language "violation of education", where "dis" - violation, "plasia" - development or education.

Joint dysplasia is a violation of the process of formation of articular structures.

Such a pathology affects not only the articular surfaces of cartilage and bones, but also neighboring muscles, as well as the ligamentous apparatus.

In some types of diseases, joint dysplasia develops along with severe organ damage.

Causes of joint dysplasia

Dysplasia is one of the varieties of malformations. The musculoskeletal system begins its development at the 4th week of embryonic development. The end of formation is in the neonatal period.

The main causes of joint dysplasia are gene mutations or the effect of negative factors on the fetus during its gestation. In particular, the following factors are distinguished:

  1. Malnutrition and/or malnutrition
  2. Constant tension of a pregnant woman,
  3. Smoking, drug and alcohol use,
  4. oligohydramnios,
  5. Infectious diseases,
  6. malnutrition,
  7. Stress.

Articular dysplasia, which is genetically determined, is one of the types of connective tissue dysplasia. All these conditions are included in the group of hereditary pathologies, including:

  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome,
  • marfan syndrome,
  • imperfect osteogenesis.

Together with some clinical differences, these diseases have one thing in common - a violation of the synthesis of protein compounds (collagen and glycoproteins). They provide stability to the connective structures, i.e. muscles, joints and bones.

In such conditions, not only the joints undergo changes, but also the musculoskeletal system as a whole. So, the configuration of the spine, chest, legs and feet is disturbed. In addition, pathological changes appear in the systems of internal organs, for example, in the digestive, cardiovascular, nervous or respiratory systems.

As a rule, dysplasia is not pronounced and occurs in isolation, and is first detected only during the period of growing up. Usually, a person initially pays attention to the instability of the articular ligaments, excessive mobility of some joints, for example, the hip joint.

In adults, joint dysplasia can occur due to premature wear and tear against the background of constant stress when dancing or playing sports.

Key Features

Most often among dysplasia, functional and structural disorders are diagnosed. hip joints in newborns. According to statistical information, dysplasia occurs in 2-3% of infants.

The condition has another name - congenital dislocation of the hip. At the same time, girls get sick more often than boys. The question arises: why does pathology occur in the hip joints?

There is a definite explanation for this. The fact is that during a newborn, the hip joint is not mature enough from the anatomical side.

The joint forms the acetabulum of the pelvis, and the head of the femur. The hip joint has its own capsule, it is strengthened by ligaments and muscles.

The acetabulum is surrounded by a cartilaginous lip, which increases the point of contact between the acetabulum and the head.

During the neonatal period, the area of ​​this cavity is significantly larger than the head of the femur, and has a beveled surface, as a result of which conditions for dislocation are formed. In addition, hip dysplasia can appear:

  1. due to the slow ossification of the head, as well as neighboring areas of the femur,
  2. due to the high elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus and joint capsule.

To date, the following types of hip dysplasia are known:

  • Dysplasia of the femoral head and the bone itself,
  • Rotational dysplasia - changes in the axis of the joint,
  • Acetabular dysplasia - changes in the acetabulum,

Hip dysplasia has several stages of severity:

  1. Predislocation, when the head leaves the articular surface, but during movement it returns to the right place,
  2. Subluxation, when the head is slightly displaced beyond the acetabulum,
  3. Dislocation, when the head is completely displaced beyond the acetabulum, while the dislocation is not reduced.

The photo shows that knee dysplasia, together with additional disorders, led to a dislocation of the lower leg. Due to structural changes in the joint, pathological mobility appeared.

Dislocation of the hip is an extreme degree of disorders. There are main symptoms of congenital dislocation of the hip:

  • Shortening of the leg on the side of dislocation,
  • Asymmetry of skin folds. It is determined when laying the child on the stomach,
  • characteristic click. If the child’s hip joint clicks, this symptom indicates the reduction of the dislocation when the child’s legs are spread to the sides that were previously bent at the hip and knee joints. A click is observed in a child with hip dislocation up to 3 months.
  • Lead restriction. In a healthy child, the angle of abduction towards the legs, bent at the hip and knee joints, is 80-90 degrees. If there is hip dysplasia, then the angle is much smaller. It usually occurs in a child under 1 year old.

It is worth noting that few parents pay due attention to these signs, so hip dysplasia is detected in the later stages, when the child develops the walking skill.

With dysplasia, the child begins to walk later than his peers, and during this period there are also warning signs:

  1. lameness (with unilateral dysplasia),
  2. waddling "duck" gait (with bilateral dysplasia).

