Scoliosis Treatment

Chiropractic Health and Wellness Clinic provides scoliosis treatment that can halt or reverse the problem before it becomes more serious, possibly resulting in deformity and the need for invasive surgery.

Widely considered a leading scoliosis chiropractor in Singapore, Dr David Liew has helped many young children with this problem, as well as teens and adults. He firmly believes chiropractic care can be a better and less costly alternative to surgery.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine to the side. It may also twist at the same time, which can pull the ribcage out of position. The condition can affect people of any age, but most frequently starts in children aged 10 to 15.

In many cases, the exact reason for a curved spine remains unclear. Nevertheless, scoliosis can be categorised by age:

• Congenital (before birth)
• Early onset (young children)
• Adolescent (older children and teenagers)
• Degenerative (adults)

Possible causes of scoliosis

Some types of scoliosis do have clear causes and these can be divided into structural and non-structural categories.

With structural scoliosis, the curve of the spine is rigid and can’t be reversed. This condition can be caused by:

• Birth defects
• Cerebral palsy
• Muscular dystrophy

In non-structural scoliosis, the spine is curved but functions normally. Causes include:

• Muscle spasms.
• Inflammation, such as appendicitis.
• Having one leg longer than the other.

Symptoms of scoliosis

Besides a visibly curved spine, other symptoms of scoliosis include:

• Back pain (more common in adults)
• Uneven shoulders
• Leaning to one side
• One hip or shoulder sticking out
• Ribs sticking out on one side
• Clothes that become ill-fitting

Treating scoliosis before the condition gets worse will be easier and work better than waiting until it deteriorates and surgical intervention may be required.

In youngsters aged around 9 to 13, the spinal curve will increase in size as they continue to grow, possibly causing increasing pain and physical deformity. If the curve becomes particularly severe, they may also develop breathing problems.

Drug-free remedies for scoliosis

Natural remedies for scoliosis include:

• Physiotherapy
• Yoga
• Stretching exercises
• Losing weight in the case of obesity
• Water pool therapy
• Chiropractic care

Chiropractic care for scoliosis

Chiropractic care for scoliosis can help to prevent non-structural scoliosis from progressing to the structural category.

Techniques used by Dr David Liew include the activator method and spinal traction.

Activator method

The activator procedure involves the use of a small, spring-loaded, hand-held device called an activator adjusting instrument, with which Dr David Liew applies moderate pressure to the spine with a low-force impulse.

Gentle spinal traction

With spinal traction, gentle manual pressure is used to stretch muscles to help lengthen and strengthen them on the concave side of the curve. This enables the muscles on the opposite side of the curve – which have been straining to hold the body up – to relax as the spine shifts to a more midline position.

Shockwave therapy

If scoliosis is a result of muscle spasms, these can be treated with shockwave therapy, which applies a series of high-energy impulses (not an electric shock) to the affected area. This physical shock promotes healing by creating an anti-inflammatory response in the body.