Scoliosis Facts
An estimated 2.7 million patient visits are made to American chiropractors each year for scoliosis and scoliosis-related complaints.
Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity in school-age children.
The total number of scoliosis cases in the United States is estimated to be greater than 4 million.
Each year, 442,900 office visits, 133,300 hospital visits, and 17,500 emergency room visits are made by children with scoliosis.
Approximately 29,000 scoliosis surgeries are performed on adolescents every year in the United States.
The average cost of a hospital stay for a child with scoliosis is $92,000 – over five times the national average of $17,500.
Spinal deformity in children and adolescents accounts for the largest share (48%) of all musculoskeletal deformity health care visits – over 857,280 each year.
In 2011, 229,000 adults were hospitalized with scoliosis, at an approximate cost of $15.44 million.
Scoliosis represents 20% of all spinal deformity cases in the United States, accounting for 1.2% of all hospital charges annually.
Scoliosis may be caused by structural shifts in the spine which can further lead to obstruction of the nerves. The nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body and structural shifts in the spine can occur that obstruct the nerves and interfere with their function.It is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
By removing the structural shifts, chiropractic improves nerve supply and function. The chiropractic adjustment is a safe, specific force applied to a joint and is the means by which the structural shifts are reduced.
Scoliosis and Headaches Improve After Chiropractic Care
The girl in this case study had scoliosis, neck pain, low back pain, shoulder and ankle pain, stomach discomfort, and difficulty concentrating. She had been suffering from headaches following a head injury while playing lacrosse and had a loss of consciousness with headaches that recurred daily.
The chiropractor examined her and found structural spinal shifts in her upper neck, shoulder, and pelvis. She had postural changes, pain, and tight muscles in her neck and throughout her body. X-rays confirmed these findings. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
Following chiropractic care her scoliosis improved as well as the curve in her neck. Her headache symptoms improved dramatically. The study’s author called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this patient population.
Reference:
Reduction of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in a 12-Year-Old Female Undergoing Orthogonal Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care: A Case Report. Bryan Salminen DC & Zachary Smith DC. Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research ˜ Volume, 2020.
