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Chances are you’ve been through the school nurse screening for scoliosis when you were in either elementary or middle school. The nurse would have you bend forward and touch your toes while he or she briefly ran his or her fingers down your back. This screening is known as Adam’s Test or Adam’s Position and is used to both visually and physically assess a potential “sideways” or lateral curvature of the spine. With scoliosis affecting millions of Americans, a scoliosis screening is often utilized in most American schools as scoliosis itself largely manifests in pre-teens most often. Should a scoliosis be detected, an array of avenues may then be taken to address the potential “issue.”
A common early intervention for scoliosis in is to apply braces across the midback or low back areas in hopes of reducing any further curvature. However, if the scoliosis persists and the amount of curvature increases, a pediatrician or primary care physician may then recommend surgical correction. The surgery for scoliosis correction can be quite involved through the use of long rods and many metallic screws and bolts to fuse the spine into a straighter orientation. Often scoliosis surgery can lead to a tedious recovery and potentially longstanding difficulty with mobility and soreness as the fused segments have lost their ability to move independently of each other.
Nevertheless, another option exists: chiropractic care. Some adolescents may be referred to a chiropractor for care across the spine to alleviate any misaligned spinal regions. A chiropractor will often take x-rays of the area to assess the degree of curvature then assign a management plan centered around spinal manipulation in hopes that the adjustments to the spine will reduce the scoliotic curve. However, this ideology is false! Research has shown that chiropractic adjustments have no influence over scoliosis or spinal alignment. Therefore, the rhetoric that chiropractors spread regarding “fixing” scoliosis through adjustments is unsubstantiated and detrimental to the general public who willingly sign up for fabricated chiropractic plans. Some studies suggest that moderate strength training may improve small aspects of soreness across the affected scoliotic area, but spinal manipulation has only been shown to provide temporary pain relief and small temporary increases to mobility for spinal conditions. Adjustments do not put bones back into place or correct the alignment of the spine – so don’t be fooled.
So, where do we go from here? Well, chances are there is no need to correct your scoliosis! Studies indicate that scoliosis does not leave you any more susceptible to pain or injury, and unless your scoliosis is so severe that it then alters the function of surrounding systems such as the respiratory or cardiovascular systems, then there are no hinderances to your daily life or activity. Plenty of elite athletes compete with scoliotic curves of the spine such as Usain Bolt and Lamar Grant. Thus, scoliosis is not typically a condition that needs to be addressed or corrected. Patients with scoliosis may still go about their daily routines AND competitive sport with no additional worry for injury, pain, or impairment compared to those around you.
Mckeon Buffamonte, D.C.
Doctor of Chiropractic
Owner of PhysioDelta Chiropractic
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