Scoliosis and Chiropractic Treatment in Little Rock
Are you looking for a chiropractor in the Little Rock area? Look no further, Dr. Courtney Carmack, DC provides quality chiropractic care serving Little Rock and surrounding areas. Dr. Carmack sees people just like you every day and treats a number of conditions. Among those is scoliosis.
What is scoliosis?
We are so glad that you asked!
What Is Scoliosis?
The normal spine should be straight when you look at it from the front or the back, and it should have three curvatures when you look at it from the side. Scoliosis is a disorder marked by a sideways spinal curvature when looking at the spine from the front or the back.
Scoliosis is a disorder marked by a sideways spinal curvature. Doctors often describe this curvature as being C-shaped or S-shaped. Once tested for in every elementary school in the United States, today it is a condition that is often left undiagnosed until later in life when it presents with more serious symptoms.
While it is not unusual for there to be slight curving of the spine due to environmental influences – like carrying heavy loads repeatedly or damage due to an accident – any curvature that is greater than ten degrees is deemed to be scoliosis. In addition, the causes of true scoliosis are not avoidable.
What Causes Scoliosis?
Roughly 80 percent of all scoliosis cases are idiopathic. This means that there is no definite cause that can be determined. Causes that can be determined fall into one of two categories: structural and nonstructural.
Structural causes create a rigid curvature that cannot be reversed. Among these types of causes are conditions such as:
- Myopathic Deformity caused by improper function of the muscles in the back
- Congenital Curvature is a condition with which you are born
- Paralytic Curvatures are due to the muscles of the back failing to work altogether
Nonstructural causes of scoliosis can often be treated, and the curvature corrected. They include secondary conditions like osteoporosis, spinal degeneration, one leg being longer than the other, inflammations of other areas, and muscle spasms among others.
Scoliosis Treatment
Scoliosis treatment depends largely on what is the underlying cause of the curvature. Medical treatments range from observation to bracing to surgery. On the other hand when scoliosis is found earlier, oftentimes the curvatures can be reduced or corrected through a combination of specific chiropractic adjustments and spinal exercises to address the soft tissues of the spinal column. Many studies have shown that active chiropractic observation and treatment can improve the symptoms and signs of scoliosis as well as prevent further damage to the joints and discs in the spinal column. Furthermore, experts agree that early detection and treatment is essential to optimal healing and relief.
What Your Little Rock Chiropractor Can Do
Because truly every spine is different, the first thing Dr. Carmack will do is complete a thorough chiropractic examination and X-rays to determine the location and severity of any scoliosis. Through a carefully crafted plan utilizing chiropractic adjustment and some of the other more than 150 proven chiropractic techniques, we can help reduce the pain of scoliosis. Even if you are not suffering from any pain, these methods can help to prevent the further degradation of your condition and improve your quality of life.
To schedule your consultation, stop by our office, call our friendly staff at (501) 404-8910, or schedule an appointment online today.