Scoliosis Correction-CLEAR Solutions Chiropractic Leadership, Educational Advancement & Research

S COLIOSIS IS A DIS-EASE OF THE NEURO-MUSCULAR SKELETAL system. The medical "Gold Standard" of treatment, which is bracing and surgery, has few positive results. As spinal experts, the chiropractic profession should take the lead in the correction and stabilization of the scoliotic patient. 90% of the time the scoliosis patient presents with a standard posture; forward head posture, right head tilt, right high shoulder, right thoracic Cobb angle, left lumbo-dorsal Cobb angle, right posterior and left anterior hips sitting, and the opposite hip displacement standing. A b n o r m a 1 s u b 1 u x a t i o n patterns and abnormal spinal biome-chanics are present. The active seoliosis usually presents with for­ward head posture and a loss of cer­vical lordosis. The occiput and atlas have an extension malposition (pos­terior occiput). This has a sublux-ation effect on the proprioceptive spinocerebeller loop, resulting in dysponesis in spinal growth torsion (idiopathic seoliosis). Treatment The forward head posture and loss of lordosis always pre­cedes the seoliosis. Therefore, before the A-P dimension of the seoliosis can be corrected, the cervical lordosis must ilrst be re-established! It is possible to change this abnormal posi­tion by re-training the nervous system. Many seoliosis patients have a "Librarian Posture", looking from the top of their ocular orbits. This can be corrected by putting tape on the inside, superior half of a pair of glasses. The spinouses rotate into the concave rather than the con­vex side. This abnormal rotation decreases abnormal mechani­cal tension on the nervous system. Unfortunately, chiropractic manipulation frequently makes the condition worse by mobilizing fixated, compensated verte­bra. Adjusting on the "high side of the rainbow" is contraindi-cated. A retrospective case series, entitled "Scoliosis treatment, using a combination of manipulative and rehabilitative therapy", by Mark Morningstar, Dennis Woggon and Gary Lawrence, was published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, on September 14,2004. 19 patients were monitored with scolio­sis ranging from 15 to 52 degree Cobb angles. After 4 to 6 weeks, there was an average reduction of 62% or 17 degrees. 8 of the 19 patients were no longer classified as scoliotic. In order to achieve these results, specific chiropractic adjustments were provided along with rehabilitative procedures. These proce­dures included specific spinal isometric exer­cises, proprioceptive neuromuscular re-edu­cation, cervical and lumbar lordosis restora­tion, muscle and ligament rehab and vibra­tion therapy. Continues ► ► TECHNIQUE...From Previous Page Scoliosis Correction-CLEAR Solutions Chiropractic Leadership, Educational Advancement & Research A Scoliosis Spinal Weighting System is used with therapeutic glasses, shoulder weights and hip weights. The scoliotic spine compresses and rotates 3-dimensioanlly. To correct this, the spine must be tractioned and de-rotated. A vibrating platform with mechanical spi­nal traction is utilized to decompress and de-rotate the spine simultaneously. This also accomplished with a Vibrating Scoliosis Traction Chair. The patient is placed in a chair on a vibrating platform on an air cushion. Braces are used to pull the Cobb angles into the proper alignment. The patient is then tractioned, while going through dynamic motion. The vibratory effect overrides the body's prop-rioceptive defenses. This is done once a day for 20 minutes, compared to wearing a scoliosis brace for 23 hours. Contrary to medical misinformation, scoliosis correction is not age dependant and does not stop at osseous maturity. The ages of the patients we have worked with in our Clinic vary from 4 to 73 years old. Case Study The following patient was a 44 year-old female. The correc­tion was accomplished in 8 weeks. The protocols followed were specific spinal adjustments, cer­vical and lumbar lordosis restoration, specific spinal isometric exercises, proprioceptive neuromuscular re-education, muscle and ligament rehab and vibration therapy. {■'or more information, there is a free scoliosis download at www.clear-imtitute.com. For more information about the Scolio­sis Correction Seminar schedule, contact Michelle Youngblut at the Postgraduate department of Parker College of Chiropractic, SOO-266-4723. Dr. Waggon can be reached at 437 North 33nt Av­enue. St. Cloud. MN 56303: call 320-252-5599; email: drwoggon(a)aoL com. Pre Post