Scoliosis Awareness Month: What Is Scoliosis And Its Effect On Your Body?

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month. Scoliosis is a term used to describe an abnormal curvature of the spine. It’s a common spinal condition which affects some 7 million Americans of all races, ages and backgrounds. Interestingly, scoliosis is more prevalent in girls than in boys. Some have mild scoliosis requiring no treatment, while others have significant spinal curvature greater than 25 to 30 degrees which typically requires some sort of treatment if possible.

A typical spine runs straight up and down a person’s back, whereas a spine with scoliosis curves in one of three ways: to the left (shaped like the letter C), to the right (like a backwards C), or two curves (like the letter S).

Scoliosis, which generally has no identifiable cause, can occur in children as well as adults. Typically, it’s detected via school screenings or physician visits at an early age between 10 and 18¬years¬old.

Nurses and doctors look for curvature of the spine as well as uneven shoulders, asymmetry of the waistline, a hump in the rib cage, and/or one hip being higher than the other. Select cases may require medical attention.

Obviously, no one wants to live with a curved spine because it’s not normal. If the curve gets too pronounced over time, it can disfigure the body, decrease air intake, decrease proper oxygen distribution, and put extra stress on the heart. It’s a smart idea to see a scoliosis doctor to manage the spine’s curvature before it gets out of hand and compromises the normal function of both the lungs and heart.

Those with scoliosis usually feel the need to use compensating postures to take away the feeling of pain and/or imbalance in their body. They’ll often develop abnormal posture and/or walking gaits. Basically, they’re trying to make themselves as comfortable as possible, so they might tilt their head, hunch their shoulders, hug an arm to the body, lean a certain way, or do other motions.

Treatment for scoliosis may involve chiropractic care, bracing and/or surgery in order to slow or stop the progression of a person’s spinal curvature.

Please call Lakewoods Chiropractic at 651¬464¬0800 if you’d like to make an appointment regarding scoliosis assessment and to visit a Forest Lake Scoliosis Doctor.