alternative therapies

[Mobee211]

Has anyone here gone to a chiropractor for their scoliosis? Can it help reduce the curve a little bit?

Thanks.

[sweetness514]

You can do a search about chiros, as it is talked about more in the section for adult scoliosis, but it's a very touchy subject and there are a lot who are skeptical on the issue. My thoughts on it is you will see for yourself what helps or not, wether it is chiros or other alternative meds. For me, it helped my pain before surgery, sometimes I had to go in and was COMPLETELY pain free for weeks after, and then it didn't do much. It's unique to every person. I don't believe it can reduce the curve much, but some say it has and I am the type of person that doesn't testify on something that I haven't seen, so I won't comment on it.

[LindaRacine]

Hi Mobee...

Research has shown that chiropractic care cannot reduce or stop curves from progressing:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entre...&dopt=Abstract

You will, however, find many chiropractors who will claim they can do just that. If you decide to undertake such treatment, I'd encourage you to get a money-back guarantee if they make such claims.

Regards,
Linda

[bbest]

I went to a chiropractor for several months (3x per week). He manipulated and adjusted my spine and I endured traction for my lumbar spine. It helped with the pain but it did not reduce my curve nor did it stop my curve from progressing (3 years ago it was 52* now it is 58*).

I think it is very important to bear in mind that though our stories and conditions may be similar, we are all unique individuals. What works for one may not necessarily work for the next person.

All the best,
Brandi

[Mobee211]

Thanks! Good to know.

[green m&m]

I went for a year when I was first diagonosed at 12, my curve did not decrease and most likely worsened. I don't know for sure b/c the chiro hid the 1-yr follow up xrays from me claiming it went down a degree..(oh bull). But my curve has progressed over the years so it probably was much worse than my original curve of 25 degrees.

I went to another one when I was 16 for pain management. He was wonderful and didn't push on the 3x a week forever thing and never claimed he could correct my curve. (he was also much younger than my first chiro.. i don't know if that made difference.. less jaded or something) I think toward the end of my treatment he told me I could come in when I felt I needed it.

[sweetness514]

Hi green m&m,

my experiences with chiros were very similar. The first one when I was a teen did relieve me a bit of my pain with the massages and tens unit, but he did make me go three times a week and although he did not promise or think that my curve would reduce, he said that I shouldn't get surgery. The second in my adult years before I had surgery made me go when I wanted to-wich was about once a month or three weeks, wich is what I needed for my pain- and for months I was pain free. I guess it depends on the chiro, just like with doctors as well.

All the acupuncture specialists that I have seen told me to go in three times and if no improvement, to stop seing them. That's pretty much what my advice for any alternative treatment would be, such as chiros.

[Karen Ocker]

External forces on a curved spine

A spine surgeon, at a lecture a nurse friend attended, said it is difficult enough to reduce the curves in the OR with the correct hardware. He could not see how externally maneuvering(chiropractic) the spine could PERMANENTLY correct curves.