Knee dysplasia is diagnosed several times less frequently than hip dysplasia. As a rule, it is the result of violations in the growth of cartilage tissue of the patella, or tibia.

Clinically, knee dysplasia is manifested by visible changes in the configuration of the knee joint. Characteristic signs:

  • pain when walking
  • valgus (O-shaped) or varus (X-shaped) curvature of the legs.

Sometimes there may be dysplasia of the ankle joints, its main feature is the deformity of the ankle, lower leg and foot according to the type of clubfoot.

The pathology is bilateral in nature, and in most cases it occurs in boys.

Associated pathological disorders

With connective tissue dysplasia of genetic condition, pathological changes in the form of hypermobility have multiple signs and appear in various joints.

There are frequent cases of dysplasia of the vertebrae and tubular bones, when various types of curvature of the spine appear:

  1. scoliosis,
  2. pathological lordosis,
  3. kyphosis.

But the curvature of the spine can be secondary, it happens when the load on the spine increases with dysplasia of the joints of the lower extremities. In most cases, along with the spine, the pathology also affects the chest.

At the same time, together with the musculoskeletal system, they lend themselves to various violations and internal organs. For example, the cardiovascular system may have the form of paw defects, thinning of the walls (aneurysms) of large vessels is not excluded.

There may be visual disorders, expressed in subluxation of the lens and retinal detachment. There is also a prolapse of the kidneys and organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Treatment process

For effective treatment of articular dysplasia in a child, it is necessary to start it as early as possible. If therapy is not started in a timely manner, then a degenerative process of arthrotic changes will begin in the joint. In the future, this will lead to pronounced movement disorders and disability.

Pavlik's stirrups are one of the best orthopedic tools for eliminating hip dysplasia in a child. Dysplasia stirrups are spacers for fixing and spreading the child's legs, which can be freely adjusted. Varieties of stirrups can be studied from the photo.

In the treatment of hip dysplasia, it is necessary to bring the limbs into the position of abduction and flexion. It is in this position that best conditions to reduce dislocation. Fixation must always be continuous. Active movements in the limbs are preserved.

Various orthopedic devices fully comply with these requirements, for example:

  • tires,
  • baby walkers,
  • panties,
  • pillows.

In severe cases, the dislocation is reduced by a doctor, and the limb is fixed with a plaster cast. An infant with hip dysplasia should not be swaddled tightly.

With dysplasia of the ankle and knee joints placed on the child's legs different types fixing, including plaster, dressings. Treatment should be carried out from the first days of life.

Additional treatment when using orthopedic devices is physiotherapy exercises. Exercises are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities and pelvis. All complexes must be selected for each child individually.

Showing physiotherapy and massage. The following physiotherapy methods are effective:

  • ozokerite,
  • mud,
  • paraffin,
  • electrophoresis.

When conservative therapy is ineffective or the diagnosis was carried out with a delay, then an operation is needed, within the framework of which they perform different kinds plastics and restoration of articular structures.

If there are concomitant disorders on the part of the organs, then it is necessary to carry out symptomatic therapy of these disorders with the help of drugs of various groups.

Watching a child, one never ceases to be surprised at its flexibility. What the baby shows can only be repeated by athletes. But for children, this is absolutely normal. They have softer bones than adults. But in addition to incredible flexibility, they tend to deform.

No exception, and its curvature can cause a lot of problems : changes in posture, back pain, fatigue, dizziness and headaches, hyperactivity and poor digestion.

This is explained by the fact that the deformation of the spine affects the function of the spinal cord. To prevent such problems, take care of strengthening the back muscles of the baby, organize proper nutrition and see your doctor regularly.

Probably everyone knows that the spine has the shape of the letter S. The following sections of the spine are distinguished: cervical, thoracic, vertebral, sacral and coccyx. This shape of the spine makes it a good shock absorber, which springs when walking, running, jumping, and thus protects the brain from vibrations.

The process of formation of the child's spine occurs gradually, and S-shape it only takes a year. When the baby begins to hold his head, a cervical bend is formed. When, crawl and walk - thoracic and lumbar.

If the spinal column strongly bends back - this is called kyphosis, when shifted to the side - scoliosis. There is such a thing as "infant scoliosis". Its appearance is due to the uneven tone of the back muscles on the left and right sides. But such a problem is easily eliminated by massage.

Physiological:

- high pillow and soft mattress (lead to the wrong position of the child);

- heredity (if one of the parents had congenital disorders);

- unbalanced diet.

Psychological

The state of depression, depression leads to the fact that the child is constantly stooping, trying to become invisible. Thus, he tries to protect himself from psychological attack adults.

