Advanced Rehabilitation Clinics of Texas provides quality chiropractic care to provide direct individualized correction therapy for Scoliosis, Reverse Spine Curvatures, and Short legs, among other spine conditions.
WHAT IS A REVERSE OR FLAT SPINE?
A normal spine has a natural curve, and when viewed from the side, it resembles a gently curved S. This allows for motion and the ability to absorb shock and bear weight.
In some cases, a person may have a deformity or variations in the spine. An abnormal curve in the spine can affect its ability to do its job, leading to pain, neurological problems, and long-term disability.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SPINAL DEFORMITIES?
- Lordosis is the normal curvature of the cervical and lumbar spine and it is shaped like an arch.
- Hypolordosis, refers to a decrease or lack of lordosis or flat back that affects the cervical and lumbar spine. Hyperlordosis is identified by an increased or exaggerated curve of the spine. Typically affects the cervical and lumbar spine.
- Kyphosis, is characterized by an abnormally rounded upper back that curves forward. The condition can create the form of a hump that affects the thoracic spine.
- Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. The curve is often S-shaped or C-shaped.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SPINAL DEFORMITY?
Symptoms differ, depending on the type of spine curvature disorder and the severity of the condition. However, the most common symptoms are:
Symptoms of HYPER or HYPO lordosis may include:
- Appearing swayback, with the buttocks being more pronounced
- Having a large gap between the lower back and the floor when lying on your back on a hard surface that does not change when you bend forward
- Back pain and discomfort
- Decrease in spine flexibility
- An exaggerated curvature of the lower back
- Pain or stiffness in the lower back
- Lower back pain
- Excessive fatigue
Symptoms of HYPER or HYPO kyphosis is usually visible and include:
- Bending forward of the head compared to the rest of the body
- Hump or curve to the upper back
- Fatigue in the back or legs
- A noticeable roundness of the shoulders and upper back
- Pain or stiffness in the shoulders or upper back
- Poor posture
- Muscle weakness
- Muscles spasms
- Fatigue
- In the elderly, it is often associated with osteoporosis
Symptoms of Scoliosis may include having:
- Uneven shoulder blades, with one being higher than the other. As the curve develops
- An uneven waist or hip. You may notice that pant legs are longer on one side than the other
- Tendency to lean to one side
- Clothing doesn’t fit properly
- Head position may change. Scoliosis may cause the head to appear off-center
- The rib cage may look different on one side compared to the other
- Breathing may be difficult. When scoliosis is more severe, the curvature can interfere with the lungs and heart function, causing shortness of breath, chest pain, or back pain
WHAT IS A SHORT LEG DISCREPANCY?
How is Short Leg Discrepancy diagnosed, and what is the treatment?
If you are suffering from Short Leg Discrepancy, you should have an evaluation from a well-trained chiropractor. A chiropractor will examine the patient in detail and order full-length spine X-rays to measure spinal curvatures.
Short legs are asymptomatic. Patients will feel NO pain or limp. However, complications will develop over time. It is imperative your Chiropractor check leg length during examination and x-ray report of findings with the patient.
Once the patient is diagnosed, and a root cause is identified, treatment should focus on treating the root cause and prescribing a custom orthotic for the short leg.
Short Leg Discrepancy is a very treatable condition and is VERY OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED. Proper diagnosis and treatment are key to resolving it, allowing the patient to return to regular activities and preventing pathological adaptive musculoskeletal changes, and acquired degeneration affecting the spine and lower extremity joints for good.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SEE A DOCTOR?
When these spinal deformities lead to pain or affect your ability to perform daily activities, also if they cause dysfunction of the spinal cord/nerve roots, surgical and/or non-surgical treatment may be required.
Also, if you notice any deformity on the spine, you should be evaluated by a chiropractor who can design a prevention program to prevent the curve from continuing deforming.
HOW ARE SPINAL DEFORMITIES DIAGNOSED?
A specialist will perform an extended physical examination and order x-rays of the spine to diagnose a spinal deformity. During an exam, the doctor will usually ask the patient to move into a few positions, such as a forward bend, to observe the spine as it progresses. To see whether there is an underlying cause of the curve, we may recommend imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans, to analyze the spine’s internal structure and surrounding area.
WHAT ARE TREATMENTS FOR SPINAL DEFORMITIES AND CONDITIONS?
A chiropractor can help to improve the spine deformity and to avoid the curvature of the sprain to continue to deform. A chiropractor will use a series of techniques based on each patient’s necessity of treatment.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT IN SPINE DEFORMITIES?
– Relieve pain and stiffness
– Decrease muscles spams
– Improve posture
– Prevent deterioration of spinal structures such as disks and vertebrae.
– Ease breathing
– Improve sleep quality
– Reduce the appearance of the deformity.
– Reduce discomfort
– Increase spine flexibility
– Increase muscle strength
– Improve the overall quality of life
– Reorient the spine and slow down the advancement of the curve
– Avoid progressing of the spinal deformity
– Decreases the need for surgeries
HOW DO CHIROPRACTORS TREAT SPINAL DEFORMITIES AND CONDITIONS?
Chiropractors provide a series of non-surgical treatments based on the deformity, severity of the deformity, cause of the deformity, and patient age.
Children and adults are treated differently. When treating children with spinal deformities, nonsurgical treatments are often chosen since children’s bones are still developing. An early approach can lean a child’s growing spine into the correct alignment. In adults, the same treatment would be less effective because the spine is already rigid and developed in its position. However, the adult’s treatment can prevent the continuity of the spine deformation and avoid further and future spine complications.