Does Acupuncture Alleviate Scoliosis?

With no known treatment, acupuncture is the key to health maintenance.                                             It alleviates Scoliosis symptoms and keeps surgery at bay.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, often developed around puberty. It affects over three million Americans per year. Symptoms include uneven posture (back, hips, legs, or shoulders), and/or back pain. In severe cases, back curvature may prevent the lungs or the heart from working optimally, cause severe pain and misaligned posture.

Scoliosis symptoms range from mild to dangerous and can be deadly (if left untreated). There are many potential causes such as spine injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, tumors, inflammation, and postural asymmetry. Typically, females are more prone to developing Scoliosis.

While there is no known cure, treatments exist to help manage the condition. Diet is of utmost importance. Foods rich in calcium, vitamin D, and E, are considered beneficial. Fried foods, alcohol, salt, and preservatives are highly discouraged. Regular exercise and social support are highly encouraged. To treat Scoliosis, patients typically visit a neurologist and an orthopedist. A neurologist examines any muscle weaknesses/imbalances/numbness as well as reflexes and may prescribe medication. The patient typically undergoes x-ray tests (to check the extent of the spine curvature) and MRIs/CT scans (to check for potential causes). In extreme cases, patients undergo spinal fusions, which bind or fuse the spinal bones (with metal rods) to keep them in place.

Given the graphic and painful nature of such surgeries, it is no wonder that patients seek alternative treatment. While no preventative medicine exists, acupuncture may be able to keep the most severe symptoms at bay. Acupuncture alleviates symptoms and prevents/slows further degeneration caused by Scoliosis or any related condition such as Lordosis (inward, lower-back curvature), Kyphosis (abnormal spine curvature), Spina Bifida (malformed spinal vertebrae), Stenosis (compressed spine), or any disease affecting the central nervous system (such as Multiple Sclerosis or Neurofibromatosis). In 2008 Katherina Schroth performed a study (in collaboration with the Spinal Deformities Rehabilitation Center in Germany) observing female patients, ages fourteen to sixteen. The sub-group of patients receiving acupuncture noted a marked improvement in spine curvature (sixteen to thirty-four degrees) over the group that did not. The alternative treatment proved to be successful in both children and adults. There are documented cases of adults seeking medical treatment and only experiencing pain relief with continued acupuncture.

In combination with a thorough medical regimen, diet, exercise, yoga, and physical therapy, acupuncture can truly work wonders and improve treatment results.