Although children are the main group suffering with scoliosis, adults may suffer, too. Let’s discuss this common disorder and the way chiropractic care can assist you.
Defining scoliosis
Scoliosis is a disorder of the spine. It’s a sideways curving (or curvature) of a person’s spine. The curve forms a shape like an ‘S’ or a ‘C’. Around 80% of the cases are idiopathic, making it the most common type. Idiopathic entails “without a recognized cause.” Unfortunately, without definite cause, experts do not have every answer for those afflicted. Other types of this issue include:
- Congenital Curve (denoting someone is born with the problem)
- Paralytic Curve (denoting the muscles do not function)
- Myopathic Deformity (denoting the muscles do not work correctly)
- Secondary (produced by a secondary disorder, like osteoporosis, degeneration, or osteomalacia)
Who gets it?
Between six and nine million people (2-3% of the US population) suffer from this disorder. Scoliosis mainly affects children between ages 10 and 15, afflicting girls more frequently than boys. Although most common in this age and gender assemblage, there’s an increasing percentage of adults with scoliosis.
What is the cause?
As stated earlier, the majority of scoliosis cases don’t have a recognized cause. A few cases, like congenital scoliosis, actually do have a recognized cause. Experts believe congenital scoliosis results from abnormally formed vertebrae, which exist at birth.
What are the indications and signs?
Generally, those with this issue will not have back pain. It’s vital to seek chiropractic care if the following physical indications exist:
- A shoulder blade which sticks out more than the other one
- A rib hump (rib prominence) when standing
- A lower back hump (lumbar prominence) when bending forward
- One hip that’s higher than the other one
The Cobb Method
The chief part of diagnosing scoliosis is the size of the curve, calculated by means of the Cobb method. A curve larger than 10 degrees is a positive finding. A curve larger than 25 to 30 degrees is substantial. And one that exceeds 45 to 50 degrees is severe.
How do you diagnose?
A physical exam and spinal X-rays confirm the diagnosis. Ensure that an expert performs your exam. The signals that suggest scoliosis are elusive and it can be easily missed.
What treatment options exist?
Treatment options include observation or braces and chiropractic treatment of scoliosis. Research reveals active treatment by a chiropractor improves pain levels and Cobb angles.
Specialists agree that this disorder is best treated when found early. If you think you have scoliosis or you aren’t sure, it’s better to get checked out immediately.
Get an appointment to speak to a chiropractor about chiropractic care and scoliosis.
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