Mr. Speaker, June 1 has been declared Scoliosis Awareness Day in Ottawa.
It is important to raise awareness and lessen the stigma around scoliosis, which is prevalent in girls and young women between the ages of 10 and 15, and which often makes the difficult teen years even more difficult to cope with, as I know first-hand in my role as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that affects people of all races and socio-economic classes. In the majority of cases, we do not know the cause. Early detection provides scoliosis patients with the most options for slowing down or halting the progression of the curve, thereby often avoiding surgery.
In the spirit of girl power, Curvy Girls support groups were created throughout the world. These groups are peer-led and empower girls to become leaders, make healthy choices and improve their self-esteem by diminishing the emotional impact of scoliosis through shared experiences.
I want to invite everyone here to join Curvy Girls of Ottawa tomorrow at their second annual scoliosis awareness walk in Stanley Park.
As I physician, I encourage all young women and their parents to talk to their doctors about scoliosis.