What is Scoliosis of the Spine?

Scoliosis of the spine, often simply referred to as scoliosis, happens when the spine curves to the side, rather than straight up your back. Scoliosis can be painful and affect your life in many ways. At Southwest Chiropractic, we’re dedicated to helping our patients overcome scoliosis and take back their lives.

What Causes Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is often caused by muscle dystrophy, birth defects, and cerebral palsy. Other complications, such as tumors, infections, and Marfan or down syndrome can cause it as well. Many people first learn they have scoliosis when they are pre-teens or in their early teen years. Scoliosis may develop at any point in your life, from infancy to old age, but is more prominent when you are a teen. However, you may develop degenerative scoliosis later on in life as your bones begin to degrade.

There are two main kinds of scoliosis you may have; structural and nonstructural. Nonstructural scoliosis is typically caused by inflammation, muscle spasms, and even when you have one leg that is longer than the other. Structural scoliosis typically results from birth defects and certain health conditions. The main difference between the two is with nonstructural scoliosis, the spine functions normally even with a curve and with structural scoliosis, your spine is rigid. The best way to combat this is to receive scoliosis treatment.

The Symptoms

Oftentimes, people with scoliosis notice no symptoms, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it treated. As scoliosis worsens, symptoms can become severe and even debilitating. Symptoms include:

• Back pain
  
• Muscle spasms
  
• Deformities
  

Some clear ways to see if you have scoliosis is to see if you a) lean to one side, b) have an uneven waist, c) unequal gaps between your arms and your trunk, and/or d) one of your hips is more prominent than the other.

Available Scoliosis Treatment

While the symptoms may be minimal, scoliosis is definitely something you want to treat. One of the best ways to treat scoliosis is through chiropractic care. During chiropractic care, you may undergo deep massages and physical therapy to ensure your body, especially the brain, joints, and muscles, are in working order after each treatment. One thing to note about scoliosis is that it’s usually an ongoing, recurring issue—so your scoliosis treatment will be too. While this may seem like a hassle, the relief you’ll feel afterward will be worth it.

The kind of treatment you receive will depend on different things, including your age—such as whether you’re receiving treatment as a preteen or elderly person—and the kind of scoliosis you have.

Southwest Chiropractic Can Help!

If you need scoliosis treatment, Southwest Chiropractic is here to help. Call us today to schedule an appointment!