How to determine if there are violations

It is not difficult to do this even at home. If the child is from 0 to 1.5 years old, this method is suitable for him: put the baby on his stomach and bend the legs at the knees. The spine in this position should only go in the middle of the back.

Ask a child at 1.5 - 3 years old to stand upright for a bit, and look at him from the front. The shoulders and the line of the edge of the kneecaps should be at the same level. From behind, look at the undersides of the shoulder blades, earlobes, gluteal folds, and popliteal fossae. There should be no asymmetry. Otherwise, see a doctor.

Scoliosis is one of the common ailments of children and adolescents, in most cases associated with rapid growth. The disease is completely curable, since the formation of the child's spine is not completed, and it still lends itself quite well to therapeutic correction.

Currently, there are quite a few ways to cure this disease, but their final result largely depends directly on the age at which the disease was diagnosed and when treatment was started.

A disease such as scoliosis is a so-called lateral curvature in a certain area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe spine.

Most often, the disease develops between the ages of 5 and 16 years.

Unfortunately, the disease is considered quite common among children. different ages: among five-year-old children, about five to ten percent of children suffer from scoliosis, and by the age of sixteen, scoliosis is detected in almost fifty percent of adolescents.

Fig.: left - normal, right - scoliosis

Unfortunately, most parents do not pay attention to the fact that their child develops scoliosis and, moreover, do not attach due importance to the prevention of this disease.

Causes

Experts believe that the main reason for the development of scoliosis in children is the wrong posture in which children and adolescents sit during their studies.

It is for this reason that an uneven load appears, which negatively affects both the spine itself and the muscles. It tires and weakens them.

After some time, unwanted changes occur in the ligaments of the spine, and this, in turn, leads to deformation of the vertebrae themselves.

Causes of scoliosis of the cervical spine

Such an ailment as cervical scoliosis can begin to disturb people at absolutely any age.

Among the main and most common causes of such scoliosis, experts distinguish:

  • various injuries received during childbirth (for example, in case of displacement of the bones of the skull itself);
  • acquired injuries of the spine (for example, with a bruise or a fall);
  • incorrect posture;
  • certain illnesses (for example, rickets, rheumatism, certain ailments nervous system, and others).

Photo: cervicothoracic scoliosis in a child

Causes of scoliosis of the thoracic region

The most common cause of scoliosis in the thoracic region is the uneven development and weakness of the entire muscular frame.

In addition, scoliosis of the thoracic region in children can be caused by:

  • improperly distributed / performed physical activity;
  • constant carrying of a heavy bag on one shoulder (often, this is the right side of the body).
  • congenital malformations that are observed in the development of the ligamentous/muscular apparatus;
  • some shortening of the leg (this is absolutely invisible visually, but a difference of even half a centimeter is enough);
  • cerebral palsy;
  • dystrophy of muscle tissue;
  • rickets;
  • muscular spinal atrophy;
  • the appearance of neoplasms (in other words, tumors).

Causes of lumbar scoliosis

Doctors say that the causes of lumbar scoliosis can be both congenital and acquired during life pathology.

Acquired doctors include:

  • trauma;
  • all kinds of violations of the position of the body itself, when they are caused by any physiological characteristics a person (for example, flat feet, myopia, different leg lengths), as well as professional activities;
  • uneven development individual groups muscles;
  • incorrect posture;
  • poor nutrition;
  • not quite correct physical development;
  • inflammatory diseases (for example, tuberculosis, sciatica, pleurisy).

Causes of development in children under 1 year old

Usually, scoliosis in newborns is already considered a congenital pathology (due to the formed extra vertebrae or because of their underdevelopment).

However, acquired scoliosis in babies up to a year also happens. As a rule, it develops due to some kind of birth injury.

Types of curvature of the spine

There are several main types of curvature of the spine in children:

arcuate

In modern medical practice, arcuate scoliosis is considered the most common.

At the same time, the top of the curvature (that is, the formed arc) is usually located on one or two lumbar vertebrae (in outpatient cards, such a curvature is indicated by doctors as L I-II).

Most often this is a left-sided curvature.

Visually, the disease is characterized by the following features:

  • visible left-sided arc in the lumbar spine;
  • there is an uneven distribution of muscle mass directly on the waist: as a rule, there is a clear hypertrophy of the muscles of the entire waist on the left side (or in other words, a significant increase in their volume). At the same time, on the right side - their complete absence.

