Treatment of Mild Scoliosis: Complete Guide

No two cases of scoliosis are the same. Not only does scoliosis range widely in severity, it also has different types, affects all ages, and can progress at different rates. There are never treatment guarantees, but mild scoliosis that’s treated proactively can be highly responsive.

A diagnosis of mild scoliosis should be responded to with a proactive individualized treatment plan. The best time to start scoliosis treatment is while it’s mild because as a progressive condition, even mild cases can quickly become moderate and/or severe.

The severity of a patient’s scoliosis is a key factor that treatment plans are shaped around, so let’s start with how it’s determined.

Determining Scoliosis Severity

Scoliosis is diagnosed through a physical examination and X-ray results.

Scoliosis causes the spine to bend unnaturally to the side and rotate, and the rotational component can only be confirmed via X-ray, along with determining the size of the unnatural spinal curve.

A measurement known as Cobb angle determines the size of the curve and classifies cases of scoliosis as mild, moderate, or severe scoliosis.

A minimum Cobb angle of 10 degrees, and rotation, is necessary to be considered a true scoliosis.

The more severe a case is, the more noticeable its effects are likely to be, and the more complex it can be to treat; however, patients whose scoliosis is diagnosed while mild have the benefit of early detection.

Early detection is associated with treatment success, although results can never be guaranteed.

The benefit of early detection is if scoliosis is diagnosed while mild, it’s a smaller curve that’s easier to correct.

As a progressive condition, the nature of scoliosis is to become more severe, but proactive treatment can counteract progression.

While most cases of scoliosis are idiopathic, meaning no cause known, we know that growth triggers curve progression, and treatment is needed to stop it from getting worse over time.

So a diagnosis of mild scoliosis means an unnatural spinal curve of between 10 and 25 degrees, with rotation, has developed, and the potential benefits of early detection are only available to patients committing to a proactive treatment approach.

Early Intervention

Mild scoliosis can be highly responsive and treatable, and early intervention means treatment is started as close to the time of diagnosis as possible, when curves are small, flexible, and easier to correct.

In addition, as scoliosis progression causes more noticeable effects, starting treatment prior to those effects becoming well-established means they are also easier to correct.

The main effects of childhood scoliosis involve postural changes such as uneven shoulders, shoulder blades, hips, a rib cage arch, and arm and leg length discrepancies.

The more established postural changes become, the more a patient’s movement can be affected.

Postural changes are caused by the uneven forces of scoliosis disrupting the body’s overall symmetry, balance, and stability.

Changes to balance, coordination, and gait are common effects, and the development of unhealthy movement patterns can further strain the spine and lead to degeneration over time.

When it comes to progressive scoliosis, the timing of when treatment is started can be a key factor that shapes treatment outcome, and the earlier treatment is started, the better.

After significant progression has occurred, the size and rotation of the spinal curve has increased, and the body has been affected in terms of posture and movement; the longer these effects are in place, the more difficult they can be to reverse.

So early intervention means starting treatment while scoliosis is mild and most likely to respond well.

Nonsurgical Mild Scoliosis Treatment Options

For patients recently diagnosed with scoliosis, the most important decision to be made is how to address it with treatment, and this time can, understandably, be overwhelming, especially for a young patient.

The most common type of scoliosis overall is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, so the majority of scoliosis patients are adolescents.

Following a diagnosis, there are two main treatment options: surgical treatment or nonsurgical treatment.

Here at the Scoliosis Center of Utah, the focus is nonsurgical treatment that’s proactive and has the potential to restore the spine and body’s alignment, balance, and stability; the sooner treatment is started, the fewer limitations there are to what a nonsurgical response can achieve.

Spinal fusion surgery is part of a traditional treatment response and involves fusing the most-tilted vertebrae of the curve into one solid bone, and this is done to immobilize the portion that’s most at risk of becoming more tilted: progression.

Metal rods are also attached to the spine to maintain its straight position, but this is contrary to the spine’s natural movement-based function and design so can come at a cost.

Spinal fusion can straighten a bent spine, but it makes the spine more rigid, less flexible, and this can alter its strength and function.

Nonsurgical scoliosis treatment is noninvasive and combines the potential of multiple types of treatment; the focus is on correcting the scoliosis while preserving as much of the spine’s natural strength and function as possible.

Chiropractic BioPhysics®

Only one percent of the world’s chiropractors practice Chiropractic BioPhysics®, and patients of the Center can benefit from what scoliosis-specific chiropractic treatment has to offer.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® integrates proven scientific principles with scoliosis-specific chiropractic to diagnose and treat issues related to a misaligned spine.

A number of chiropractic techniques and manual adjustments can work towards improving the spine’s flexibility to make it more responsive to treatment and alternating the position of the curve’s most-tilted vertebrae to improve the spine’s alignment, balance, and stability.

Scoliosis is a complex condition, and its nature necessitates the complete customization of treatment plans, and this involves combining multiple types of treatment so scoliosis can be impacted on multiple levels for sustainable results.

ScoliBalance®

ScoliBalance® is a complete program for addressing scoliosis through the potential of scoliosis-specific exercise, postural restoration, awareness, and curve-size reduction.

ScoliBalance® uses the power of scoliosis-specific exercise to improve posture, manage progression, improve spinal flexibility, reduce curve size, and restore the body’s overall symmetry and balance.

Scoliosis-specific exercises that are performed in front of the mirror can help teach patients postural awareness so treatment results can be sustained, and the goal is to teach patients the exercises so they can establish a home-rehabilitation program to sustain treatment results for the long-term.

ScoliBalance® also targets the spine’s surrounding muscles by improving their balance and strength for more spinal support.

A strong core is essential for maintaining good posture and facilitating spinal health.

Scoliosis bracing can also be integrated into a nonsurgical scoliosis treatment plan to further the potential of nonsurgical treatment.

ScoliBrace®

A corrective ScoliBrace® has a lot of potential, particularly for young patients who are still growing.

A modern corrective scoliosis brace can increase the potential of nonsurgical treatment by placing the spine in an overcorrective position and retraining the neurological connection between the brain and healthy body positioning.

The ScoliBrace® doesn’t immobilize the spine, like traditional bracing, it’s designed with movement in mind so can complement the ScoliBalance® program.

Conclusion

It’s never too late to start scoliosis treatment, but the best time is when scoliosis is mild.

Mild scoliosis curves are smaller, more flexible, and because significant progression hasn’t yet occurred, condition effects are also mild and not yet well-established.

As a progressive condition, scoliosis that’s diagnosed as mild doesn’t mean it will stay that way, and mild doesn’t indicate a lack of urgency; in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

While some patients hear the word mild and think it means there is more time to decide on a treatment approach, or that watching and waiting is an acceptable response, the most important thing to understand about scoliosis is that its nature is to get worse, and it can do so quickly if growth is occurring.

Adolescents are the most at risk for rapid advancement due to the stage of growth they are in; rapid and unpredictable growth spurts can make scoliosis progress quickly, and if a certain severity level is reached, and/or in atypical cases, scoliosis surgery may be recommended.

If scoliosis is treated proactively, while there are never treatment guarantees, it can be highly responsive and treatable, and in many cases, progression can be prevented, along with the need for invasive surgical treatment.

So if asymmetrical postural and movement changes are noticed, don’t hesitate to reach out for a screening exam and comprehensive assessment.