Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of a person’s spine. The spine of a person with scoliosis looks more like an “S” or a “C” rather than a straight line from top to bottom. Since a straight spine is a strong spine, scoliosis weakens the body and often causes pain. When allowed to advance, it may interfere with the lungs, heart, and many other vital organs. There are many different locations, shapes, and degrees of scoliosis. While scoliosis can be present at any age, most cases are first noticed in childhood or adolescence.
Important factors affecting the spine’s shape and scoliosis are the alignment of the bones (vertebrae) in your back and proper nervous system function influencing growth and development. When a vertebra becomes misaligned, it not only affects the biomechanics and structure of your spine, but it can also impair nerve functioning in that area. Doctors of chiropractic specialize in finding these areas of misalignment called subluxation. If the scoliosis is caused by a spinal misalignment, it can successfully be treated by a chiropractor. Research suggests that the function and structure of the spine can be improved by the chiropractic adjustment, and may help relieve pain associated with scoliosis. In addition, chiropractic care has helped many children and adults in decreasing the angle of their scoliosis.
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Morningstar, M. (Spr 2011). Four-year follow-up of a patient undergoing chiropractic rehabilitation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis [case report]. J Pediatr Matern & Fam Health. 2011(2): 54-58. http://chiropracticpediatrics.sharepoint.com/Pages/2011_1120_scoliosis.aspx.
Morningstar, M. (Sep 2011). Outcomes for adult scoliosis patients receiving chiropractic rehabilitation: a 24-month retrospective analysis. J Chiropr Med. 10(3): 179-184. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3259989/.
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