Fig.: Arcuate and S-shaped types of scoliosis

S-shaped

The directions of the curvature of the spine with this type of curvature resemble the letter S. This means that the curvature occurs immediately in two sections of the spine in two directions - both to the left and to the right.

This type of scoliosis is rapid development- there are cases when the pathology occurred in less than 1 year, although earlier the child had no prerequisites for its occurrence.

Scoliosis degrees

1 degree

This degree of scoliosis is usually characterized by the following features:

  • oblique pelvis;
  • somewhat flattened shoulders;
  • slight stoop.

During this period of development of scoliosis, the angle of curvature is approximately 1-10 degrees, which is almost imperceptible visually.

Many of the doctors are sure that this degree can be considered a normal phenomenon, which is quite easily and quickly corrected with the help of exercises specially selected for the child.

2 degree

This degree of development of the disease is characterized by:

  • visually visible rotation of the vertebrae right around the axis (vertical);
  • somewhat oblique pelvis;
  • curvature, which is already noticeable in any position.

The angle of curvature during this period is approximately 11-25 degrees.

It is important to note that this stage is also amenable to adjustment, but only if therapeutic exercises are applied.

You should know that if the 2nd stage of scoliosis is not corrected in time, then it quickly begins to progress and passes into the 3rd stage. But it is already much more difficult to treat it.

3 degree

This degree is characterized by:

  • a large hump (costal);
  • obvious sinking of the ribs;
  • significant weakening abdominal muscles(that is, the abdomen);
  • pronounced pelvic obliquity.

At the same time, the angle of deviation is already equal to approximately 26-50 degrees.

This stage is difficult to treat and, as practice shows, causes a lot of problems for both patients and attending physicians.

4 degree

Usually characterized by severe deformity of the entire spine.

Signs of the 3rd degree are intensifying, there is a strong stretching of the muscles in the zone of curvature.

During this period, the angle of curvature is already more than 50 degrees.

This degree of scoliosis is considered extremely severe and practically untreatable. However, it does not occur often - only 10% of all cases.

What can the disease lead to?

It is not in vain that experts say that neglected scoliosis is really very dangerous.

This disease can actually lead to dangerous and irreversible changes:

  • spinal deformities;
  • entail the appearance of a terrible costal hump;
  • cause excessive asymmetry of the pelvis;
  • impaired development of important internal organs.

In addition, the patient constantly feels fatigue, he is tormented by regular muscle / headaches - this is also a consequence of scoliosis - a disease that parents did not pay any attention to in time.

In addition, the consequences of scoliosis include:

  • cosmetic defect (posture looks ugly);
  • violation of the relationship of many important internal organs;
  • chest deformity;
  • violations of the functions of the respiratory / cardiovascular systems;
  • violation of the functionality of the spinal cord (this is in especially severe cases).

Also, the consequence of inadequate treatment of the disease may be the early development of osteochondrosis and spondylosis - the so-called ossification of the affected ligaments.

How to determine the child?

In order to determine the presence of the disease in time, it is important to know what signs of scoliosis in children appear first.

Signs in children and adolescents

Get the most out of your child.

Pay attention to such features:

  • whether the overall height of his shoulder blades, shoulder girdle, ilium, hamstrings/gluteal folds is symmetrical;
  • are the spaces between the torso and arms lowered along the sides the same;
  • whether your child holds his neck evenly in a relaxed state.

To do this, ask him to bend over so that his arms hang freely (down), and then evaluate all of the above.

Fig.: Signs of scoliosis when bending over

The following signs will tell you about the likely presence of scoliosis:

  • one shoulder is slightly higher than the second;
  • one of the shoulder blades went “into flight” (that is, the corner of the shoulder blade protrudes, as it were);
  • different distance from the hand, pressed to the side, to the very waist;
  • when bending forward, the curvature of the spine is visually noticeable.

If you notice at least one of the above signs, and if your child's spine is curved, visit a doctor as soon as possible.

For children under one year old

As a rule, scoliosis in a child under the age of 1 year is almost impossible to determine visually by the parent himself.

Only a doctor can accurately diagnose scoliosis in children and select therapeutic measures.

Video: how to identify

Basic Treatments

Most often, orthopedic doctors prescribe to sick children:

  • wearing a fixing special corset;
  • physical education of a therapeutic nature, which strengthens the muscles of the back;
  • massage;
  • various tonic procedures.

As a rule, all these measures effectively help in the fight against developed scoliosis.

However, recovery is possible only if both the child and his parents are serious about the treatment, that is, the implementation of the doctor's recommendations.

Otherwise, after some time, the child will need a serious operation, which involves the installation of mechanical devices to correct the curvature of the spine.

