Scoliosis Treatment in Aurora

illustration of a curved spine overlaid on a girl's back Scoliosis is an abnormal spinal curvature that incorporates lateral bending of the spine with rotation. It is the most common spine deformity in the US, affecting 3% of the US population. Luckily, 90% of scoliosis cases are not severe enough to require surgery. Many scoliosis cases are idiopathic. According to the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons, 80% of cases have no identifiable cause.

Scoliosis usually develops earlier on in life as the spine is developing. Pre-adolescents are most likely to develop these abnormal spinal curvatures, starting as early as eight years old and into junior high and early high school. The condition will continue to advance until they stop growing at which point we begin to see slow, insidious types of changes.

Early detection is very important as it allows us to be proactive in reducing the advancement of the curvature and mitigate the effects it can have on your life, whether that is pain relief or participation in school, sports, and physical activity. You can identify scoliosis in yourself and others by doing posture checks, making sure the hips and shoulders are level, and looking for any type of scapular winging. A common medical test to detect scoliosis is the Adams Forward Bend Test. By bending forward at the waist until the back is at a 90º angle, feet together, arms hanging, and knees extended, an examiner can look along the spine to identify any abnormal curvatures. This will not catch all scoliotic conditions, so getting a detailed chiropractic exam is imperative.

Females are more likely to suffer from scoliosis, usually in the lumbar spine or lower back. When we see scoliosis in males it is usually in the thoracic spine or middle back.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Scoliosis

Chiropractic care is one of the best treatments for scoliosis and the best part is there are very few risk factors. The younger you can seek chiropractic care the earlier musculoskeletal issues can be detected and the sooner care can begin. It’s critical to intervene early on so that the spine can develop properly. Over time, degeneration increases, and the spine can actually become fused which limits our treatment options. At that point, we’re just finding ways to decrease the effects of scoliosis on a patient’s quality of life.

If complications from scoliosis aren’t taken care of they can lead to heart issues, breathing and lung problems, severe back pain, and decreased self-esteem because of the abnormal posture and appearance.

When it comes to scoliosis, chiropractic care reduces pain and discomfort, reduces inflammation and swelling, improves range of motion, improves flexibility, allows for increased physical activity, decreases muscle tension and strain, and generally improves a patient’s quality of life. The best part is chiropractic care is a non-invasive, natural solution for scoliosis that is cost-effective, time-efficient, and only has a positive effect on how the body functions.

How We Treat Scoliosis

Comprehensive Consultation and Exam

At Buchar Family Chiropractic, your first consultation will be focused on your scoliosis and spinal structure concerns. With scoliosis commonly being hereditary, a comprehensive consultation is key to understanding the scope of your condition. We want to understand your concerns and how the condition is affecting your life. In addition to range of motion, orthopedic, and neurological tests we’ll perform a structural posture exam looking for: posture abnormalities – shoulder and pelvic deviation, winged scapula, humping in the back, and severe forward head carriage. Digital X-rays are incredible tools to support our chiropractic and functional exams. They help us analyze every detail of a patient’s situation and measure the exact severity of the scoliosis.

Specific Chiropractic Care

When we adjust the spine of someone with scoliosis, we want to be extremely specific about their goals and design a care plan that reflects them. Adjustments will increase the functional capacity of their spine, but with a corrective mindset, we can start to correct and minimize the scoliotic curves. We are not only treating the pain or symptoms you’re currently experiencing, we are also looking to correct the spinal curvature for the long term, to prevent future issues. The same philosophy an orthodontist uses compared to a dentist. The unnatural position of a scoliosis spine can lead to undue muscle strains and pain in the back. Muscles will begin to compensate for the abnormal structure leading to a snowball effect of pain and dysfunction. Using specialized manual adjustments, pelvic drops, and ArthroStim, we will work to provide scoliosis pain relief and long-term protection against musculoskeletal issues.

Corrective Exercise Spinal Care Plan

Based on your X-rays and the results of your functional exam, we will customize an exercise plan to help restore muscle balance and strength. Using proven protocols from the Pettibon System, CLEAR Institute, and Chiropractic BioPhysics, we’ll focus on stretching certain parts of the spine and strengthening the spinal stabilizing muscles to support proper structure. These exercises work to support and enhance chiropractic adjustments. We want you to remain active during your treatment and continue to enjoy life more and more. Consistent care will ensure that we stick to the plan and not let your condition regress.

Spinal Decompression

For our patients that have been dealing with scoliosis for a longer period of time, usually people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, spinal decompression is a great treatment for scoliosis pain relief. By decompressing the discs and pulling the spine apart, we relieve pressure on the nerves and muscles allowing the discs to rehydrate and be flooded with nutrients. Spinal decompression works in tandem with chiropractic adjustments and corrective exercises to get patients even better results.

Massage Therapy

We use massage therapy in our office to decrease muscle tension, increase balance in the spine, and generally improve our patients’ quality of life. Massage will decrease pain and inflammation, break up knots and adhesions, and improve decreased muscle tone which can exacerbate the scoliosis symptoms. Ongoing care is vital for scoliosis because there are cases that cannot be “cured” and we work to make as many corrections as we possibly can and maintain them over time.

FAQ

Is a chiropractor good for scoliosis?

Without a doubt! We have great outcomes and see incredible improvements in our office. It all comes down to how early scoliosis can be identified and consistency is key.

Can chiropractic adjustments fix scoliosis?

This depends on how early it was diagnosed and the age of the patient. In the early stage, with more mild scoliosis, our goal is to correct the curve as much as possible. If the abnormal curvature becomes more pronounced, our goal is 25-50% improvement. When degeneration starts to become a problem it really becomes a case-by-case basis based on the level of degeneration in the spine and the goal now changes to reducing the advancement.

Can a chiropractor straighten your spine?

Yes. Again, however, it all comes down to age, the advancement of the condition, and other complicating factors.

Can you straighten scoliosis without surgery?

Yes. Supportive care will always be needed. Over time the condition can regress so we want to be cautious and consistent with care.

What happens if scoliosis is left untreated in adults?

Scoliosis gets worse as a person ages from adolescence through puberty and into adulthood. In adults, we see that scoliosis slowly gets worse and more difficult to correct due to degenerative changes in the spine and damage to the stabilizing muscles.

Book an Appointment

If you suffer from scoliosis, contact us today to schedule an appointment! We look forward to helping you achieve a healthier version of you.
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