Scoliosis is a condition that refers to the sideways bending of your spine from its normal straight position. It can either take the form of a single curve and become C-shaped or double curve and become S-shaped. Mid spine happens to be the most commonly affected region and then comes the lower spine.
It becomes S-shaped when it affects both these areas. Scoliosis can start at any age, though it is more common amongst the young ones (10 – 15 years of age) and while in some it causes no disturbances to daily activities, in others it can possess serious health risks. Scoliosis is more common in females than in males.
Causes of Scoliosis
In more than 65% cases, the cause of scoliosis is unknown. However, there are enough reasons to support that these happened due to genetic causes in most of these cases.
Scoliosis can happen due to other conditions that affect the muscles or nerves like cerebral palsy and the likes. In most unlikely cases, it can be a birth defect.
Types of Scoliosis
It is typically classified under three heads:
- Mild (spine bent less than 20 degrees from its vertical position)
- Moderate (the degree of bent is in between 20 and 55) and
- Severe (the degree of bent is above 70)
Treatment of Scoliosis by Chiropractic
The treatment of scoliosis depends on the extent and severity of the curve. Some people require no treatment and lead a healthy and normal life with scoliosis.
If you have mild scoliosis, you would only be monitored for progression and you most likely would not experience back pain or any other symptoms of this ailment. Treatment is recommended when your curve experiences a rapid progression and bends beyond 30 degrees.
There are regions of spinal subluxation in your spine in case of scoliosis and these contribute to your back pain. Chiropractors are specially trained to locate these areas and correct them so that you can be at ease. Chiropractors reduce the symptoms associated with scoliosis and also help reduce the curve angle.
However, there are not enough studies to prove such a proposition and thus, it remains to be a controversy amongst many. It has been seen that people with scoliosis felt better after sessions of chiropractic and that chiropractic adjustments have reduced the angle of the curve. There are specific techniques and spinal exercises that chiropractors make use of to ease the other symptoms of scoliosis like one shoulder higher than the other, uneven legs or arm lengths, uneven hip and the likes.
In case chiropractic is ineffective and the angle of the curve goes beyond 70 degrees, surgical corrections might be recommended by your doctor. Surgery is the last resort and is done so that the condition does not affect the functioning of your heart or lungs.
Scoliosis can be dangerous and so parents are advised to watch for any bending signs of their children’s spines at early ages. If treated early and at the right time, the ill-effects of scoliosis can be minimized.