Photo: scoliosis correction surgery

exercise therapy

LFK is whole complex special physical measures that are used in the treatment / prevention of this disease.

Since such activities are group activities, parents are strongly encouraged to go to exercise therapy with their baby. It happens that coaches are not always able to keep track of what this or that child is doing.

In addition, the child may need your moral support and help.

A set of exercises for the back can be performed at home:

  • Standing position: just walk on the spot, just try to keep your posture as even as possible, then rise on your toes and slowly pull your hands higher, then slowly lower your hands to their original position;
  • In the supine position (exercises are performed on the back): pull your right elbow to your left knee, then change positions, then pull each knee (only in turn) to your chest, fix it, count to five, and slowly lower your knee.
  • In the supine position (exercises are performed on the stomach): stretch your arms straight in front of you, then lift your legs off the floor, then join your hands in a lock behind your head, and try to slowly raise your head up, as if bending in this position.

Other exercises:

Fig.: gymnastics for scoliosis

1 - we stand on our toes, our hands are raised up and clasped into the lock, we swing the torso from side to side;

2 - We put our feet shoulder-width apart, hands down. We raise one arm along the body to the shoulder with a sliding motion, at the same time we tilt the body in opposite side. The other hand at this time slides over the leg.

3 - We put our feet shoulder-width apart, hands down. We raise the hand up and take it back, we take the other hand back at the same time. We change the position of the hands.

4 - Feet shoulder-width apart, raise your hand up and at the same time lean in the opposite direction. We start the other hand behind the back, repeat the exercise several times.

5 - We stand sideways to the wall, hold on to the crossbars with our hands, while making an increased tilt to the side.

6 - Stand on one knee, put your hands on your belt. We raise one hand up and at the same time lean in the opposite direction.

7 - Lying on your stomach, spread your arms to the sides and at the same time bend.

8 - We lie on our stomach, stretch our arms forward, at the same time we raise the upper body and one leg. Repeat by changing the position of the legs.

9 - Lying on your stomach, stretch your arms forward with a stick. Then we raise our hands up, bending, and return to the starting position.

10 - Get on all fours, raise one arm and at the same time stretch the opposite leg back. We return to the starting position. Changing the position of the arms and legs, repeat the exercise.

11 - We sit on our legs bent under ourselves, bending, raise our hand up. At the same time, stretch the opposite leg back. We return to the starting position, change arms / legs and repeat the exercise.

12 - We get on all fours, turn the torso, at the same time take the arm to the side, return to the starting position.

13-14 - We kneel and lean on our hands, with a sliding motion we stretch our hands forward, then pulling them to the knees.

15 - We hang asymmetrically on the Swedish wall. We extend the arm from the side of the curvature, bend the other.

16-17 - We crawl on our knees, stretching our arms alternately and at the same time pulling our legs.

18 - We sit on a seat, the surface of which is tilted towards the curvature of the spine. We keep our hand on the belt, the other (from the side of the curvature) we wind up behind the head.

19 - We sit on the same oblique seat, we tilt the body in the opposite direction to the curvature.

20 - Lie on your back, stretch, arms along the body. We are resting.

Physiotherapy

This technique is a combination of methods of therapeutic / physiological influence on the patient with the help of natural (mud / water), as well as certain artificial (magnetic radiation / electricity / ultrasound) factors.

Any physiotherapy must certainly be combined with therapeutic massage.

The following types of physiotherapy are most effective for scoliosis:

  • Heat therapy(ozocerite/paraffin applications, special hot wraps). It is prescribed by a doctor to activate the circulation of lymph / blood, and only when there is no progression of scoliosis.
  • Muscle electrical stimulation(courses of 10/15/25 procedures, interval - 3-4 months). As a rule, a course of physical education is also prescribed at the same time, and after courses of electrotherapy it is advisable to visit a massage therapist.
  • Electrophoresis(phosphorus/calcium) is usually prescribed for grade 3 scoliosis. Such a course has a duration of 10 procedures, and is carried out once a year.
  • Ultrasound(a course of eight to ten procedures). Indication: the appearance of pain syndrome or signs of development of osteochondrosis.

Effective and hydrotherapy:

  • sodium chloride baths (10-12 procedures 2-3 times a year);
  • mud therapy in combination with sea baths (10-12 procedures per year)

Such procedures are prescribed to stimulate the immune system of a sick child.

Wearing corsets

As you know, doctors prescribe bracing for scoliosis of the 2nd and 3rd degree, that is, when the angle of the arc has already reached twenty or more degrees.

