Scoliosis


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Peer Reviewed Journals:

1)   Scoliosis: Biomechanics and Rationale for Manipulative Treatment.   Danbert, RJ.   J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1989 (Feb); 12 (1): 38-45

  • Scoliosis is a biomechanical problem deserving a biomechanical treatment, and should be advanced by biomechanical specialists (i.e. chiropractic).


2)   Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and the presence of spinal cord abnormalities. Preoperative MRI analysis.   Maiocco B et al.   Spine. 1997 (Nov 1); 22 (21): 2537-2541

  • Forty-five patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were given MRIs and two had abnormal findings. This is much higher than found in the general population.

  • Comment (tk):   Serious spinal abnormalities were seen, yet more subtle abnormalities are not able to be viewed at this time. Spina subluxations or abnormal proprioceptive events were not measured.


3)   Proprioceptive Function in Children with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.   Yekutiel M; Robin GC; Yarum R.   Spine 1981 (Nov-Dec); 6 (6): 560-566

  • Disturbances of postural equilibrium have been found in idiopathic scoliosis, and it has been suggested by several researchers that this is a result of brain stem disturbances. It has been shown experimentally that stress on posterior nerve roots can also cause spinal deviation.


4)   A Retrospective Consecutive Case Analysis of Pretreatment and Comparative Static Radiological Parameters Following Chiropractic Adjustments.   Plaugher G, Cremata E, Phillips R.   J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1990 (Nov-Dec); 13 (9): 498-506

  • The data from pre and comparative post measurements of retrolisthesis showed a significant reduction of approximately 34%. No reduction was seen in a control group with retrolisthesis.

5). Scoliosis treatment using a combination of manipulative and rehabilitative therapy: a retrospective case series
Mark W Morningstar1 , Dennis Woggon2 and Gary Lawrence3

Conclusions: The combined use of spinal manipulation and postural therapy appeared to significantly reduce the severity of the Cobb angle in all 19 subjects. These results warrant further testing of this protocol.

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Case Studies:

1)   International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter. November 1996

  • Male child - Age 5 from a central American country. Prior diagnosis: malformation of cervical spine, severe scoliosis, occiput position severely anterior to cervical spine. Not vocalizing well. Absence of T-cells, immune dysfunction, has colds all the time. Surgery had been considered to correct skull positioning. In the first series of adjustments, we adjusted the lad in a sitting position utilizing the infant toggle headpiece. The Atlas was adjusted ASL. Child was reevaluated in native country and medical staff stated that everything was now normal. Child returned to U.S. for care 6 months later. Vocabulary was now normal. Head position - normal. No colds evident during these months. Scoliosis was greatly reduced.


2)   Correction of juvenile idiopathic scoliosis after primary upper cervical chiropractic care: a case study.   Abstracts from the 13th annual upper cervical spine conference, Nov 16- 17, 1996 Life College, Marietta, Georgia. Pub in Chiropractic Research Journal, Vol. 1V, No.1, Spring 1997 p.29

  • From the abstract:   A nine-year-old male presented in our office with a chief complaint of juvenile idiopathic scoliosis and intermittent back pain. The patient had fractured his clavicle one month before his initial visit and complained of intermittent "growing pains" in his right foot. The case history also revealed that he had been involved in a motor vehicle accident two years previously

  • The patient was managed with upper cervical care, utilizing the Grostic Procedure of adjusting by hand. Over the five months and ten days of care, the patient was checked on 13 visits and required an upper cervical adjustment on five of those visits. The leg length inequality, posture, and palpatory findings balanced immediately after the first upper cervical adjustment. Post-adjustment paraspinal surface EMG showed that the paraspinal muscular activity was more balanced. Post-treatment x-ray taken on the 13th visit revealed the thoracic curve to be reduced to)x and the lumbar curve was measured at 3.0x, which represents an 88% overall reduction in the scoliosis after the five months of chiropractic care.


3)   Scoliosis and Subluxation.   Fortinopoulos V.   International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. July/August 1999.

    Following are three case studies of trauma induced scoliosis. The children below had been in traumas years before their scoliosis was noticed.

  • John's Story:   "I first met John when he was 11 years old. He had developed a classic Distortion #3 scoliosis. There was a primary left thoracic curvature of 20 degrees, a secondary lumbar curvature of 13 degrees, and a tertiary cervical curvature of 12 degrees. John started under care and for the next 9 months, he received specific chiropractic care to correct his vertebral subluxation complex (VSC) and the scoliosis. The result was a reduction of the three curves from 14/20/12 degrees to 3/4/4 degrees, and the reduction of his VSC.

  • Sandy's Story:   "I met Sandy when she was 9 years old. She was referred to my office as the result of a school scoliosis-screening program. X-ray.revealed a Distortion #2 type scoliosis, which included a left lateral thoracic curve of 23 degrees and a right lateral compensatory curve in the cervical spine of 9 degrees. After a six-month care program, Sandy's thoracic curvature was down to 4 degrees."

  • Danielle's Story:   "I first met Danielle when she was 10 years old. The results of the exam revealed Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC) at levels of C1, C5, T11, T12, L4, and L5. I also found a classic Distortion #3 type scoliosis. There was a left lateral rotatory curve of 6 degrees from T10 to L3, a right lateral curve of 15 degrees from T4 through T10, and a slight compensatory curve in the cervical spine. I made recommendations for mom to bring Danielle in on a 2x per week. Mom followed through by bringing Danielle in for care 1x every 6 weeks. Danielle entered into puberty just after her 11 th birthday. Shortly after that, I noticed that her scoliosis seemed to be worse so I took new X-rays. The new X-rays revealed a slight cervical curve, T4 through T10 was now 26 degrees, and T10 through L3 was now 20 degrees. At that point I started some much more specific scoliosis care. After 6 months, the curves were: slight cervical, T4-T10 18 degrees, and T10-L3 20 degrees.

    • 4) Charles "Skip" Lantz, DC, PhD   Study on Chiropractic Care for Adolescent Scoliosis is Encouraging

    • Children with mild scoliosis treated with chiropractic adjustments have shown a reduction in their spinal curvature, according to the findings of a three-year, $143,000 study funded by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research.

    • This cohort study was conducted by Charles "Skip" Lantz, DC, PhD, director of research of Life Chiropractic College West, and his associates. The researchers were studying the effects of chiropractic full-spine adjustive procedures, heel-lifts, and postural counseling on children 9-15 years old with mild idiopathic scoliosis (less than 20 degrees of curvature, with no complicating conditions).