When most people hear the word “scoliosis,” they think of a sideways curve in the spine—and that’s exactly what it is. Ideally, when we look at the spine from the side, we want to see curves. Those natural S-shapes are what give our spine the flexibility and shock absorption it needs. But from the back? That spine should look straight as an arrow. If it’s curved from that angle, that’s when we’re talking about scoliosis.
There are two main types of scoliosis: structural and functional. Structural scoliosis is actually pretty rare—about 1 in every 10,000 people. In those cases, something didn’t form quite right during development, and one of the vertebrae ends up shaped like a wedge. That abnormal shape causes the whole spine to lean or twist.
Functional scoliosis, which is way more common, means the bones themselves are normal, but the spine is still curved. In fact, most of the time we call it “idiopathic scoliosis,” which is just a fancy way of saying, “we’re not totally sure what caused it.” It’s often due to muscular imbalance or postural compensation, although sometimes it can be linked to other issues like inflammation or neurological conditions.
Now, depending on how severe the curve is, treatment options can range from physical therapy to braces—or even surgery if it gets bad enough. Once that curve hits about 40 degrees, surgeons start talking about installing rods to straighten things out. I’ve seen patients go through that, and while it can help in serious cases, it’s also a major surgery with a long recovery and some lifelong limitations.
But here’s the good news: Upper Cervical Chiropractic has helped a lot of my scoliosis patients avoid all of that.
Just recently, I had a young woman come into the office with a curve so significant that surgery was already being discussed. She was understandably worried. After just a few gentle upper cervical adjustments and a couple of minor tweaks to her hips, her main curve improved by more than 10 degrees. Even better—some of her smaller compensatory curves nearly disappeared.
You might be wondering how an adjustment at the top of the neck can make such a big difference lower down the spine. It’s actually pretty simple when you break it down. The top bone in the neck, the atlas, holds up the head. If it shifts out of alignment, your head tilts. Your brain doesn’t like being tilted, so it sends messages down the spinal cord to compensate. That often causes the entire spine to twist and contort to get your eyes level again—and boom, you’ve got scoliosis.
When we correct the atlas and get your head sitting properly again, your brain stops sending those compensation signals. The muscles start to relax, and your body begins straightening itself out—naturally.
If you or someone you love has scoliosis and wants to avoid braces or surgery, come see me. We offer a free scoliosis screening to find out if your neck could be the hidden cause of your curve. Let’s take a look and see what’s possible.
If you’re in Fort Myers and dealing with scoliosis, I’d love to help you find real relief. We offer a free consultation to see if Upper Cervical Chiropractic therapy is a good fit for you. Call us at 239-243-8810 to schedule your appointment today!
