Scoliosis is a chronic condition resulting in an abnormal curvature of your spine. The twisting of your spinal column results in a numbing, sharp pain in your back. Scoliosis is most frequently seen in females between the ages of ten and fifteen. The spine gradually curves into the shape of an S or a C depending on the severity of the condition. There are millions of individuals across the globe suffering from debilitating back pain due to this condition.
Your spine has three curves that create the shape of an S when viewed from the side. If you have scoliosis with a curve of more than ten degrees, the rear or front view of your body will resemble a C or S shape. You may not be able to see this curve but there are other signs. This includes noticeably uneven hips, waist or shoulders or a prominent hump on your lower back located on the side with the abnormal curvature. There are four different types of scoliosis. These are:
• Congenital Scoliosis: This type of scoliosis develops prior to the individual being born. The cause is bone abnormalities.
• Idiopathic Scoliosis: This condition has no known cause and develops unexpectedly. This is the most common type of scoliosis and the condition can be hereditary.
• Degenerative Scoliosis: The cause of this condition may be bone deformity, spinal injury, traumatic injury or osteoporosis.
• Neuromuscular Scoliosis: This condition is usually seen in individuals with Spinal Bifida or cerebral palsy. The cause is an abnormal muscle or nerve formation.
If you have an abnormal curvature exceeding ten degrees, you most likely have scoliosis. If your curvature is between twenty and forty degrees, it is considered moderate scoliosis. Your condition should be monitored with therapy highly recommended. Supportive bracing and chiropractic care can diminish your degeneration and pain and increase your function over time.
Treating the Pain of Scoliosis
Although you can treat your pain with prescription medications, they can become highly addictive and are often accompanied by nasty side effects. One of the best treatments is chiropractic therapies and adjustments. This can improve the quality of your life. Chiropractic care is an excellent option for relieving and managing the discomfort and pain resulting from your scoliosis.
Routine chiropractic care offers you a scoliosis treatment that is a non-invasive and safe alternative for both non-prescription and prescription medications. Unfortunately, numerous individuals simply accept a prescription from their physician without realizing they do not need to suffer from the side effects of their medication to manage their pain.
A chiropractor can provide you with a non-invasive and gentle therapy referred to as a chiropractic adjustment. This decreases the misalignments in your spine and joint restrictions. Your adjustment may also help decrease inflammation to improve the functions of your nervous system and affected joints. Once your spinal health, nervous system function and joint mobility improve, you will be able to manage your scoliosis pain and symptoms much better.
The Benefits of Chiropractic Treatments for Scoliosis
• Massage: The focus of a chiropractic massage for scoliosis is deep tissue healing. An imbalance in your spine causes an imbalance in the work required of the muscles in your lower body, back and neck. This will result in tension. The massage will relieve your pain while relaxing and loosening your muscles. This enables the chiropractor to make any adjustments necessary.
• Exercise: Performing weight-bearing exercises and stretching on a regular basis often helps balance and strengthen the muscles supporting and surrounding your spine. A customized exercise plan will be developed by the chiropractor. This may include pilates and yoga with the emphasis on strength training, vibration therapy and balance training.
• Stretches: Scoliosis stretches are recommended for relaxing and loosening your muscles regularly. The chiropractor will recommend and show you how to perform specific stretches correctly. This will be focused on creating a balance between both sides of the body. Scoliosis causes one side of your body to become weaker while the other becomes tighter due to the extra work.
Following the recommendations of your chiropractor is extremely important in caring for your scoliosis. Although there is no cure for this condition, the proper treatment can decrease your pain while preventing your curvature from becoming any worse. You will be taught how to retrain your brain so your muscles are used differently. For your treatment to be effective, this must occur at the same time your spinal joints are being repositioned. Chiropractic care also offers the following benefits.
• Improving your range of motion
• Decreased discomfort and pain
• Improving the quality of your lifestyle
• Improving your flexibility
• Decreased inflammation
To begin treating your scoliosis while decreasing your pain, please call our office for a consultation at 205-637-1363.
