Scoliosis and Chiropractic

Scoliosis is a condition in which the curves of the backbones do not develop normally. A normal backbone will have two gentle S-shaped curves when viewed from the side, but look more or less straight when viewed from the front or the back. If scoliosis develops, the spine develops abnormal curves to the side, and the body does not appear aligned. The head will be off-center, or the ribs or hips will have one side higher than the other.

Mostly, there is no known cause of this condition. It tends to affect women a little more than men, and can begin at any age in life. Other life situations or syndromes may trigger the development of scoliosis in some individuals, such as the existence of a structural problem elsewhere in the body, or a problem in the actual formation of the bones or spine. Among older adults, degenerative diseases such as arthritis can lead to a malformation of the spine. A tumor can put pressure on a person’s spine from time to time, causing the person to compensate for the growth of the tumor and the spine begins to curve abnormally.

The major symptom of scoliosis, no matter the cause, is an abnormal curvature of the spine to the side. Other symptoms may arise from this spinal curvature, such as back pain, especially when involved in activities that require excessive movement from the trunk of the body. Misalignment of the shoulders or hip area, or changes in skin texture and tone over the spinal area could also come into play, or there may be no other obvious symptoms, depending on the severity of the condition.

Once a diagnosis is made, there are many avenues of treatment, depending on the severity of the curvature. If the case is mild, then regular observation is the main treatment. Different medications for pain or physical therapy might be recommended. If the scoliosis is more severe, the need for a back brace or corrective spinal surgery will be considered. These treatments can be effective in some people, and not so effective in others. It’s doubtful that a child with scoliosis will grow to adulthood without some kind of side effect when standard medical treatment alone is utilized.

While chiropractic care cannot cure or sometimes even stop the progression of this condition, chiropractic treatment can still provide great support for the scoliosis patient. Spinal health and development can certain be improved through chiropractic treatment, with fewer side effects and difficulties than spinal surgery presents. Chiropractic treatment presents a more holistic view of the patient, which also presents a greater possibility for management of scoliosis in the future. Treatments such as gentle spinal manipulations, effective exercises for spine support, and lifestyle modification through diet and exercise, will create more of a balance in a patient than constant rounds of pain medication and the dubious results and certain discomfort of spinal surgery. When considering your options for scoliosis treatment, it would be well to consider the ways that chiropractic care could be of benefit to the patient’s total well-being.