Scoliosis Correction – CLEAR Solutions

Scoliosis is a dis-ease of the neuro-muscular skeletal system. The medical “Gold Standard” of treatment, which is bracing and surgery, has few positive results.  As spinal experts, the chiropractic profession should take the lead in the correction and stabilization of the scoliotic patient.

90% of the time the scoliosis patient presents with a standard posture; forward head posture, right head tilt, right high shoulder, right thoracic Cobb angle, left lumbo-dorsal Cobb angle, right posterior and left anterior hips sitting, and the opposite hip displacement standing.

Abnormal subluxation patterns and abnormal spinal biomechanics are present.  The active scoliosis usually presents with forward head posture and a loss of cervical lordosis.  The occiput and atlas have an extension malposition (posterior occiput).  This has a subluxation effect on the proprioceptive spinocerebeller loop, resulting in dysponesis in spinal growth torsion (idiopathic scoliosis).

Treatment

The forward head posture and loss of lordosis always precedes the scoliosis.  Therefore, before the A-P dimension of the scoliosis can be corrected, the cervical lordosis must first be re-established!  It is possible to change this abnormal position by re-training the nervous system.
Many scoliosis patients have a “Librarian Posture”, looking from the top of their ocular orbits.  This can be corrected by putting tape on the inside, superior half of a pair of glasses.   

The spinouses rotate into the concave rather than the convex side.  This abnormal rotation decreases abnormal mechanical tension on the nervous system.

Unfortunately, chiropractic manipulation frequently makes the condition worse by mobilizing fixated, compensated vertebra.  Adjusting on the “high side of the rainbow” is contraindicated.

A retrospective case series, entitled “Scoliosis treatment, using a combination of manipulative and rehabilitative therapy”, by Mark Morningstar, Dennis Woggon and Gary Lawrence, was published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, on September 14, 2004.  19 patients were monitored with scoliosis ranging from 15 to 52 degree Cobb angles.  After 4 to 6 weeks, there was an average reduction of 62% or 17 degrees.  8 of the 19 patients were no longer classified as scoliotic.

In order to achieve these results, specific chiropractic adjustments were provided along with rehabilitative procedures.  These procedures included specific spinal isometric exercises, proprioceptive neuromuscular re-education, cervical and lumbar lordosis restoration, muscle and ligament rehab and vibration therapy. 

A Scoliosis Spinal Weighting System is used with therapeutic glasses, shoulder weights and hip weights.  The scoliotic spine compresses and rotates 3-dimensioanlly.  To correct this, the spine must be tractioned and de-rotated.

A vibrating platform with mechanical spinal traction is utilized to decompress and de-rotate the spine simultaneously.

This also accomplished with a Vibrating Scoliosis Traction Chair.  The patient is placed in a chair on a vibrating platform on an air cushion.  Braces are used to pull the Cobb angles into the proper alignment.  The patient is then tractioned, while going through dynamic motion.  The vibratory effect overrides the body’s proprioceptive defenses.  This is done once a day for 20 minutes, compared to wearing a scoliosis brace for 23 hours.

Contrary to medical misinformation, scoliosis correction is not age dependant and does not stop at osseous maturity.  The ages of the patients we have worked with in our Clinic vary from 4 to 73 years old. 

Case Study

The following patient was a 44 year-old female.  The correction was accomplished in 8 weeks.

The protocols followed were specific spinal adjustments, cervical and lumbar lordosis restoration, specific spinal isometric exercises, proprioceptive neuromuscular re-education, muscle and ligament rehab and vibration therapy.

For more information, there is a free scoliosis download at www.clear-institute.com.  For more information about the Scoliosis Correction Seminar schedule, contact Michelle Youngblut at the Postgraduate department of Parker College of Chiropractic, 800-266-4723.  Dr. Woggon can be reached at 437 North 33rd Avenue, St. Cloud, MN 56303; call 320-252-5599; email: [email protected].

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