Scoliosis Treatment
If you are experiencing pain from scoliosis, Club West Chiropractic in Blaine MN can help. Our chiropractors can help treat you and reduce your pain.
Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal condition where the spine has a sideways curve, which can cause pain, discomfort, poor posture, and sometimes more serious symptoms like breathing difficulties. There are three forms of scoliosis; neuromuscular, congenital, and idiopathic; the first being secondary to issues with pain and posture, the second being caused by a defect at birth, and the last being of unknown cause, but typically developing in adolescence and thought to have genetic components. When you have pain from an injury or poor posture, the muscles in certain portions of your back tighten to compensate in order to support the spine, which pulls the vertebrae to the side, causing neuromuscular scoliosis.
The most common form of scoliosis is idiopathic and it typically occurs in adolescents but can be more serious if left untreated in children who develop it before the age of 10. Idiopathic means that there is no certain cause, but the spine doesn’t adapt properly during development and subluxations form, cause spinal misalignment.
Degenerative scoliosis is a type of neuromuscular scoliosis that occurs with age as the discs in the spine sometimes degrade unevenly, causing the spine to tilt and the muscles to compensate by pulling the vertebrae further sideways. Unlike the scoliosis that typically develops in adolescence, degenerative scoliosis often occurs in the lumbar region of the spine.
What are the Symptoms of Scoliosis?
Typically, scoliosis is a condition that progresses slowly, and in that way it sneaks up on people. The first symptoms in adolescents and children are usually uneven shoulders or hips, a shoulder blade that seems more prominent, or mild back pain. Symptoms like this aren’t usually noticed unless you are consciously looking for them, but early diagnosis is essential to stopping progression and reversing the curvature before the spine is fully settled. It’s important for children and adolescents to get regularly checked for scoliosis, even if they have no symptoms, as well as to manually fix subluxations as they occur to ensure that the spine is properly aligned as it matures. If left untreated during adolescence, the pain from scoliosis often increases with age and leads to poor posture. Degenerative scoliosis tends to result in more aches and pains as well as tingling sensations that can extend from the back to the legs. More serious cases of scoliosis, especially those that develop in early childhood, can lead to breathing and mobility difficulties. These cases often require surgery and more invasive measures to treat. Our Blaine chiropractors specialize in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of vertebral subluxations.
Risk Factors and Conditions Associated with Scoliosis
The biggest risk factors of scoliosis are musculoskeletal growth and musculoskeletal decline, or in other words, age. Those who are still developing, and those who’s muscles and bones are in decline are at the highest risk of developing scoliosis. Girls also have a higher chance of developing more severe cases of scoliosis that require treatment. A family history of scoliosis also increases your chances of developing this disorder. More rarely, scoliosis can occur with certain conditions, either as an aspect of them or as a result of them. Some of these conditions are cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Down’s syndrome, Marfan syndrome, spinal infections, spinal tumors, spinal injuries, skeletal abnormalities, and muscle spasms.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Scoliosis
Chiropractic treatment cannot reverse severe cases of scoliosis but they can help prevent scoliosis before it occurs or slow its progression. The best prevention is early detection, and getting regular spinal check ups is crucial for detecting scoliosis. Your Club West chiropractor will do a detailed physical exam to ensure all signs of scoliosis are treated early on. Outcomes are always better if scoliosis is caught before your child stops growing. Chiropractic adjustments and chiropractic therapies help reduce the progression of scoliosis. To learn what a chiropractic adjustment is and how it can help with scoliosis click here. If you have been suffering with scoliosis for many years, chiropractic treatment can still help you, though the goal is to relieve pain and discomfort, not to reverse the