Non-surgical Methods – Completely Curing Scoliosis [EXPERTS SAY]6 min read
Traditional methods of getting rid of scoliosis involved surgery.
Though it is undoubtedly one of the most effective and reliable methods, surgery’s side effects make it risky.
The other risk involved in the age-factor.
When performed in children and adolescents, this method was found to give 70%-80% success-rates.
On the other hand, performing surgery on people belonging to the adult and old-age showed only 60%-70%.
Even in such cases, the chances of risks involved in the post-surgical period were quite high.
Keeping all these aspects in view, the orthopedists/experts suggest that the patient undergo physical Therapy for scoliosis.
This non-invasive-method is said to be safer and beneficial in many ways. Some of the benefits include
Lessened risks of injuries: The Therapist uses various exercising and massaging techniques to change the spinal cord –shape, without actually causing them any sort of internal injuries.
In some cases, the usages of therapeutic-machines are recommended to perform the stretching exercises.
They may take more time and effort on the orthopedist part to make it work, but it surely and practically works.
The spinal cord can be conditioned over some time slowly: Once the specialist can diagnose the problem accurately, he will be able to prescribe the right method of Therapy.
When performed according to the right procedure and steps, Therapy can produce non-reversible results.
That means the cure is more or less permanent compared to the results obtained through surgical methods.
Therapy can be perfumed based on specific cases: Though the machines and equipment used may be the same, the treatment methods vary for each type of scoliosis.
This takes some time for the therapist to analyze the individual deformation-type in detail.
Then he decides the type of Therapy and the time for which the Therapy has to be performed. This makes it easy for planning the therapeutic-schedule accurately.
Therapeutic-methods are much cost-effective compared to the surgical methods involved.
How to get rid of scoliosis through different types of Therapy
There are various types of therapeutic methods through which one can get rid of scoliosis for good.
Some of the use Pilates for scoliosis, while the others depend on stretches for scoliosis.
All these methods depend on the therapist’s efficiency and the machine & methods deployed during the process.
Some of the most prominent among them are
Physical-therapy-method: The basic types of physiotherapy-method involve the process of bone and structure-realignment and/or corrections/manipulations. Though both of them sound similar, clinically speaking, they are different. The process of alignment involves
Reducing the muscle-spasms that are exerted onto the spinal cord. This is done by constant decompression forces on each part of the back-muscle, extending to the spinal cord. When done repeatedly over specific-time-frame, the results could be quite appreciable in nature. Dextroconvex-type-of-scoliosis is one such case where Therapy works practically well.
Therapy works in three-planes to solve the 3-dimensional-problem posed by scoliosis.
- The Saggital-Plane: This method involves spinal-de-rotation, Spinal-deflex, and spinal-correction. It involves elongation of the spine all along in the Saggital-plane. This Therapy is said to be highly effective in reestablishing the symmetrical-alignment of the spinal-cord back to normal. The other advantage of this method is the restoring of muscular-balance on both the concave and convex sides of the spinal cord’s muscles. Experts suggest that the concave-side-muscles have to be shortened (During scoliosis development, this part of muscles normally tends to elongate beyond their normal dimensions, especially in the longitudinal direction). Now, the other part involves elongating the convex-part of the muscles. (Normally, muscles in this part tend to get compressed during the progressive development of scoliosis over time). Once these two tasks are successfully performed, the patient’s muscular-structure surrounding the spinal-cord is restored.
- The Frontal-Plane: Methods of Therapy applied in this plane are normally in concerto with the Saggital-plane. They are mainly focused on restoring the structural elements that balance the coordination between the frontal-organs like the heart, lungs, and others with that of the back of the spinal cord. Once this is achieved, the vertical-balancing is achieved.
- The Transverse-Plane: This is used to establish the stabilizing-factors between the horizontal and vertical planes of the spinal cord. Once this balance is achieved, the relative-progression of scoliosis is bought under control.
Benefits of Physical-Therapy
It involves many physical, mental, and psychological benefits, which work in the long run. It has been found to practically solve many of the complex forms like thoracolumbar scoliosis. Some of the most prominent of them are listed as
- 3-Dimensional-Auto-Correction: As we have seen in the three planar-method used by this Therapy, it restores the balance in all three dimensions.
- Coordination-restoration: In most of the scoliosis-cases, the effective coordination between various organs with the spinal cord is eventually lost. This happens because of the increasing damages caused to the neurons and other nerve cells. Physical Therapy aims to restore this balance by soothing the nerves in the first place. Experts deploy certain manipulation and alignment techniques that slowly restore the sensitivity of the nervous system back in order. Of course, this is achieved in parallel with the 3-D corrections. This balanced approach ensures that the neurons regain their sensations back and better coordinate the muscular/neural/spinal movements and functions.
- Reestablish the body-equilibrium: This is achieved by bringing the body’s C.O.G (Center-Of-Gravity) back to its original position. This helps in making the patient walk normally without wobbling or falling down in the process!
- Increasing the muscles’ strength/endurance-levels: Gradual applications of alignment and correction methods help bring the natural flow of blood back into the muscles, especially those surrounding the concave and convex regions of the spinal cord. That means supplies of oxygen, vitamins, and minerals are to the muscles and tissues are brought back in order. When the patient starts on a nourishing diet-pan, the muscles get increased endurance-power.
- Respiration is restored back to normalcy: In some scoliosis cases like the Kyphosis-scoliosis and Cobb-angle-scoliosis, the functionality of lungs comes under immense pressure. The post-therapy period restores the “space” around the lungs back to its original condition.
Post-therapeutic-exercises
Experts say that Therapy is only half the job done. Though the results are said to be more or less permanent in nature, the patient has to perform certain mild scoliosis exercises to keep the spinal-cord in its most efficient functional condition. Some of such exercises are
- Dynamic-hip-movement: This is normally achieved with the help of a large-ball. This helps in achieving the lateral-movement of the back. It also strengthens the spinal-cord, starting from its base, extending up to the neck region.
- Stretching the spine and rise to a comfortably-seated-posture: This is quite useful in restoring the abdomen’s structure and functionality in the M-Rectus point.
- Spine-movement in the lateral-direction: This exercise helps in stretching-out the lateral-chain of muscles in the same direction in which the scoliosis-convexity goes.
- Step-chair-exercises: This involves resistance-training to the muscles and bones in and around the spinal cord region. This is done with the help of light-weight resistance-springs.
