Scoliosis – an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine – is one of those conditions you’ve likely heard about, but do you know about the pain and health dangers it can cause? June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month, a time of the year devoted to education, detection, and awareness of scoliosis. One of those educational tidbits is learning what chiropractors do for those who have scoliosis.
Nationwide, about 3% of the U.S. population has some form of scoliosis – some who are born with it, and some who get scoliosis as they age. About 90% of scoliosis patients have a spinal curvature that is not severe enough to require surgery, yet is extremely painful because of how it affects the body’s anatomy.
The American Chiropractic Association estimates up to seven million Americans suffer from scoliosis. As the degree of curvature increases, the excess curvature can cause other health problems.
Increasing spinal curvature can result in breathing difficulty and reduced lung capacity. In milder cases, scoliosis may not be easily noticed by the person or their family. Detecting scoliosis early in children is especially important because some forms of scoliosis keep progressing.
Doctors of chiropractic have a detailed knowledge of musculoskeletal issues, conditions, and disorders. The comprehensive physical examinations all chiropractors provide with new patients can help identify scoliosis. Symptoms that may indicate scoliosis to a doctor of chiropractic may include:
Those who are becoming a doctor of chiropractic will be healthcare practitioners who can identify scoliosis and recommend care that can help relieve or reduce scoliosis pain. Many adults with scoliosis find non-drug, non-invasive chiropractic treatments can help reduce their pain by decreasing the pressure on their nervous system and strengthening their body’s core.
Imagine becoming a doctor of chiropractic and having the knowledge and talent to offer help to scoliosis patients with chiropractic care. As a chiropractor, you could also recommend
Because scoliosis in the early stages can be difficult to notice, take the time to learn more about the types of scoliosis. Sources such as Spine-health and the Scoliosis Research Society are excellent places to increase your scoliosis IQ.
Other important facts to know:
Becoming a Chiropractor at Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC)
A doctor of chiropractic degree (D.C.) allows graduates to serve communities just like other healthcare professionals – only in a slightly different way. The work of a chiropractor is all done by hand without injections, surgery, or prescription medications. Patient satisfaction with chiropractic care is very high, as documented in the report Chiropractic: A Safe and Cost-Effective Approach to Health.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburban city of 190,000 people within the Kansas City metro. Since 1922, more than 11,000 doctors of chiropractic have entered the chiropractic workforce from our College of Chiropractic.
To learn more about becoming a doctor of chiropractic, connect with a CUKC advisor for more information. You can also get answers to “What do chiropractors do?” by downloading the free ebook: Your Complete Guide to the Chiropractic Profession.
