Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine, with some rotation of the vertebrae. It can appear in childhood, adolescence or adulthood, and it should be monitored by an orthopaedic or spine specialist.

The most common form is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which usually becomes visible between 10 and 15, during the growth spurt. In adults, scoliosis may date from adolescence or develop with wear on the spine. The signs to watch for in your child are in adolescent scoliosis.

The size of the curve is measured on an X-ray (the Cobb angle), and that size, together with age and remaining growth, decides the treatment: monitoring, specific exercises, a brace or, for severe curves, surgery. In teenagers with moderate curves, bracing lowers the risk of the curve progressing (Weinstein et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2013).

Chiropractic does not correct or cure scoliosis, and there is no evidence that adjustments reduce the curve. What we can do is treat the back pain and stiffness that often come with it, especially in adults, and support the exercises your specialist has given you.

At the clinic we adapt the technique to the shape of your spine, with gentle mobilisation and soft-tissue work, and give you mobility and strength exercises. We work alongside your orthopaedic specialist and never replace a brace or the check-ups they have set.

If your scoliosis makes you feel short of breath, we explain it in scoliosis and breathing difficulty.