Scoliosis

Scoliosis refers to a medical condition where a person's spine curves from side- to-side. Back x-rays of people with scoliosis demonstrate "C" shapes or "S" shapes, as opposed to being straight.

Anyone can get scoliosis, but geneticists have identified DNA markers associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Causes Of Scoliosis

Scoliosis is classified according to its cause, and there are three main classifications:

• Congenital scoliosis, caused by vertebral anomalies at birth
• Idiopathic scoliosis (cause unknown) that occurs with infants, juveniles, adolescents or adults (adolescents is the most common occurrence)
• Neuromuscular scoliosis, which develops as a result of another condition such as cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy, spina bifida or some sort of physical trauma

Curving often accelerates during growth spurts in adolescents, and cases with adolescent woman are most common. Scoliosis is less common with infants and young children, and affects boys and girls equally.

Scoliosis symptoms are as follows:

• Unequal hip lengths or leg lengths, resulting in tilting of the hips
• Uneven musculature development along one side of the spine
• One shoulder is higher than the other
• Lower back pains
• General fatigue
• Spinal curvature from side-to-side

Extended standing or sitting for people with scoliosis may result in spinal fatigue. Pain can also occur, depending on the amount of tissue irritation and spinal bone deterioration.

Treatment Of Scoliosis

There are a wide variety of treatments for scoliosis. The required type of treatment is determined by the amount of spinal curvature along with a person's age (which affects how supple the spine is).

The following treatment options are ordered from least to most severe:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Chiropractic or osteopathic therapy
• Casting (EDF)
• Bracing
• Surgery

Our Richmond Hill Chiropractic, Massage Therapy and Physiotherapy center can help treat scoliosis via:

• Spinal joint mobilization that improves flexibility and blood flow
• Spinal joint manipulation that increases flexibility, breaks down scar tissue, improves blood flow, stretches muscles and speeds healing
• Physiotherapy using the Schroth method, which is a noninvasive treatment based upon the idea that scoliosis results from muscular asymmetries
• Massage therapy that decreases chronic neck pain, shoulder pain and lower back pain
• Orthotics that are customized to your pertinent body measurements

The majority of scoliosis cases can be corrected and even extreme scoliosis can be treated so that the spine becomes straighter. Regardless of the severity, it is not necessary to live with pain resulting from scoliosis.

As treatment progresses your shoulders and hips will become more even, breathing will become easier, there will be less pain and greater ease of movement. Most of the improvement will be permanent, although there may be a small amount of regression between treatment sessions.

Scoliosis is a debilitating condition that needs to be detected and treated as early as possible. The longer it goes unnoticed, the more severe the treatment may have to be.

Fortunately scoliosis is easy to detect, the trick is to get checked out sooner rather than later.

Chiro-Med Rehab Centre has the necessary knowledge and expertise to start you on the road to recovery today. As professionals we can recommend the type of treatment needed and effectively implement that treatment, getting you back up and running in as little time as possible!