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Did you know that the National Scoliosis Foundation says that about 4 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with scoliosis? Did you know that it’s more likely for females to be diagnosed with scoliosis than males? In fact, females from Asia are more likely to get diagnosed with scoliosis than from any other ethnicity. Scoliosis has been a big part of my life since I was in 8th grade. A professional from the Royal Academy of Dance was visiting my dance studio to help teach us the new syllabus. She kept correcting my posture and guiding my torso from the left to the right. It felt weird since I was standing in what felt like my normal standing position. She informed the director of the studio who informed my parents and we had it checked out by an orthopedic surgeon. It turned out to be moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with several curves in my spine, two were almost 30 degrees. We are so glad we caught this condition when we did. We eventually decided to get treated by a chiropractor. And now, 2 back braces later, two 5 day non-consecutive treatment sessions, quite a few emotional breakdowns, and a lot of brace wearing later, my curves are reduced by over 50%.
Many people don’t know what scoliosis is, and they don’t think it’s a big deal. Some people don’t want to deal with their scoliosis and they believe they could put their scoliosis treatment on the back burner. But those who have untreated scoliosis will most likely end up with health issues and back pain later in life. More people should know about scoliosis. It is a health condition, which should not be ignored, and it’s time sensitive in its diagnosis and treatment options. I would tell a scoliosis joke, but it may be too out of line.
First, let me explain fully what scoliosis is. It is an abnormal curvature of the spine. According to “Scoliosis Hope” by chiropractor Dr. Tony Nalda, “The spine does not simply bend forward or backward, left or right; it bends and curves and rotates in multiple directions.” The theory of scoliosis caused by carrying heavy objects frequently, or on ones shoulder is not true. Scoliosis is not caused by the weight of an object and its effect on the body such as a heavy backpack, and it’s not caused by sitting in an improper posture. Some of its actual causes are accidents which would happen to fall under traumatic scoliosis, defects in the spine are another factor, or a result of spine degeneration which involves the change of the structure of a spine over time. However, 80% of scoliosis cases are idiopathic which means the cause of it is unknown. Some indicators of scoliosis are the body tilting or shifting to one side as a default position according to the individual, one hip appears to be higher than the other, one leg can seem shorter, and maybe even the collar bones could be uneven.
If it is not treated, one could end up with back pain in one’s later years, difficulty in walking, lifting objects, and exercising. Some effects that scoliosis may have are changes in posture, body symmetry, difficulty in lung function, neck, back, head, or leg pain, trouble sleeping, digestion issues, and balance and equilibrium issues.
Time is of the essence for someone diagnosed with scoliosis to have more treatment options. The most common is the orthopedic bracing method. Orthopedic doctors usually use the old fashioned types of braces such as Milwaukee, Boston, and Charleston. I’ve had the Boston brace. The way that the Orthopedic doctor described their braces is that the brace doesn’t correct the curvature, it just helps it from getting worse. They said that I would always have the curves I had, but I could keep the degree of curve from increasing. It’s like an orthodontist putting braces on your teeth and saying that they would always be crooked, but they wouldn’t get worse. Boston braces are very uncomfortable. It squeezed and pinched me so much that I started to dread wearing the brace and would start crying because of the pain. I eventually stopped wearing the Boston brace because my parents found the Scoliosis Reduction Center in Celebration that offers CLEAR-a new and effective chiropractic treatment towards scoliosis. CLEAR stands for chiropractic, leadership, educational, advancement, and research. They use the ScoliBrace-a more comfortable uncomfortable substitution for the Charleston, Milwaukee, or Boston. Scolibraces correct the spine while the brace is being worn. ScoliBraces are measured and manufactured specifically to the patient’s curves and body shape. The company that makes Boston braces can make up to 50 braces a day, while ScoliBraces take 4-6 weeks to design. The main objective for CLEAR is to reduce curves in an individuals back, and to prevent surgery as much as possible.
When a person is diagnosed with scoliosis with curves of 33 degrees or higher they usually are recommended the surgery route. They would have to undergo what is called “spinal fusion surgery”. Spinal-fusion surgery does make one’s spine straighter, but it is not a real and official cure. Spinal fusion is when they use rods to straighten the spine, and realign and fuse the spine together. The side effects of spinal fusion are a long recovery period-it can take weeks, months, and maybe even years to fully recover, quality of life does not improve after the surgery, it reduces range of motion even in areas where the surgery did not reach, and finally, the biggest concern is the possibility of paralysis. This is a last resort option. Which is why diagnosing and treating scoliosis as soon as possible is so important. Some people might be inclined to not treat their scoliosis or to wait because bracing isn’t very comfortable.
Going the chiropractic treatment route takes a lot of commitment. No one wants to be inconvenienced by a brace made of plastic. I totally understand. You want the freedom of being able to bend your torso, to tie your shoes, and you don’t want to commit to something you’re afraid might not work. But the chiropractic route is definitely worth the inconvenience of a year or two. As a person who has to wear a brace for 21-24 hours a day, I would rather be inconvenienced for a few years out of my life than have my condition significantly worsen in to deformity or pop up again in my life. Now I do have to admit, chiropractic treatment takes a lot of time out of my schedule where I could be doing other things. Every other week, I have to get a chiropractic adjustment, and every 90 days, I have to have x-rays and tests done on my spine to see my progress which takes at least 45 minutes. But isn’t one’s health and well being worth it? Even if it does take a lot of time out of an individual’s schedule, having curves reduced comes with many improvements in health and well being. Being inconvenienced or having what seems like not a lot of time should not be sufficient reasons why one should ignore their scoliosis.
Scoliosis should not be ignored because it is a time sensitive condition with more treatment options the sooner it’s diagnosed. There is a good chance you or someone you know may have scoliosis. It is my desire to educate people about scoliosis. It’s a health condition that should not be ignored. The sooner it is diagnosed, the more treatment options are available. I wish that my experience and my success will give others hope who suffer from this condition.
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