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Scoliosis Treatment
Scoliosis means that the spine is crooked, seen from behind. The crookedness can cause pain from joints and muscle fatigue, as well as breathing, heart and stomach problems.
A FasciaClinic can help you to rebalance your body step by step, but it can take time to change your posture and balance in the long term.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is Greek for crooked and having scoliosis means having a crooked spine when viewed from behind. The spine can often form an s-curve so the body tries to compensate for the load. Scoliosis can be caused by many factors. Women are more often affected than men and research shows that fascia, including bones, are affected by hormones.
Scoliosis often occurs without a known cause, known as idiopathic scoliosis, it can be congenital from the fetal stage and it can be caused by disease/injury to the muscles and nervous system.
Scoliosis can cause major problems as the whole body becomes unbalanced and joints and muscles are unevenly loaded, leading to back pain or more severe back pain.
Scoliosis means that the spine is crooked, seen from behind. If the curve is more than 10°, it is considered scoliosis. Often the thoracic spine is bent to the right and sometimes an s-curve is formed, when the spine bends sharply in one direction, it has to bend back to try to get a balance.
A distinction is made between structural scoliosis and functional scoliosis. Structural scoliosis, is a crooked spine due to structures being affected. This means that the back remains crooked when bending forward. Functional scoliosis is often due to some kind of imbalance, asymmetry, for example posture, pain, inflammation or different leg lengths (often due to an unbalanced pelvis). When bending forward, the obliquity disappears or decreases, in a functional scoliosis.
Symptoms of scoliosis
Often the thoracic spine is bent in an arc to the right and sometimes even further bent in an S-curve to compensate. A crooked spine puts uneven stress on the vertebrae, disks, joint capsules, ligaments and other soft tissues in the back but also in other places such as the shoulders, arms and legs. The misalignment can cause joint pain and muscle fatigue, as well as breathing, heart and stomach problems.
What causes Scoliosis?
Scoliosis can be caused by many factors. Structural scoliosis often has no known cause and is known as idiopathic. It can be congenital due to a variety of causes affecting the early fetal stage, occurring in childhood or during adolescence until the spine is fully grown.
Disease or injury to the muscles or nervous system can cause scoliosis. Trauma and rheumatic diseases can be a cause.
Often structural scoliosis occurs in adolescence during periods of rapid growth. Being observant of nutritional status and sufficient vitamins and minerals is very important and often overlooked. Vitamin D and C, also the B vitamin complex, magnesium, zinc and selenium are vitamins and minerals that are commonly deficient. These are all important for protein and energy metabolism and thus the formation of, among other things, collagen, which is needed in large quantities for the formation of bones, cartilage and all fascia. Also to be taken very seriously by the pregnant mother in view of fetal development.
A functional scoliosis may be due to some imbalance which causes tension and results in uneven loading and an unbalanced pelvis which in turn causes a new imbalance, a vicious circle. It is unusual for the legs to be different lengths, but it is more common for the pelvis to be imbalanced due to different stresses, which in turn results in the legs appearing to be different lengths due to a change in position. The functional scoliosis may also be due to some pain, so avoiding some load for a long time and becoming crooked.
Where and when should I seek treatment for Scoliosis?
As soon as scoliosis is detected, the problem should be addressed, as this gives the best chance of correcting or improving it. Treatment at a FasciaClinic is a pleasant and relaxing treatment and relaxation is important to release tension.
How is scoliosis treated?
At a FasciaClinic, you get help to balance the body step by step, it can take time to change posture and balance long-term. With the treatment, you release tension that pulls, you get an increased flow in the fascia and various structures get a better sliding function with reduced friction. It also affects circulation and nerve function. Functional scoliosis is easier to treat. In the case of structural scoliosis, which affects the vertebrae, etc., you may not get all the way there, but improvement and relief can almost always be achieved.
A corset is often recommended in healthcare to prevent further curvature of the spine. However, a corset has a major negative impact on breathing and is often very uncomfortable for the patient. Severe scoliosis may be operated on, but surgery is irreversible, creates new problems in the fascia and always carries different risks and should be a last resort.
Scoliosis – What can I do myself?
A severe scoliosis may be operated on, but surgery is irreversible, creates new problems in the fascia and always involves different risks and should be a last resort.
Relaxation with deep breathing is very valuable. Deep breathing through the nose, slowly down to three breaths per minute, with deep inhalation so that the diaphragm gets as deep as possible has a very great effect. Several times a day for periods of about 10 minutes.
Lie on your back with your legs on a stool, with your hips and legs at a 90° angle for 10 minutes and relax and breathe deeply.
Sit at 90 degrees with your back pressed against a wall for as long as you can. Affects balance and strength.
Balance plates and Pilates provide good exercise for the small multifidus muscles in the back (stabilizing muscles).
Scoliosis – Frequently Asked Questions
How common is scoliosis?
Mild scoliosis is common. Severe scoliosis is not. It is more common in women than men.
How do you know if you have scoliosis?
If the spine does not look straight from behind but curves to the side, it is called scoliosis. Ask a doctor for a diagnosis and what degree.
Can you exercise with scoliosis?
Yes, it’s not dangerous but it’s good to try and get regular treatment to try and get your body as well balanced as possible to reduce wear and tear and subsequent problems.
Does a corset for scoliosis help?
It does not help to straighten the back, it is meant to prevent further slanting. The disadvantages are greater as it hinders breathing and is perceived as very uncomfortable. Deep breathing with the nose is hugely important to ease the scoliosis, it does not work with a corset.
