Can Chiropractors Effectively Correct Adult Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is quite a frequent disease in the practice of osteopaths, orthopedics, traumatologists, chiropractors, massage therapists and other professionals who specialize in the treatment of the locomotor apparatus. Of course, we all have heard about this disease, but we don’t have the full view of it.

What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine in the frontal plane. Often people think that round-shouldered person has this disease. In fact, normal spine has physiological bends in the anterior-posterior direction; they are called lordosis (cervical and lumbar spines) and kyphosis (thoracic and sacral spines). And other spinal curves, to the sides, are a pathology which called scoliosis.

You need to also understand what is scoliosis disease and scoliosis bearing. These two things are quite different.

When you have a scoliotic bearing, as well as during scoliotic diseases, the spin curvature in the frontal plane is seen, but while lying or stooping these curvatures disappears. During scoliotic disease deformation is presented in all possible positions of the human body. Of course, scoliotic bearing and scoliotic diseases are dangerous for human health. This happens because of the spin deformation internals are suffering, neural roots can be nipped, perfusion of organs and tissue disturbed, overload of definite spin segments is possible.

As a result, this can lead to the formation of intervertebral hernias, overgrowth of bone tissue and other complicated disorders. There are a lot of reasons of Scoliosis appearance and development, but about 80% of patients with scoliotic diseases can idiopathic scoliosis, which means it has no evident reason.

Most frequently scoliosis starts at the age between 10 and 16 years when a child grows intensively. There are four main scoliosis severity types, depending on curvature angle. The diseases can be treated both conservative and surgically. Surgical treatment is needed when scoliosis has the highest degree. When a person has first and second scoliosis type conservative treatment which includes physiotherapy exercises (gymnastics, yoga, pilates. swimming, etc.) and manual therapy (Massages, chiropractic, osteopathy).

Usually, adult scoliosis treatment starts in the childhood, during treatment planning, a doctor takes into account the severity of disease, first, he considers the curvature angle patient has. The second important factor is the age of a patient since usually intensive growth has a bad influence on the pathology. So for an orthopedic surgeon, it is important, how curvature can change with the time. Taking into account all these things, the doctor offers best ways of treatment for this definite patient.

On the whole, pathological curvature with an angle more than 25-50 degrees is considered to be evidence that immediate traditional treatment needed. And if the angle is more than 50 degrees, no traditional methods will help, and to get close to the normal bearing patient will need surgical treatment.

Traditional Scoliosis Treatment

Curvature spin will never become straight by itself, and parents who think that child will grow and scoliosis will disappear are not right. If an orthopedic recommends wearing a corset you need to listen to his advice since this equipment which supports the correct spine position don’t treat diseases itself, but not allow for bending more.

Chiropractic Treatment

During the past few years, it becomes popular to use chiropractic treatment during scoliosis. Of course, modern medicine has its own opinion on this method; however, it is known that in some cases this method is more effective than traditional treatment.

A Closer Look at Chiropractic Care

After a doctor has found out the pain reason and the degree of disease, neglect, he tries to help his patient. There are a lot of treatment methods which solve the majority of spine problems, which includes different types of massages and physiotherapy, but because the science is constantly developing, and improve the knowledge, ideal methods of treatment are found. One of them is chiropractic.

Chiropractic is the type of manual therapy with spin as a main subject of treatment. Chiropractor works with his hands using special massage techniques, he is simply eliminated vertebrate nerve jams and returns health feelings to the patient. The people who faced chiropractic, says that this type of treatment as much complicated as spine surgery, since all the diseases are removed by chiropractor blindly.

The basis of chiropractic is a statement that the incorrect position of bones in the human body causes the dysfunctions of organs, nerves, muscles and leads to the majority of existing diseases. The aim of this method is finding the pathologies and their remove using special hands (arms) methods – like pressing, shifting, kneading.

Chiropractic can be visceral and structural. Visceral chiropractic is aimed to restore the internal organs, ensure sufficient blood supply and innervation. Structural chiropractic is aimed to restore elements of the musculoskeletal system, its mobility, eliminate distortion, compression of the vertebrae, and improve cerebral blood flow.

Structural chiropractic is effective in the treatment of pain syndromes in different parts of the spine, headaches, sports injuries and back injuries, etc. It is most often used a type of therapy during osteochondrosis, osteoporosis, and scoliosis.

How Can Chiropractic Help Treat Spinal Diseases?

As it has been said before, the objective of chiropractic treatment is to optimize spinal functioning. With certain spinal conditions like osteochondrosis and scoliosis, the nerve endings can be nipped. This is the reason of sharp unbearable pain in the back, neck or even head.

Chiropractic helps using special manipulation with arms and certain physiotherapy equipment. As a result, he easily copes with a source of pain, and its cause. Chiropractic is often prescribed to patients with scoliosis, osteoporosis, sciatica and other diseases, as part of traditional treatment.

For the child treatment, seeing a chiropractor for scoliosis may not the best choice. This method can fast correction of cosmetic problems faster and make spin axes even for several days. But then happens muscles weakening and deformation angel returns. Also, after this manipulation, the diseases progress is possible because of the active growth period. That is why it is undesirable to carry out manual therapy when the patient is younger than 14 years.

Chiropractic is a mechanical system of treatment with the help of arms and can be used only in cases when there is no danger to the patient. For the patients with the third and the fourth type of scoliosis are not recommended to use this method unless your doctor will prescribe you. Also, this method is not recommended for pregnant and post-operation patients with inner organ diseases.

For first stages of scoliosis among adults, chiropractic is considered as an effective method, but proper exercising and sports are needed to better get results.