The short answer is, we don’t know until we assess you! There are many types of scoliosis. The most common scoliosis classification is ‘Idiopathic Scoliosis’. A patient will be diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis when a reason for the scoliosis cannot be found. For example, if a 13 year old is diagnosed with scoliosis of unknown cause then the diagnosis becomes Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. If, for example, a neurological reason for the scoliosis is found, then the diagnosis and classification of the scoliosis will change. The best way to find out for yourself is to see us for an individualised assessment.

If you are concerned about the diagnosis given to you, or the recommendation of treatment you should seek a second opinion from us at Spinecare.

At Spinecare Chiropractic, we are making sure each patient gets “the right treatment at the right time”. This is especially true of bracing. As a general rule we will brace a patient when there is a high chance that their scoliosis will get worse without a brace, or, if there is an opportunity for the patient to see some improvement from bracing. Typically, bracing will be recommended if a patient has a curve above 20 degrees.

We do! Unfortunately, scoliosis is a condition that you have for life. At Spinecare we have treatment options for patients of all ages which, of course, includes adults. We have a number of different options for the adult patients ranging from scoliosis specific rehabilitation using our ScoliBalance program, all the way through to our custom-made braces. Each brace is individualised. Once we meet you and undertake an assessment, we’ll be able to determine what the best course of action is for your scoliosis, including finding a protocol that fits your lifestyle.

In many cases, yes. A big part of our assessment at Spinecare is determining the goals of the patient and what they would see as ‘successful’ treatment. We find that each patient has different goals and so we work with you to ensure we are on the same page. We then come up with an action plan to guide you towards that success. This can mean a few different things when it comes to the bracing part of the treatment options. We can use a brace to help reduce pain or to stop a curve from worsening. If the curve is flexible enough, we can even see scoliosis curves become smaller. Our treatment plan is always individualised for the patient, with their specific goals in mind.

The treatment recommended for scoliosis will vary with the individual patient. Their individual situation, the severity and location of the curve, their age and potential for further growth will all contribute to finding the right treatment for them.

Scoliosis is considered a partially genetic condition. With this in mind, it is important to have children screened regularly if you have a family history of scoliosis especially during their growth spurts (10 to 15 years old). Or if your mother or father is experiencing back pain they should be checked for scoliosis.

Scoliosis curves can worsen very quickly particularly during pre-adolescence. You may not have taken your child to see your doctor at this time of growth.

The usual care recommended for patients suffering back pain with adult scoliosis is pain killers, anti-inflammatory or other drug treatments, back strengthening exercises, surgical decompression and a whole range of other medical and complementary treatments used to treat common lower back pain. On the whole these treatments do not manage the pain over the medium to long term as they generally do not help to treat the underlying condition causing the pain, which is the scoliosis.

Specialised conservative scoliosis treatments and specialised surgical treatments have been developed to treat adult scoliosis. Unfortunately as adult spines have finished growing, the potential to make correction is limited to the inherent flexibility of the scoliosis. However in many cases, the scoliosis need not be corrected to reduce pain. As the majority of adult scoliosis patients suffering pain do so because of the altered spinal balance and not because of the size of the curve, both conservative and surgical treatments that specialise in treating adult scoliosis can be beneficial.

In some cases, pain relief and stabilisation can be achieved with intensive specialist physiotherapy which works on spinal balance, not just strengthening core muscles. The goal of these programs is to teach the patient to overcorrect the abnormal position the scoliosis causes in their posture. Once the patient can make these correction movements, there a series of exercises can be used to re-enforce the correction and assist the body to maintain the correction itself.