The decision to use a medical corset can be made by a doctor even with a sudden progression of the disease.

It is most convenient to wear underwear made of linen / cotton under the corset, and preferably without any seams.

Photo: orthopedic corset for the treatment of scoliosis

In those places where the corset strongly rests against the body, large abrasions may appear. Therefore, it is important to note that such places cannot be smeared with petroleum jelly and in general with no ointments.

As a rule, over time, such areas of the body simply become coarser and no longer rubbed during friction. However, if the corset rubs the skin too painfully, it is most likely that it was chosen incorrectly by the attending physician.

In this case, you should contact a more qualified doctor.

Manual therapy

The action of manual therapy is to correct the curvature using techniques that first relax the muscles of the back, and then methods that direct the joints into a physiological position.

According to manual therapists, such an impact should lead to the restoration of the energy balance of the body and the normalization of the function of the spine.

Manual therapy sessions should not be done more than once a week.

In order to avoid relapse, it is recommended to fix all positive changes with massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy.

In most cases, this method of manual therapy helps in the treatment of scoliosis 1-2 in children and adolescents up to 18 years of age, while spinal ossification has not yet occurred.

Prevention

  1. Choose the right mattress for your child, so that it is not too hard, but not too soft. If possible, give preference to orthopedic mattresses.
  2. Put a pillow to the child only after a year. And know that it must certainly be flat, that is, low.
  3. It is necessary to properly hold the baby, taking him in your arms - support his back.
  4. Try not to spread your baby constantly on one side - you need to regularly alternate the left and right sides.
  5. Do not sit your baby passively (for example, leaning him on a pillow each time). He must still learn to sit on his own, that is, firmly hold his back directly in an upright position.
  6. Teach your child to conduct any activities, such as drawing, modeling, constructor, appliqué, only at the table.
  7. Create a proper and healthy diet for your child. This will ease the load on the spine. Provide your baby with a diet rich in minerals / vitamins (especially the spine needs: calcium, copper and zinc).
  8. Teach your child to do morning exercises.
  9. Teach your child to sit properly at the table. Tell your child that the back of the head must be slightly raised and slightly laid back, but the chin, on the contrary, should be slightly lowered. It is important to note that this position improves the blood supply to the brain.

Photo: correct workplace for a child

Each parent should be attentive to the health of their child, because only we, mothers and fathers, are able to prevent the development of such a serious disease as scoliosis.

Mothers with children of the first three months come to the orthopedist only at the insistence of the local pediatrician. When asked about complaints, the answer is most often negative, or they complain: the baby does not sleep well, is naughty during the day, burps, gains little weight. At the same time, parents do not notice other quite obvious and alarming symptoms.

The child was born in a breech presentation. In such children, hip joints are often observed. Regardless of what the birth was - C-section or through the natural birth canal, the child must be shown to an orthopedist no later than three weeks.

The child was born in cephalic presentation, but immature, which in last years occurs quite often. Mothers usually know about this and worry about immaturity, and therefore, about the inferior functioning of any body systems - except for bone structures. But a child with immature hip joints - even with physiological muscle hypertonicity - is threatened by such a disease as subluxation of the hip joints. Timely treatment can prevent its serious consequences.

looking around month old baby. One cheek is slightly larger than the other. The eyes still poorly fix attention on objects, and the face constantly turns in one direction. I roll over onto my stomach. He holds his head quite steadily, but the lobe of one ear is lower than the other and the tilt of the head to one side is clearly visible.

All these symptoms may indicate congenital torticollis. At the reception, my mother notices them for the first time. But in order to see all this, you don’t need an orthopedist - you just need to undress the child and look at him carefully. Yes, only a doctor can confirm the diagnosis by finding a lump in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. But for the successful treatment of congenital torticollis, it is necessary to deal with it from the age of one month: two or three courses of massage, therapeutic gymnastics, physiotherapy, orthopedic styling allows you to bring the child to full recovery by one year without surgery. All this is possible - if in the first weeks of life, mom or dad look at the child carefully.

So, what should a mother of a month-old baby say to an orthopedist?

  • pregnancy proceeded in breech presentation;
  • unripe fruit;
  • protracted childbirth;
  • rapid childbirth;
  • childbirth aid: forceps, vacuum, manual aid;
  • the child "likes to look in one direction";
  • asymmetry of the gluteal and popliteal folds;
  • different leg lengths.

