Can Chiropractic Treatment Help Scoliosis?

Scoliosis: An Introduction

A normal spine appears straight, without much disparity from laterally, when the body is viewed from behind. Therefore, if the spine is observed to have a lateral, or side-to-side, curvature, the person might have a condition called scoliosis.The affliction shouldn’t be confused with unsatisfactory posture, although it oftentimes gives the appearance that the patient is leaning to one side. Scoliosis is a complicated deformity that is expressed by both lateral curvature and rotation of the vertebra frequently causing a characteristic “rib hump” in the mid or thoracic spine. This is caused by the vertebrae in the area of the major curve rotating toward the concavity and pushing their attached ribs posterior thereby producing the characteristic rib hump seen in thoracic scoliosis. The pulmonary and cardiac functions can be obstructed if the thoracic curve and rib rotation is more than 70 degrees. Often later in life in untreated severe idiopathic infantile and juvenile scoliosis patients, this intensity of curve and resulting cardiac and pulmonary changes can be life threatening.

Anatomy

The spine displays four normal curves: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral, all of which are observable from a side view of the trunk. In the lower spine there is a natural “C-shaped” curve called swayback or lordosis, while the thoracic curve in the chest region has a “reverse C” called a kyphosis. Hyperlordosis is the term used to describe elevated swayback, while increased kyphosis in the thoracic spine is called hyperkyphosis. Scoliosis changes generally accompany changes from normal on a side view. Postural exercises can eliminate some round back deformities that are simply due to bad posture. A small number of patients with kyphosis have more rigid deformities than the postural type, which are coincidental with vertebral deformity. This kind of deformity, called Scheuermann’s kyphosis, is much more difficult to treat than postural kyphosis, and it’s cause is unknown.

Even a layman can help to identify a child or fully-grown individual with scoliosis merely by looking at the person in a standing position, preferably with no shirt and in boxers, and observing the following:

• One shoulder may be higher than the other.

• One scapula (shoulder blade) may be more elevated or more prominent than the other.

• With the arms hanging freely at the sides, there may be more area between the arm and the body on one side.

• One hip may appear to be higher or more pronounced than the other.

• The head is not aligned with the pelvis.

• When the person is observed from the rear and asked to lean forward until the spine is horizontal, one side of the back appears more elevated than the other.

The child or adult should be sent to a healthcare professional, such as a chiropractor, for further assessment once scoliosis is detected. your chiropractor would be happy to help.

The most common kind of scoliosis is, by far, Idiopathic, and although there are a variety of causes and many varieties, Idiopathic Scoliosis accounts for nearly 85% of all cases. “Idiopathic” means “no known cause” and is observed with equal occurrence in boys and girls in the mild or low curve magnitudes. Depending on the age of onset, this affliction can be sub-classified into infantile, juvenile and adolescent categories. Idiopathic Scoliosis commonly runs in families and may be due to genetic or hereditary influences. For reasons yet to be found, girls are five to eight times more likely than boys to have their curves increase in size and require treatment. The most frequent time for the development of Idiopathic Scoliosis is during adolescence when children are ending the last major growth spurt. It is a good idea to have this age group examined by a professional on a regular basis because young people are reluctant to let their body to be looked at by parents or other adults.

It is very important that if a scoliotic curve is found in a growing adolescent, the curves be monitored for any change by a periodic examination and on occasion standing x-rays. In ninety percent of instances, the scoliosis is mild and does not require active treatment, though| increases in spinal deformity demand evaluation to ascertain if a brace or other management is necessary. In a small number of patients, surgical treatment may be required.~Surgery may be necessary for a small number of patients.

Brace treatment (orthosis) is recommended for newly-found conditions of moderate scoliosis or abnormal kyphosis, as well as when an increase in scoliosis or kyphosis is observed in both juvenile and adolescent children. There are quite a few kinds of braces, all made to prevent curves from increasing through the process of acting as a buttress for the spine during active skeletal growth. Bracing is successful in halting curve progression in an impressive percentage of skeletally-immature adolescents. But, braces generally won’t make the spine entirely straight, and cannot always keep a curve from progressing.

Scoliosis has no simple answer. Most cases, even though frequently monitored, are not actively treated. Severe symptoms are infrequently treated surgically, but the general medical treatment for moderate cases is a brace. You may want to see your local chiropractor first.

Specialized exercise, electric stimulation of spinal muscles, nutritional programs, and chiropractic treatments are among a number of modalities offered in addition to bracing. It appears that the best results have been maintained with a multi-faceted approach to the care of this condition.

There are chiropractors, that have years of experience assisting with scoliosis symptoms.