Scoliosis
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a condition where the spine rotates and curves sideways. Scoliosis can appear and any age, but most frequently appears in children and teenagers. There are multiple different types of scoliosis, but the most common is Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, which accounts for 80-90% of cases. In this type, scoliosis appears during rapid growth spurts in teenagers and has no known direct cause. It is usually diagnosed by a doctor performing a physical examination, checking for spine curvature and symmetry. They may also order imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Common Symptoms of Scoliosis
Scoliosis causes a range of signs and symptoms, most of which relate to the appearance of the spine. They include:
- An abnormal curvature of the spine
- Uneven shoulder blades
- One hip sitting higher than the other
- Shortness of breath
- Uneven posture
- One side of the rib cage jutting forward
- Breathing difficulties
- Chronic back pain
Causes and Risk Factors
There is often no known cause for the development of scoliosis. There are some identifiable causes for specific types of scoliosis, some of the most common are:
- Muscular dystrophy, which is a genetic disorder causing muscle weakness
- Cerebral Palsy, which is a group of disorders causing difficulty with movement and posture
- Congenital causes, meaning that a child was born with scoliosis
Treatment
Scoliosis is a complex condition to treat and requires medical professionals to consider various factors such as age, growth, the degree of curvature, and the type of scoliosis. In some mild cases, no treatment is needed.
For more severe cases, there are a few potential treatments that can be explored, including:
- Exercise, physiotherapy or chiropractic adjustments to ease pain and symptoms
- Bracing may be used for people who are still growing, in order to prevent the curvature of the spine from worsening
- Massage and hydrotherapy
- Medication for pain management
- In very severe cases with curvature over 40 degrees, surgery may be considered. This surgery comes with risks such as nerve damage and is generally a last resort
How The Brisbane Spine Clinic Can Help
There is evidence that treatment from a chiropractor can reduce pain and increase flexibility in people with scoliosis. Our chiropractors are experts in the spine and are the best place to go if you are interested in chiropractic care for scoliosis. It is important to choose a chiropractor who is highly knowledgeable and experienced in the treatment of scoliosis to ensure that the treatment is effective and does not worsen the degree of scoliosis.
If you are living with pain from scoliosis, we encourage you to come and see us at The Brisbane Spine Clinic so that we can provide you with an assessment and put together a plan for muscle strengthening and pain management.
Please call us now on 07 3841 3070 or book an appointment online.
Disclaimer
All information is general in nature
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Senior Musculoskeletal Consultant
Mr Yu-Tsung (Justin) Lin
- B.Phty 2009 UQ
- CSMT (Certificate in Spinal Manual Therapy) 2010
- Kinesiotape Level 1 2010
- Ridgway Method Paradigm 2011
- M. Phty (Musculoskeletal) 2013 UQ
- Mulligan Concept Upper Quadrant 2015
- Mulligan Concept Lower Quadrant
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