If you are experiencing pain and discomfort in your back, there is a chance that you are suffering from scoliosis. This is a spinal deformity that usually emerges in childhood, but can emerge for some adults as a byproduct of the aging process. To alleviate the pain you experience, learn more about the available treatment options for scoliosis.
1. Pain Medications
Pain relievers that treat inflammation that results from arthritis can also be used to treat inflammation that is caused by scoliosis. Pain medications are best used in cases where the curvature of the spine is not expected to progress. Most forms of scoliosis will stop progressing after skeletal maturity.
2. Flexibility and Strength Training
Strength training and exercise will also help alleviate the effects of scoliosis by improving the ability of the body to stabilize itself. The types of exercises that tend to help your scoliosis include:
Before carrying out an exercise, you will want to consult with a chiropractor, like North Pole Chiropractic, to make sure that it is safe to do so. If the workout causes any pain, you should stop performing it and explain the pain to your chiropractor. Also, if you are having a difficult time correctly performing a workout, consult with a fitness instructor.
3. Spinal Fusion
Severe curves and moderate curves that are worsening will need to be treated using surgery. If the spine is curved for more than 40 degrees before the spine has fully grown, surgery may be necessary because scoliosis will otherwise continue to get worse for the rest of your life.
Children who are showing signs of severe scoliosis should not undergo surgery until they are about 12 years old so that the surgery does not disrupt the growth of the spine. The goal of a spinal fusion is to hold the spine in place. Hooks and rods are attached to the spine through a bone graft and will then remain in place for the rest of your life.
To carry out the spinal fusion, the surgeon will need to make at least one incision near the area of the spine that must be corrected. An incision may also be necessary on your side, depending on how serious the scoliosis is. While the surgery might not be something you would like to undergo, it may be the only way to prevent long-term pain and inflammation.
Share12 January 2015
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