Scoliosis, a painful and debilitating back condition, is a source of stress and discomfort for many people. In past years, the only treatments involved an embarrassing, uncomfortable brace, or a long surgery with an even longer recovery time. Thanks to the rising popularity of chiropractic care, people with scoliosis now have another choice for treatment.

When you go in for a scoliosis assessment with a chiropractor, they will look at your spine and see how severe the curve is. Since chiropractors take a holistic view of medicine, he or she will probably ask about any back injuries, career factors, family history, and how your lifestyle may affect your scoliosis. Beyond just looking at the spine to assess curvature, x-rays and orthopedic tests will also be done.

In some cases of scoliosis, chiropractic adjustments that manipulate the spine can lessen the curvature over time. However, chiropractic care can also provide pain relief. The uneven weight distribution caused by scoliosis can cause back, hip, and leg pain. Physiotherapy and chiropractic adjustments can minimize the pain as well as start correcting the spine curvature.

It’s important to see both an orthopedic specialist and a chiropractor for scoliosis treatment. The orthopedic specialist can work with your chiropractor to create a treatment plan that uses both traditional medical treatments and spinal adjustments. The chiropractor can keep track of your progress with tests like the forward bending test. In this test, you bend and touch your toes while the chiropractor checks spinal alignment. They can then determine how treatment is progressing and what additional treatments are needed.

Over time, you’ll notice that your pain lessens, your range of motion is better, and there is less pressure on your back and spine. Keep up with a steady schedule of chiropractic appointments and you’ll see improvement in your scoliosis in no time.