the benefits of chirpractic care

If you have recently been diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis, you may be concerned that your spine will be curved for life. Whilst it is indeed true that there is no quick fix for scoliosis, there are a number of treatments available that can stop the condition from worsening, and, in many cases, reverse the curvature. Below are the best three ways to treat idiopathic scoliosis:

Stretching

Whilst the underlying cause of idiopathic scoliosis is yet unknown, its effect on the body is well understood. Due to the asymmetric contour of your spine, the muscles supporting the back are imbalanced, which only serves to hold the spine in its scoliotic curve. As such, one of the best ways to reverse your scoliosis is to restore balance to these muscles, forcing your spine into a more neutral position.

Before you embark on a stretching routine, it's important to understand the underlying mechanics of your scoliosis. The side towards which your spine curves (the "convex" side) has to put in much more effort to pull your spine out of place. The out-of-balance force between strong and weak sides means that, over time, the muscles on your convex side elongate while the muscles on your concave side contract and tighten. Therefore, when stretching, make sure you focus on elongating the weak side and restoring mobility to the region.

Many people with scoliosis believe that practicing yoga will help straighten their spine. While yoga can definitely help, you have to be careful about which poses you practice, as many of the classic yoga positions can put unnecessary stress on your spine. As a rule of thumb, avoid yoga poses that put your spine into compression. These include any pose which involves putting pressure on your neck and shoulders, such as shoulder stands or head stands.

Back Bracing

If you still have some growing to do, there is every chance that your vertical growth will "feed into" your scoliotic curve and cause it to become more pronounced. In these situations, it's important that you have the proper precautions in place to stop this occurring, forcing your spine to grow vertically upwards rather than into your scoliotic curve.

The most proven way to stop this lateral movement of your spine is to wear back braces throughout the day. These "squeeze" into your rib cage and ensure that your curve will not worsen over time. This "squeezing" effect is not painful; modern back braces are designed to ensure that they do not restrict your movement or cause discomfort.

The main drawback of back braces is that they have to be worn for 23 hours a day in order to be effective. One hour without the braces is allowed each day, typically to accommodate swimming or other sporting activity. Whilst this may seem intrusive, remember that these braces are only used until your growth spurt has ceased, after which there is no risk of your curve worsening, and thus no reason to wear the braces.

Chiropractic Therapy

Chiropractors are specialists at detecting any imbalance in the spine and restoring it to its natural configuration. They do this by identifying the presence of "subluxations," which are misalignments in the spinal column, and applying force to put these joints back into place.

Therefore, it makes sense that chiropractors are the best medical practitioners for returning straightness to your spinal column. Not only does chiropractic treatment help in correcting misalignments in the joints of your spine, but it also helps loosen up the muscles that are pulling your spine out of its natural position. Furthermore, chiropractors are fully trained in the biomechanics of the body, so they understand the subtle changes you can make to improve your spine's curvature.

Chiropractic treatment, when paired with a rigorous stretching routine to improve mobility, is the safest and most natural way of straightening your scoliotic curve. As such, if you currently suffer from scoliosis, it is recommended that you pay a visit to a local chiropractor clinic in order to better understand the treatment options available to you.