Honolulu Chiropractor

When the body is looked at from behind, a normal spine is straight without much alteration from one side to the other.Scoliosis is an affliction that is generally associated with a lateral, or side-to-side, curvature of the spine.This affliction frequently gives the appearance of the patient leaning to one side though it should not be confused with poor posture. Characterized by both lateral curvature and rotation of the vertebra, this puzzling deformity oftentimes causes a symptomatic “rib hump” in the mid or thoracic spine. This is produced by the vertebrae in the zone of the major curve rotating toward the concavity and pushing their connected ribs posterior thus producing the characteristic rib hump seen in thoracic scoliosis. The pulmonary and cardiac functions can be obstructed if the thoracic curve and rib rotation is more than 70 degrees. Oftentimes later in life in untreated severe idiopathic infantile and juvenile scoliosis patients, this intensity of curve and consequential cardiac and pulmonary changes can be life threatening.

Anatomy

The spine displays four normal curves: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral, all of which are observable from a side view of the trunk. In the lower spine there is a healthy “C-shaped” curve called swayback or lordosis, while the thoracic curve in the chest vicinity has a “reverse C” called a kyphosis. Hyperlordosis is the term used to describe increased swayback, while increased kyphosis in the thoracic spine is called hyperkyphosis. Diversions from normal that are visible from a side view regularly accompany scoliosis changes. Occasionally round back deformities are simply due to poor posture and can often be corrected with postural exercises. A small number of individuals with kyphosis have more rigid deformities than the postural type, which are coincidental with vertebral deformity. This type of deformity, called Scheuermann’s kyphosis, is much more difficult to treat than postural kyphosis, and it’s cause is unknown.

Almost anyone can help to identify a child or grownup with scoliosis merely by looking at the person in a standing position, preferably without a shirt and in boxers, and observing the following:

• One shoulder may be raised than the other.

• One scapula (shoulder blade) may be raised or more pronounced than the other.

• There may be more room between the arm and the body on one side when the arms hang freely at the side.

• One hip may look to be higher or more prominent than the other.

• The head is not aligned with the pelvis.

• One side of the back appears higher than the other when the individual is observed from the rear and asked to bend forward until the the spine is horizontal.

The child or adult should be sent to a healthcare professional, such as a chiropractor, for further assessment once scoliosis is detected. your chiropractor would be happy to help.

The most common type of scoliosis is, by far, Idiopathic, and though there are a variety of causes and many kinds, Idiopathic Scoliosis accounts for nearly 85% of all cases. “Idiopathic” means “no known cause” and is observed with equal frequency in boys and girls in the mild or low curve magnitudes. Depending on the age of onset, this disorder can be sub-classified into infantile, juvenile and adolescent types. Idiopathic Scoliosis frequently runs in families and may be caused by genetic or hereditary influences. For reasons yet to be found, girls are five to eight times more likely than boys to have their curves develop in size and require treatment. As the term “Idiopathic Scoliosis” infers, this kind of scoliosis usually develops when children are ending their last major growth spurt. It is smart to have this age group observed by a professional on a regular basis because young people are hesitant to allow their body to be seen by parents or other adults.

It is vital that if a scoliotic curve is found in a growing adolescent, the curves be monitored for any development by a periodic examination and on occasion standing x-rays. In ninety percent of cases, the scoliosis is mild and does not require active treatment, though| increases in spinal deformity necessitate evaluation to determine if a brace or other therapy is necessary. In a small number of patients, surgical treatment may be required.~Surgery may be necessary for a small number of people.

Brace therapy (orthosis) is recommended for newly-identified conditions of moderate scoliosis or abnormal kyphosis, as well as when an increase in scoliosis or kyphosis is discovered in both juvenile and adolescent children. There are many kinds of braces, all designed to prevent curves from increasing by acting as a buttress for the spine during active skeletal growth. Braces normally will not make the spine entirely straight, and cannot always keep a curve from increasing. But, bracing is successful in preventing curve progression in a very large number of skeletally-immature adolescents.

There is no simple answer for scoliosis. The majority of cases, even though often monitored, are not actively treated. Severe cases are infrequently treated surgically, but the standard medical treatment for moderate conditions is a brace. You may want to see your local chiropractor first.

Specialized exercise, electric stimulation of spinal muscles, nutritional programs, and chiropractic treatments are among many therapies offered along with bracing. It looks as if the most beneficial results have been supported with a multi-faceted approach to the treatment of this affliction.

There are chiropractors, that have excellent success treating scoliosis symptoms.

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