Scoliosis is a tough condition to have. Young female teenagers are the most common type of person to get scoliosis. The scoliosis curve can rapidly increase, cause chronic pain, can cause the posture to be altered, and what is the saddest is make people not like who they see in the mirror.

The traditional medical approach to scoliosis is the “wait and see” approach. They measure the curve and then tell you to wait and come back and if the curve increases to a certain amount. Then they will want to do surgery if the curve increased too much. If you want to avoid hardware in your spine for a lifetime, this can change your life, your children’s life, and other people you may know that have scoliosis’s life.

• Take an X-ray

To know if someone has scoliosis, an X-ray needs to be taken. That is the only way to know the alignment of the spine. From there, I would measure every angle and determine the amount of curve and compare it to the person’s posture from the outside.

• Find out what is causing the scoliosis

Just because someone has a curve in their spine does not tell you why they have scoliosis. It just means there is over 10 degrees of curve. Through a proper exam, postural evaluation, and X-ray analysis, this can be determined. These are common causes that Dr. Mike Weiner sees in his office regularly: anatomical short leg, anatomical sacral insufficiency, postural shifts to the right/left, genetic bone height differences, buckling of the spine (seen in older patients more), spinal cord issues, rotations of the spine independent of the posture, and other causes too. Once the cause is identified, then and only then can proper treatment be done to correct the curve.

• Test to see if the scoliosis can change

Once the cause is found, then X-rays and exams need to be done to assess for how correctable the curve is. If there is a short leg, then I would take an X-ray of someone standing on a lift to see if it balances out the legs and sacrum (foundation of the spine). Then I would test to see if a corrective movement/exercise will correct the spine. Once that is identified, that is what the patient does in office and at home to correct the curve. Lastly, I test to see if a certain corrective traction (a force into the spine intended to correct spinal misalignments such as scoliosis) will align the spine. Once these are done, then treatment with realistic expectations can be made.

• Treatment and at home treatment

In my office, a combined approach of spinal adjustments, postural corrective exercises, and spinal remodeling traction is used to retrain the spine, ligaments, muscles, and nervous system to hold into a new position. This is done repeatedly in office based on how correctable the spine is. At home, the patient is trained on using certain traction devices, called Dennerolls, and exercises to do at home to continue getting spinal alignment changes.

• Retake X-rays and postural analysis

At the completion of a treatment plan, X-rays will be taken to monitor progress. Even if a patient’s curve still needs surgery after treatment, there are reports of patients having better surgical outcomes when this approach is taken before surgery.

Dr. Mike Weiner is a chiropractor in Alpharetta, Georgia. He is the owner and lead chiropractor of Optimal Spine and Body. He practices Chiropractic Biophysics and is certified in the technique. This technique is the most evidence-based approach to correct spinal misalignments, called subluxations, that affect the health of individuals. Dr. Mike Weiner usually takes the patients that have tried every approach out there – even other chiropractic approaches – and helps patients live a lifetime of optimal health. He practices near Avalon, Main Street Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Johns Creek, and Cumming. He can be reached by email at admin@optimalspineandbody.com or by office phone at 770 274 4840.

Do not be told that there is nothing that can be done to correct your scoliosis. Find every way possible to correct it. It will be the best life changing decision you will ever make.