The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a new statement noting all children and teenagers may not require scoliosis screening, Reuters reports.
Here are five insights:
1. The task force is a panel supported by the government and includes physicians and health specialists.
2. One panelist, Alex Kemper, MD, spoke with Reuters about the panel's conclusions. They didn't find ample evidence to support the theory that scoliosis treatment, due to abnormal screenings, yields lasting benefits for children as they grow.
3. The panel emphasized their statement doesn't apply to those children who present obvious spine curvatures or shoulder, hip or rib cage misalignment.
4. The panel members are concerned scoliosis screening may cause "psychological distress" or unnecessary treatment if children are inaccurately diagnosed.
5. In its statement, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force noted nothing proves routine scoliosis screening decreases the number of adults affected by scoliosis with breathing issues, back pain, disability or poor quality of life.