First year: child development

The maturation of the musculoskeletal system in a child occurs in stages, in individual terms. We do not recommend planting and placing the baby before he does it on his own. The child should be able to perform the stereotype of movement for which his musculoskeletal system is already ready. Attempts to "force events" can lead to the failure of the muscular corset not being able to hold the bones in the correct physiological position.

Unfortunately, the correct motor stereotype is sometimes hindered by the use of various devices (child seats, baby carriers, walkers, etc.), which are designed for the safety of the child and facilitate care for him, but are often used incorrectly.

By one year, the child begins to walk. Ideally, many bones of the child's body should take the correct position due to the balanced action of the ligamentous apparatus and muscles. Mothers usually know that a child's lungs, heart, kidneys can hurt, and the fact that muscles and ligaments also hurt is most often a discovery for them. Unfavorable ecology big cities, diseases and bad habits parents, unbalanced nutrition, metabolic disorders, incorrect motor stereotype of the child, injuries lead to the fact that by the first birthday the child may have a number of chronic orthopedic diseases.

A child with rickets received vitamin D, but the orthopedist was only one month old. By the year it has rickety deformity of the chest ("funnel-shaped", or "keeled"), O-shaped or X-shaped legs. Children with rickets have soft bones, flaccid muscles, and an incompetent ligamentous apparatus. If such a baby is put on its feet early, deformity of the legs often forms by the year.

A child who has been diagnosed with rickets should be seen by an orthopedist every month! Timely noticed deformation of the skeleton and the treatment started: massage, gymnastics, medicinal baths, physiotherapy, hydromassage will help to avoid serious complications.

The child is one year old, he began to walk, but at the same time he “rakes with his feet”, “clubfoot”. If it's a girl, there's anxiety in the mother's eyes. And if it’s a boy, I often hear: “Our dad (grandfather) walks like that and nothing!” But in human body it cannot be that one bone has moved to the right, while all the others have remained in place! Joints of the whole body and vertebral-motor segments with such a setting of the foot will be forced to adapt to the wrong motor stereotype, which is programmed by the "clubfoot leg". A little later, such a child may experience pain in the back, shoulder joint, neck, and you don’t want your son to look like a grandfather at all. Do not refuse the treatment of "clubfoot" at the age of one!

Attention: children's spine!

In the absence of complaints, the child should be examined by an orthopedist at one month, three months, one, three, five, six, eight, ten, twelve and fourteen years. Why so often? Just as sometimes you don't feel like you're getting cavities, you may not know your child has a spinal subluxation. Therefore, I recommend periodically showing the child to an orthopedist to check his spine.

A pinched nerve in the spine, called a vertebral subluxation, usually results from slight compression or displacement of the vertebrae. The spinal cord passes through the spine, which can be compared to a cable consisting of billions of nerve fibers. It is through them that "commands" (impulses) go from the brain to all organs. As soon as one of the nerves in the spinal cord is blocked or damaged, a disease begins to develop in the body.

Why do the vertebrae move out of their natural position?

Spinal injuries can occur during childbirth. For example, with prolonged standing of the head in the birth canal, with, as well as when using forceps, especially if the baby is pulled out by the head or turned.

The thing is that the child's head is heavy relative to its total mass, and the musculoskeletal apparatus of the cervical spine cannot yet hold 7 cervical vertebrae in a physiological position when stretched by weight. This can lead to subluxations in the cervical region and functional blocks in the spinal motion segments.

That is why orthopedists protest so much against taking a newborn by the legs and holding it upside down. The famous French obstetrician Frederic Lebois wrote about this barbaric practice in his book "Birth Without Violence": "We know too little about our body, so little that we forget what important role the spine plays in it ... So why do we, knowing that a fragile spine can be easily damaged, stubbornly continue to hold newborns upside down, and even shake them.

For almost a hundred years, orthopedists have also known the so-called "whip syndrome": if a newborn is jerked sharply, this can lead to loss of vision, cerebral disorders, paralysis or convulsions.

Childhood is the most active time in a person's life. Jumping and running, falls and injuries are all components of childhood, and all this can lead to displacement of the vertebrae. Chronic diseases with metabolic disorders, muscular dystonia of neurogenic origin, incorrect motor stereotype, psychological clamps and complexes lead to a violation by the age of four or five. If the violation of posture is not treated in time, it will lead to kyphosis, scoliosis and osteochondropathy.

Here are some symptoms that the spine is out of order:

  • chronic fatigue;
  • one shoulder or hip is higher than the other;
  • protruding blades;
  • curvature of the neck;
  • one leg is shorter than the other;
  • pain in the joints;
  • inability to stand still;
  • hyperactivity;
  • frequent falls;
  • cracking in the joints when bending the arms and legs;
  • hypermobility of the joints;
  • nervousness.

