(HealthNewsDigest.com)
In 1970, Karen Spengler removed her back brace that she had worn for three years while in high school to control a spinal condition she had called scoliosis. Then, at age 14, Karen’s spine had an abnormal 23 degree curvature, just as it did three years prior when she first put on her brace. For 37 years after Karen’s spine remained at a 23 degree curve. That is, until the last several months, after undergoing a new chiropractic procedure for scoliosis victims, called the Clear Institute treatment, which has for the first time in Karen’s life reduced her spine curvature to a stable 13 degrees. At that curvature, Karen is well below the 20-degree benchmark where traditional medical standards do not recommend scoliosis treatment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm6KJ-UDSsQ
The Clear Institute treatment, administered by the Beck Wellness Center in St. Louis, Missouri, was not a traditional scoliosis procedure. It did not involve the conventional back braces, surgery or wait-and-see observation techniques favored by modern medicine. It consisted of a regimen of traction spinal weighting and non-traditional chiropractic adjustments done three times each week in her chiropractor’s office, with home exercises done daily, to reposition sections of her spine.
Like many scoliosis victims, the condition tends to run in the family. Karen’s daughter who is 13 years old, is also afflicted with scoliosis, or better said, she was. After several months of treatment with the same procedure at the Beck Wellness Center, her spine curvature has reduced by 23 degrees, to where it is now, significantly less, at 6 degrees.
“For the first time in my adult life I am free from the debilitating and emotional effects of scoliosis,” says Karen. “But the real relief is with my daughter. She went from 29 degrees to 6 degrees of curvature in a matter of months. Instead of spending 23 hours a day in a brace, she spends one-half hour with the traction and weighting, and exercises at home. Having spent my life as a scoliosis victim, I cannot express what relief it is to see my daughter free from this. She can live a normal life without braces and the threat of potentially needing surgery.”
For a problem that has eluded a resolution for many decades, one would be hard pressed to accept two patient case histories as a reliable index to judge a successful procedure. But for the Clear Institute treatment, and the Beck Wellness Center, these are just two cases amongst thousands who have availed themselves of this new scoliosis approach over the past several years, and benefited from it. In fact, consistent results show that this procedure is considerably more successful at mitigating scoliosis than traditional treatments of bracing and surgery.
Understanding the Scoliosis Problem
Every one of us has a natural curve to our spine. Opposite our chest the spine bows out, and in our lower back area the spine curves inward. This is quite normal. If we viewed ourselves in a mirror from the front or the back, our spine should look straight. If we were able to look at ourselves from the top down, all of the vertebrae in our spine would be facing in a forward direction.
But some people have spines that also curve from side to side. Looking from the front or the back, the spine would appear to form an “S” or “C” shape instead of a straight line up and down. This is a condition called scoliosis, where the spine curves laterally, from one side or the other, in the chest or thoracic area, and in the lower back or lumbar area. Looking down from the top of the spine, some of the vertebrae would appear twisted, which causes the ribs attached to them to protrude.
Scoliosis is the most common form of abnormal spine curvature, occurring in 6 million people in the United States, or 2% of the U.S. population. 1.5 million of those afflicted, or 0.5% of the population, have what is considered to be a severe condition of scoliosis, necessitating some form of treatment. The other 4.5 million people are less acutely afflicted by the disorder. This is not simply a condition of poor posture, which might be remedied by disciplining oneself to sit up straight or practice balancing a book on our heads. These curves require considerably more attention to effect an improvement in the condition.
A minority of scoliosis patients, less than 20%, have either non-structural scoliosis or structural scoliosis. In structural scoliosis a structurally normal spine appears curved. It is a temporary, changing spinal curve that is caused by an underlying condition such as a difference in leg length, muscle spasms, or inflammatory conditions such as appendicitis. Structural scoliosis can be caused by neuromuscular diseases, birth defects, injuries and certain infections. These forms of scoliosis are treated by addressing the underlying problem.
The majority of scoliosis abnormalities, 80% to 85% of serious scoliosis cases, are classified as idiopathic, or cause unknown. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type and occurs primarily between the ages of 10 and 15. Girls are more likely than boys to have this type of scoliosis. Females are eight times more likely to progress to a spinal curve magnitude that requires treatment.
According to the National Scoliosis Foundation (NSF), scoliosis can impact the quality of life for those who have the disorder. “It can stunt height growth and decrease pulmonary function. It’s associated with headaches, shortness of breath, digestive problems, chronic disease and hip, knee and leg pain.” Add to this list diminished self-esteem and reduced life expectancy. The lifespan of individuals with scoliosis is decreased by 14 years.
Despite the fact that idiopathic scoliosis has been addressed and attempted to be treated for literally centuries, little progress has been made to identify the causes of the condition or bring about a functional remedy to significantly improve the abnormality. The Foundation says it is not known who will get scoliosis, why they get it, which of those afflicted will progress with treatment, or how far they will progress. In fact, the National Scoliosis Foundation states that there is no known cure for idiopathic scoliosis.
Traditional Approaches to Treatment
This year, in an effort to remedy the condition, scoliosis patients in the U.S. will make more than 600,000 visits to private physician offices, 30,000 children will be put into a brace for scoliosis, and 38,000 scoliosis patients will undergo spinal fusion surgery.
For more information on Beck Wellness Center, and its chiropractic system of scoliosis treatment, please contact Dr. Mark Beck, D.C.: Phone 314-843-2325: 5422 Southfield Center, Saint Louis, Missouri 63123: email markbeckdc@beckwellnesscenter.com: or visit their website at www.beckscoliosis.com.
www.HealthNewsDigest.com
Edited by Magic, 2010-03-16 15:55:18