One
component is universally lacking in nearly all forms of
scoliosis treatment today:
the effect of the cervical spine in determining spinal
pathology, gait, stance, and overall posture. The head controls
all components of the spine below it, much like how the
engine controls the direction of a train. Without regard
for which direction the locomotive is heading in, how is
it possible to control the boxcars behind it? The very first aspect that must be
addressed in scoliosis correction is the cervical spine;
specifically, correcting the forward head posture
by restoring the cervical lordosis and
normal ranges of motion in the cervical spine, especially
between the atlas and the first cervical vertebra.
Precision x-rays
are mandatory; a C0-C1 flexion malposition will manifest
most readily with lateral cervical views in neutral, flexion,
and extension. Follow-up x-rays should be performed roughly
every three months as objective proof of improvement; should
the patient’s progress plateau or regress, additional rehabilitation
or alterations to the protocol may be required.
Photo
above is Dr. Daniel Hersh reviewing a patient's x-rays.
Obviously thoracic
and lumbar views are necessary to measure the Cobb
angle, but stay away from full-spine views!
The rate of distortion
is too high to allow for consistency and accuracy when comparing
measurements between pre- and post- x-rays.
The Physics of Scoliosis-
Understanding why the curve in the neck plays a major role
in causing scoliosis
Balance
and proprioception also play an important role in the
rehabilitation of the scoliotic patient.
A
neurological short leg will always be found at first; this
imbalance should be corrected with specific spinal adjustments.
Once the patient is balanced, proprioceptive retraining
exercises can be prescribed to maintain the correction.
One method of reducing forward head posture and
retraining postural muscles is deceptively simple:
by blocking the superior half of the lens on a pair of
glasses, and instructing the patient to wear them for
at least twenty minutes, the postural muscles of the neck
are retrained to better hold the cervical lordosis
in place. Various spinal weights may be placed on the
head and/or hips to activate the weakened postural muscles.
Also, whole-body vibration therapy (WBV) has been scientifically
proven to be extremely effective at proprioceptive re-education.
Do NOT make the mistake of trying to "push" a scoliosis
out of the spine!
This type of adjustment
is foreign to the body, and will be resisted. Most
scoliosis braces are ineffective
or even harmful because they do exactly this.
A scoliotic spine must be visualized and corrected three-dimensionally;
the lateral curve will not reduce until the spine has been
de-compressed and de-rotated. Adjusting the apex of the
curve, whether into the concavity or the convexity, will
inevitably make the situation worse. Traction – pulling
– is far more effective because it is a subtler, gentler
force, and one that is less readily resisted by the body.
At the Scoliosis
Correction Center we utilize aspecialized scoliosis
traction chair that incorporates cervical decompression
with lateral thoracic and lumbar traction, and also
addresses the rotational aspect of the
scoliosis simultaneously. This passive exercise therapy
can be performed by the patient at the clinic or at home.
This chair is a required home treatment for some patients.
Using
the Scoliosis Traction Chair
Patients Getting Scoliosis Treatment
Comment from one of our lovely Scoliosis
Patients:
"....I would like
to also say that you and your staff are amazing. I always
felt that I was receiving the very best care. I also strongly
believe that what you do is a gift from God.
"Once again, I thank you, sincerely and completely for your
heart, your skilled mind, and your able hands for all of
the healing that you do. I will pray for you and your center-
that it continues to be such a wonderful place of healing
and restoration of the mind, body and soul."
Tracy
Comment from a patient's parent:
"...thank
you for everything. You have made a huge impact on
the quality of April's life, now and in the future, and
given Ralph and me incredible peace of mind." --names
have been changed.
One
component is universally lacking in nearly all forms of
Balance
and proprioception also play an important role in the
rehabilitation of the scoliotic patient.
A
neurological short leg will always be found at first; this
imbalance should be corrected with specific spinal adjustments.
Once the patient is balanced, proprioceptive retraining
exercises can be prescribed to maintain the correction.
One method of reducing forward head posture and
retraining postural muscles is deceptively simple:
by blocking the superior half of the lens on a pair of
glasses, and instructing the patient to wear them for
at least twenty minutes, the postural muscles of the neck
are retrained to better hold the cervical lordosis
in place. Various spinal weights may be placed on the
head and/or hips to activate the weakened postural muscles.
Also, whole-body vibration therapy (WBV) has been scientifically
proven to be extremely effective at proprioceptive re-education.
Do NOT make the mistake of trying to "push" a scoliosis
out of the spine!