All parents need to suspect orthopedic pathology is to undress the child to panties, place on a hard surface and carefully look at the protruding landmarks of the body from the front, back and side. Having found the slightest discrepancy between the right and left sides, show the child to an orthopedic specialist without waiting for a scheduled dispensary examination. Remember: if the spine is unhealthy, then the whole body of the child is unhealthy.

Lyudmila Chirkova, orthopedist, chiropractor

Article provided by the magazine "Our baby"

Discussion

Hello, the child was in the arms of his grandmother for almost 6 months, and while she turned away, he turns back, as it were, with a bridge with his head and spine. Now I’m afraid what the consequences could be

08/31/2017 19:03:52, Binura

Hello Ludmila.
My son is 5 months old. from about 3 months tilts his head to the right, lying on his stomach or in an upright position on his hands. sleeps mostly on the left side. While swimming, she began to notice that she was bent by the letter C, the left side was stretched more than the right. tell me what to do?

06.10.2008 14:08:56, Yuliana 03/06/2008 23:40:19, Galina

Hello, my daughter is 5 months old. She was born a month earlier due to water leaks. It was a cesarean, because from 22 weeks. breech presentation was observed (the child's head was in the right hypochondrium), and before the operation she almost stood up on her legs. Weight 3310, height 52 cm. Already in the hospital they put on a collar, because there was a right-sided torticollis. The collar was worn for 1.5 months. On the 1st month began to burp like a "fountain" (pylorospasm and pyloric stenosis were excluded), were in the hospital at 3 months. , took pictures of the cervical region, 6 vertebrae are displaced. The neurologist puts the installation torticollis and says that this can only be cured by manual therapy. Explain, please, I read that the installation and acquired torticollis are one and the same, but we have it since birth? Is manual therapy really the only way treatment? If so, with the help of manual therapy, you can completely get rid of torticollis and at what age should you start treating?
05/21/2003 00:08:21, Yana

Hello! My son has bilateral congenital clubfoot. The orthopedist says that an operation is needed, because. clubfoot of a severe degree (the feet do not rise up, they are brought out to the sides). How to be in my case? The operation is scary. Son is 5 months old.

25.11.2002 14:54:28, Ruslan

I am 14 years old. Diagnosis: funnel rib cage. I would like to know: is it possible to somehow cure it and, if so, how? Note: This is my hostile and hereditary.

11/20/2001 03:29:49 PM, Oleg

At birth, the spine is C-shaped.

In its development, the spinal column is formed around the spinal cord, forming a bone receptacle for it. In addition to protecting the spinal cord, the spinal column performs other important functions in the body: it is a support for the organs and tissues of the body, supports the head, participates in the formation of the walls of the chest and abdominal cavity and pelvis.

The structure of the vertebrae of a newborn differs in that its arcs are represented by two halves, which are not fused either with the vertebral body or with each other, and the spinous processes contain a small area bone tissue along the lateral surfaces of its base.

The fusion of the arch with the vertebral body occurs in the first year of life, and the fusion of the plates of the arches with each other occurs at different times for different vertebrae. By about three months of age, the lamina of the arches of the seventh cervical and first thoracic vertebrae merge.

Then this process gradually spreads throughout the entire spine - along the cervical spine from the bottom up, and along the thoracic and lumbar regions - from top to bottom. At the same time, the posterior arch of the 1st cervical vertebra becomes bony by the end of the first year, and the arches of the 5th lumbar and sacral ossify by the age of 5. At the age of 11-14, nuclei of ossification of the limbus appear, which merge with the vertebral bodies at the age of 16-18. A delay in such a fusion may indicate the presence of signs of infantilism.

In children, the sacral vertebrae exist separately. At the age of 17 - 25 years, they fuse and form one bone - the sacrum. It has the shape of a triangle: the base is turned up, the top is down.

As the child grows and develops, the physiological curves of the child's spine begin to form - lordosis in the cervical and lumbar regions and kyphosis in the thoracic and sacral regions.

As motor skills develop, the curves of the spine also develop:

1) cervical lordosis (anterior bend) occurs when the baby begins to hold his head, this usually occurs at 2-3 months.

2) thoracic kyphosis (posterior bend) is formed at the age of 6-8 months, when the child begins to sit up on his own from 6-8 months.

3) lumbar lordosis is formed after 9-12 months, when the child gets to his feet and begins to walk.

As you can see, the spine of a newborn is very different in structure from the spine of an adult.