The spinal column is made up of 24 small bones called vertebrae. Seven are located in the neck or cervical area, twelve in the mid-back or thoracic area and five in the low back or lumbar area. They protect your spinal cord and allow you to move around in all directions. The spine when viewed from the back should appear fairly straight. However, the average person has a slight curve often due to right or left-handedness.
When someone develops a slightly greater curve than “normal” it is called Scoliosis (from the Greek word for “crooked”). It is known that most people are able to live normal lives; however, cases when the curve is severe are when people can suffer from internal problems. It should also be noted that poor posture is not a cause of Scoliosis and women with Scoliosis do not have more problems carrying babies to full term than women who do not have this disease.
Scoliosis still remains a mystery to the health profession. Most cases of Scoliosis, up to 90%, have an unknown cause. In fact, the spinal components, the vertebrae, disc, tendons and muscles appear normal, although as the curve worsens abnormalities may develop in these areas.
Types of Scoliosis
- Idiopathic- meaning unknown. Idiopathic is the MOST COMMON type of Scoliosis. Approximately 80% of people diagnosed with Scoliosis have this type. There are three types of Idiopathic as listed below.
Juvenile ages 3-9 y.o.
Adolescent ages 10-18 y.o.
Adult Idiopathic over 18 y.o. - Congenital- present at birth, malformation of the spine, usually occurs at the 3-6 week of development in utero when the spine is developing.
- Neuromuscular- in some children with conditions like cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy. Spine usually takes on a Long “C” curve because they have weak trunks and aren’t able to support their bodies.
- Adult or Degenerative-scoliosis that may have gone unnoticed in childhood OR due to osteoporosis, disc degeneration, spinal compression fractures or other similar conditions.
Proof That Chiropractic Works for Scoliosis
For years it has been debated if chiropractic care can help reduce spinal curvatures. A study by Charles “Skip” Lantz, DC, PhD, director of research of Life Chiropractic College West, and his associates found that “children with mild scoliosis treated with chiropractic adjustments have shown a reduction in their spinal curvature.” The study, which was conducted over a three-year period, noted that the medical community does not offer treatment for spinal curves of less than 20 degrees and that chiropractic appears to offer an advantage in the management and monitoring of the early stages of scoliosis.
Chiropractic adjustments can help with severe scoliosis as well. Several cases have been publicized as having been improved by chiropractic care. One notable case study was that of a 10-year-old girl with a severe scoliosis of 48 degrees. After ten chiropractic adjustments her mother reported a happier child, and her scoliosis reduced to 12 degrees.
Getting Treated for Scoliosis in Augusta, GA
Here at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic we have had great success in treating children with varying degrees of scoliosis. Traditional medical treatments for scoliosis are very invasive, and the results have not been proven beneficial for the patient. In fact, traditional medicine does not offer any treatment for a scoliosis curve of less then 20 degrees.
Parents and their children are welcome to schedule a complimentary consultation at our office, where we can privately discuss your child’s current condition and if our scoliosis treatments would be a good match for your child.
The earlier a child receives chiropractic care, the greater the chance that we can make a marked correction.
The Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic Blog is written by Dr. Mark Huntsman.
Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic is conveniently located off Furys Ferry Rd in Augusta, GA and provides quality chiropractic care to the Augusta, Martinez, and Evans GA communities. Visit our main website at www.georgia-clinic.com.
Choose several options to schedule your appointment: call (706) 814-5053, use our online voicemail, or use our online form.