What Is Scoliosis and How Does It Affect Your Spine?
Scoliosis is a spinal issue typically diagnosed in adolescents that involves a sideways curvature of the spine. Though not everyone with this condition will have a severe curve to their spine, even mild cases can eventually lead to significant pain and discomfort. Our team at Lubbock Advanced Physical Medicine in Lubbock, TX, is here to share more about scoliosis and how we can help manage it with our chiropractic care.
What Is Scoliosis?
Your spine consists of more than 30 small bones, or vertebrae, that should neatly stack on each other. Scoliosis is a condition where you have an abnormal curve in the spine, making it more of a “C” or “S” shape instead of a straight line. This curvature does not always cause symptoms, especially if the curve is mild. However, scoliosis does often cause pain and stiffness in more severe curves, and even mild cases of scoliosis can worsen over time. This condition occurs most frequently in adolescents, but adults can also develop scoliosis due to degenerative changes in the spine.
How Does Scoliosis Affect the Spine?
In addition to the bones in your spinal column, you also have spinal discs, nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and various surrounding organs. When the bones do not align neatly, it puts undue strain on each of these bodily components. This strain can cause pain, tension, stiffness, herniated discs, nerve compression, digestive issues, and breathing problems. Scoliosis can also cause one side of your rib cage to jut forward and make one shoulder blade appear more prominent than the other due to the spinal curve.
How Can Chiropractic Scoliosis Treatment Help?
Though scoliosis is not currently curable, you can still effectively treat and manage this condition with the help of a chiropractor near you. Chiropractic adjustments are vital in managing scoliosis since they help restore and maintain your spinal column’s alignment. Doing this helps relieve pressure on the surrounding components and improves your posture, which reduces symptoms. However, you will need regular adjustments to ease scoliosis symptoms and improve your range of motion since scoliosis is an ongoing condition.
Therapeutic exercises are also beneficial for managing scoliosis. Therapeutic exercises use targeted, specific movements that help stretch and strengthen your back and core, which leads to more support for proper alignment. Your chiropractor can also use soft tissue techniques like massage therapy to reduce tension and inflammation and promote natural healing.
Get Scoliosis Treatment From Your Lubbock, TX, Chiropractor Today
Living with scoliosis can be challenging, but chiropractic care offers a natural and non-invasive way to manage symptoms and improve your quality of life. Contact Lubbock Advanced Physical Medicine in Lubbock, TX, and schedule a consultation at (806) 791-3399 to manage scoliosis symptoms and significantly improve your health and wellness.