Thought this might be of casual interest... another perspective on etiology of scoliosis and possible strategies relating to intervention.
Excerpt from a book written by Peter Schwind, Ph.D., Advanced Rolf Practitioner
Excerpt from a book written by Peter Schwind, Ph.D., Advanced Rolf Practitioner
From the perspective of the Myofascial concept, scoliosis appears not only as an irregular curvature of the spine that manifests in three dimensions, but also as an altered spatial relationship of the visceral cavities and a very stable displacement of individual organ axes. This perspective can be supported by the fact that, from a manual diagnostic standpoint, the tendencies to develop scoliosis may be diagnosed in the early years of life before the scoliotic curve manifests in the spine. Manual diagnoses provides insight into altered tension relationships of the membranes that cover the visceral cavities. These altered tension relationships may be found within the craniosacral membrane system as well as in the connective tissue groups of the abdominal and pelvic cavities.
In the past two decades, I have had repeated opportunities to observe the long-term development of scoliosis in cooperation with pediatricians and orthopedists, beginning with infacny. Our observations do not claim the validity of a scientific study, but they do suggest a reevaluation of the traditional view of scoliosis, which is focused on the diagnosis of the spine and back.
The observations we were able to make of so-called ideopathic scoliosis in infancy were particularly illuminating. The children were brought to us because their mothers had pronounced scoliosis; in some cases, scoliosis was present in three generations. Even though no irregular curvatures of the spine were observed in orthopedic examinations of the infants, we were able to discover altered pull forces of the dura mater on the cranium and the sacrum in our manual examinations. In a manner of speaking, we found scoliotic tendencies anchored in the deep membranes as early as the first weeks of life. Our diagnosis was confirmed in subsequent years; all of the children we had diagnosed ultimately developed spinal curvatures that could be diagnosed by radiography.
Based on our observations, we drew the conclusion that scoliotic patterns can be manifest at a point in time when the tonal forces of the musculature are weakly developed, i.e. substantially earlier than at ten or eleven years old, when it becomes particularly obvious due to the child's increased growth in height. Thus, at least in some cases, scoliosis cannot be attributed to irregular muscular forces in the back. Rather, it could be considered the result of an unusual growth behavior of the myofascial system which causes disorientation of muscle tone as a secondary effect. This assumption can be supported by the fact that it is the connective tissue and not the central nervous system that primarily supports the growth process of the organism.
It is not simple to make general statements on the etiology of scoliosis solely on the basis of individual cases. However, our diagnostic observations, along with the practical results of the treatment techniques we used, at least provide a starting point when reconsidering the traditional diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis.
In the past two decades, I have had repeated opportunities to observe the long-term development of scoliosis in cooperation with pediatricians and orthopedists, beginning with infacny. Our observations do not claim the validity of a scientific study, but they do suggest a reevaluation of the traditional view of scoliosis, which is focused on the diagnosis of the spine and back.
The observations we were able to make of so-called ideopathic scoliosis in infancy were particularly illuminating. The children were brought to us because their mothers had pronounced scoliosis; in some cases, scoliosis was present in three generations. Even though no irregular curvatures of the spine were observed in orthopedic examinations of the infants, we were able to discover altered pull forces of the dura mater on the cranium and the sacrum in our manual examinations. In a manner of speaking, we found scoliotic tendencies anchored in the deep membranes as early as the first weeks of life. Our diagnosis was confirmed in subsequent years; all of the children we had diagnosed ultimately developed spinal curvatures that could be diagnosed by radiography.
Based on our observations, we drew the conclusion that scoliotic patterns can be manifest at a point in time when the tonal forces of the musculature are weakly developed, i.e. substantially earlier than at ten or eleven years old, when it becomes particularly obvious due to the child's increased growth in height. Thus, at least in some cases, scoliosis cannot be attributed to irregular muscular forces in the back. Rather, it could be considered the result of an unusual growth behavior of the myofascial system which causes disorientation of muscle tone as a secondary effect. This assumption can be supported by the fact that it is the connective tissue and not the central nervous system that primarily supports the growth process of the organism.
It is not simple to make general statements on the etiology of scoliosis solely on the basis of individual cases. However, our diagnostic observations, along with the practical results of the treatment techniques we used, at least provide a starting point when reconsidering the traditional diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis.
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