While chiropractors cannot straighten your spine in the curative sense that a brace does, they can help alleviate pain and improve posture. Chiropractors often combine spinal adjustments with stretches and exercises to manage scoliosis in adults.
After examining your scoliosis through x-ray and initial exam, a trusted scoliosis chiropractor cultivates an individualized treatment plan for you. This might include soft tissue treatments like massage, ultrasound and kinesio taping.
Spinal Alignment
If your spine is misaligned, you might feel pain in other parts of the body due to uneven pressure on your nerves and joints. This is why it is crucial to get regular chiropractic treatments. The treatment can improve the spinal curve, reduce muscle tension and joint strain, and help alleviate the symptoms of scoliosis.
The first thing a chiropractor will do is examine your posture and alignment. Then they will use their hands and multiple tools to perform spinal manipulations. These movements stop inflammation, loosen tight muscles, and correct the spinal curvature. For instance, if your scoliosis affects the thoracic vertebrae in your mid to upper back, spinal manipulation can give them more space to expand and make breathing easier.
In some cases, this can even reduce the overall curve of your spine, a study in the Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation found. It can also slow the progression of scoliosis in children and adolescents, making it less likely that they will require surgery later on.
While chiropractic care is unable to straighten your spine completely, it can significantly improve the curve and manage your symptoms. In addition to spinal adjustments, they might use flexion distraction to “stretch out” thinned areas in your spinal discs. They might also provide massage therapy to relieve muscles that are tight and tense from scoliosis.
Muscle and Joint Pain Relief
Chiro Balwyn North can help you ease muscle and joint pain associated with scoliosis through spinal manipulation, soft tissue treatment and physical therapy. They can also recommend exercises to improve posture and mobility as well as provide a variety of prescription pain medications, including steroids.
Unlike other conditions, treating scoliosis isn’t about getting joints “unstuck.” Instead, it’s about finding out where the curve in the spine is adding pressure and causing nerve problems. X-rays and an initial exam reveal this information, which allows the chiropractor to develop a scoliosis treatment plan that will correct the problem over time while alleviating symptoms.
Spinal adjustments can also make breathing easier if your scoliosis affects the thoracic vertebrae in your mid to upper back. This is because when the spine is correctly aligned, they can expand to give the lungs room.
During a typical chiropractic adjustment, the chiropractor tilts and rotates the spine while delivering a thrust to realign it. However, a scoliosis adjustment isn’t performed in the same way because it can worsen a curvature by adding more tension to it. Instead, a chiropractor uses non-rotatory methods such as the Activator method, Gonstead or Diversified technique, which avoid the twisting movements that can cause additional issues. These techniques also reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in patients with scoliosis. In addition to spinal adjustments, your chiropractor can use manual therapies such as heat and ice to soothe painful muscles and soft tissues. They can also use massage therapy to reduce knots and trigger points and help improve the range of motion in the shoulders and neck.
Postural Correction
When your spine is properly aligned, it relieves pressure on the muscles and nerves in your back. This helps prevent the curve of your spine from causing pain and discomfort in other areas, including the neck, shoulders, hips, and buttocks. A chiropractor can use manual adjustments to help restore proper spinal alignment and reduce pain in these areas.
Your chiropractor may also offer massage therapy, such as deep tissue and cranial-sacral techniques. This can ease tension in the back muscles, release trigger points, and improve circulation. When combined with stretches and rehabilitation exercises, massage can help you manage the pain and discomfort associated with scoliosis.
A chiropractor can also show you stretches and exercises that you can perform at home to strengthen the muscles that support your joints, core, and spine. Performing these stretches and exercises can help prevent your scoliosis from progressing, so you can enjoy a healthier, happier life.
Traditional scoliosis treatment options like bracing and surgery can be invasive and expensive. However, chiropractic care can improve spinal alignment, reduce pain, and improve mobility without requiring any invasive surgeries. If you are dealing with scoliosis, contact a chiropractor today to learn more about how they can help with your condition. If your scoliosis is mild, the sooner you seek treatment, the better. This can prevent your scoliosis from worsening over time, which could lead to permanent damage.
Increased Mobility
Having healthy range of motion is essential to the body. Without it, even the most mundane tasks can become a painful chore or even dangerous. This is because your body will compensate for a lack of mobility by using muscles that may not be strong enough to perform certain movements. This can cause low-stakes activities like stepping over a puddle to result in injury.
During your appointment, your chiropractor will probably use spinal manipulation to help increase the range of motion of your joints. This technique is similar to those performed by osteopaths and physiotherapists. It involves a short, sharp thrust of the spine. You might hear popping or cracking sounds as the bones in your spine shift into a more flexible position.
Chiropractors also treat the other joints in your body, such as those in your hips and feet. They might use soft tissue therapy to ease muscle spasms and tightness, or they may use joint bracing and kinesio taping.
Before you schedule an appointment with a chiropractor, it is important to consult your physician for advice. They may want you to avoid certain types of treatment, especially if you have a herniated disc or fragile bones. Also, be sure to tell your doctor about any medications or supplements you are taking. In many cases, chiropractic care is covered by health insurance.