Sunrise Scoliosis Treatment

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, scoliosis affects more than 3 million people in the United States, with children being the most common victims. Scoliosis can affect people of all ages and genders but more often occurs during puberty when children experience rapid growth spurts. Scoliosis disorder occurs when the spine develops a “C” or “S” shape. It can be mild, causing little or no pain, or severe, causing significant pain and disability.

Although some people with this condition may never experience symptoms and therefore need no treatment, others experience severe symptoms requiring scoliosis treatment. If your curves are progressing rapidly or you’re having back pain or other symptoms due to your scoliosis, you need our Sunrise scoliosis treatment to prevent further problems.

Call Specific Care Chiropractic today at (239) 369-9109 to schedule chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy!

Table of Contents

Understanding Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that causes one shoulder to appear higher than the other, one hip higher than the other, and one side of the rib cage more prominent than the other.

This condition can manifest itself at many locations throughout the spine – cervical (neck) spine, thoracic (middle) spine, and lumbar (lower) spine. Scoliosis can impact more than one of these regions simultaneously in some situations.

Scoliosis may be diagnosed at any age, but most often, it’s prevalent during puberty and adolescence, when it’s most noticeable to others. It can affect people of all ages and races, although it’s more common in women than men and tends to be more common on the left side of the body than on the right side.

Symptoms/Signs

Various indicators may suggest the presence of scoliosis. Schedule an appointment for Sunrise scoliosis treatment if one or more of the following symptoms occur:

  • Uneven shoulders
  • One or both hips are abnormally elevated or lifted
  • Uneven rib cage heights
  • Uneven waist
  • Alterations in the look or texture of the skin covering the spine, such as color abnormalities
  • The head is not precisely centered over the pelvis
  • The body as a whole leans to one side

Scoliosis develops for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Genetics: If your parents had scoliosis, you have a greater chance of developing it yourself (the risk is about 10%). About 30% of people with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have a family member with some form of spinal deformity or curvature.
  • Developmental Problems: Such as muscle weakness and misalignment during childhood development, can cause spinal deformities in children under 10 years old. These conditions are often related to neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.
  • Postural Problems: Muscle imbalances due to postural asymmetry (for example, carrying heavy bags on one shoulder) can cause spinal curvature over time if left untreated.
  • Neuromuscular Conditions: Conditions that affect the nerves and muscles around the spine, such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy, can contribute to scoliosis because they make it harder for children to move their bones into position properly during growth spurts — when their spines are most likely to curve out of place.
  • Medical Conditions: In rare cases, medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis can lead to scoliosis by weakening bones and ligaments inside the connective tissue surrounding your spine.

Types of Scoliosis

There are three main types of scoliosis:

Idiopathic Scoliosis

This type accounts for 80 – 85% of all cases and occurs without an identifiable cause. It’s also called “nonstructural scoliosis” because there isn’t anything wrong with the bones themselves; instead, they bend into an abnormal shape because some muscles pull them out of alignment.

Neuromuscular Scoliosis

This type of scoliosis occurs when there’s some damage to the nerves that control the muscles that move your spine. It usually doesn’t cause pain or other symptoms unless it is severe.

Congenital Scoliosis

Congenital Scoliosis is a rare form of scoliosis present at birth. It can be caused by problems with the spine, such as spina bifida or myelomeningocele, or other conditions in which the spinal column fails to develop normally.

Curved spine, concept of Sunrise scoliosis treatment

Diagnosis and Treatment

A physical examination is usually the first step in diagnosing scoliosis. In addition, doctors use a variety of other tests to determine whether scoliosis is present. These tests can reveal deformities, degeneration, or enlargement in the spine and adjacent areas.

X-rays can show the vertebrae’s structure and the joints’ outline. A spinal radiograph is another common test that doctors use, it shows more detail than an x-ray. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computerized tomography) scan provides more information than an x-ray or spinal radiograph.

The spine’s curve is measured in terms of severity by the number of degrees it deviates from being straight:

  • A Cobb angle between 10 degrees and 20 degrees is considered mild
  • A Cobb angle between 26 degrees and 40 degrees is considered moderate
  • A Cobb angle above 40 degrees is considered severe and requires more aggressive treatment

The treatment for scoliosis depends on its severity and whether any signs or symptoms have developed due to its presence (for example, back pain). In general, mild cases do not require treatment and may go away without or with little doctor’s intervention. However, severe cases require immediate doctor’s attention.

Our doctors may recommend one of the following treatments:

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy can help you strengthen your back muscles and improve your posture so that they can support your spine more effectively. This is especially important if you have had surgery on your spine or back pain due to scoliosis.

This treatment focuses on stretching and strengthening exercises that help improve posture and balance. A physical therapist can also recommend ultrasound therapy to help with tissue regeneration or healing.

Other techniques our doctors recommend include:

  • Spine rehabilitation therapy
  • Massage therapy
  • Corrective techniques
  • Electrical muscle stimulation

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments are a natural, non-surgical way to correct spinal curvature. The goal of chiropractic is to relieve your pain and improve your function by correcting the alignment of your spine.

Chiropractic adjustments involve high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) thrusts that move the vertebrae into proper alignment. Adjustments are gentle and safe for most people. They’re most often performed on an outpatient basis, but chiropractors may see you as an inpatient at a rehabilitation facility.

The benefits of chiropractic care depend on the severity of your condition. How long it will take to see results will depend on the type of treatment you’re receiving; our chiropractic adjustment techniques include:

  • Knee-Chest
  • Manual extremities
  • Seated diversified
  • Thompson drop-table technique
  • Diversified adjustments
  • Toggle recoil
  • Activator
  • Side posture
  • Sacral-occipital technique (SOT)

Get Sunrise Scoliosis Treatment Today

If you are suffering from scoliosis, our team is ready to enroll you in our new patient center and start your journey back to normal life. Our doctors will create a treatment plan that meets your needs and helps you get back on your feet.

At Specific Care Chiropractic, we’re committed to providing high-quality care in a compassionate environment because we genuinely care about improving your life. Call us at (239) 369-9109 and let our doctors help to alleviate your pain associated with scoliosis.