Scoliosis Treatment
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine that often causes distortion of a hump of the ribs. It is found in 2% to 7% of children six or seven years of age to young adolescents. Adult onset scoliosis is said to originate in young or middle aged adults. Scoliosis is like most diseases or conditions. It can be asymptomatic until the disease process is well underway.
The cause of scoliosis is now known. The latest research from the Chiropractic BioPhysics group with chiropractors and their associated orthopedic surgeons, strongly suggests that scoliosis originates from one of three causes.
The most severe cause of scoliosis appears to be as a result of the body adapting with the twisted posture to prevent nervous system damage. When a child’s skeletal system grows very quickly, the spinal cord and nerve roots may not grow fast enough in proportion. To prevent damage to the nerves inside the spine, the body induces the lateral curvature or scoliosis so that spinal canal stays shorter. This protects the nerves inside the spine from being stretched and damaged.
The second cause is a vertebral bone that grows to an abnormal shape. The top of a bone is tipped to the side, for example, with bone being shaped like a triangle. Then, all of the spine above that vertebra have to compensate. So, the mechanical structure of the spine and movement patterns of the body adapt because of the uneven foundation of the curve. So scoliosis happens.
The third cause is also the origin of adult scoliosis. It is an uneven foundation to the adaptive curve caused by spinal or pelvic injury. This is a subluxation that occurs so that the bottom of the spine or a spinal bone is not level and even. It can happen in the sacroiliac joints of the pelvis, in the facet joints and discs of the low back or higher in the spine. The lateral curvature is compensation to the lateral tipping of the sacrum or at any level of the spine.
How can scoliosis be helped?
All causes of scoliosis have spinal stress and show subluxations. All cases can be helped with spinal alignment care. Specific chiropractic adjusting helps and usually improves posture. If children begin to have chiropractic care, much adaptive curvature can be prevented. Spinal alignment and maintenance from a young age keep spine and people healthy.
Most people with scoliosis of 9 degrees or less can be helped with dynamic soft bracing because it over-corrects the scoliosis curvature. This helps restore better posture due to muscular movement and strengthening against the soft brace. Dynamic Bracing will be added soon.
Hard braces is not as effective, but may help scoliosis of up to 40 degrees. A scoliosis of more than 40 degrees is very likely to require spinal surgery as the last resort to help. Surgery can include the insertion of a metal rod along the spine to force the posture to a straighter position. Corrective spinal alignment care can not help if there has been surgery or the metal rod installed.
Surgery is a last resort. They insert of a metal support rod to hold the spine straight is a last resort. Spinal alignment can not help if a metal rod has been placed in the spine.
