Dr. Deborah C. Terry

This is a tough question to answer without seeing you in-person or your most recent X-Rays. Much of the success in treating scoliosis or relieving its pain depends upon how dramatic the curvature may be. Surgery is generally recommended when the scoliosis is significant enough to cause: 1.) organ compromise (such as breathing difficulty or irregular heartbeats or 2.) It is severe enough to make it difficult for the person to perform basic activities of daily living in a manner that is safe (ex: person is bent so far forward or rotated that they cannot clearly see to turn a light switch on the wall off/on) or 3.) It is progressing rapidly and is causing degenerative changes through out the spine (EX: bone spurs, disc protrusions, collapsed vertebra) Surgery is usually recommended when a scoliosis curve is 45-50 degrees and/or it progresses/increases more than 5 degrees in one year. If your pain is constant, your scoliosis has been deemed progressing, your quality of life is impacted, then surgery will have some benefits. It will reduce your pain but may not completely alleviate it. I wish I could say it was an exact science/guarantee your pain would resolve. Everyone is different. Perhaps, this is not what you want to hear right now. Many times patients come to these forums seeking answers or just want someone to tell them "everything is going to be ok" and/or truly listen to them. Chiropractic has been shown to mildly improve the pain of scoliosis and slow its progression for people with mild curvature. There are specific techniques that are still under review as being successful versus nonsense (EX: the CLEAR Scoliosis method sources are all over the map in terms of stating it really works or is pseudo science - plus it is very expensive and not covered by insurance ). I have treated mild cases and have seen results in terms of decreased pain and reduction in the curvature by 10-15 degrees over the course of 6 months to a year. Maintaining the improvement is also an issue. Many times patients stick with exercises and therapy while in an active treatment program. However, after they are discharged they feel "normal" and stop doing their exercises and stretches. This allows for the scoliosis to once again progress and cause pain. If you have exhausted all avenues of conservative care chiropractic, acupuncture, and physical therapy then surgery is the last option. Even if you seek a chiropractor or physical therapist to treat your scoliosis and pain you always need to have an orthopedic scoliosis specialist as part of your care team. Again, if you have tried all other treatment options and are still experiencing pain then surgery may alleviate it or at least minimize it.

I would suggest a trial of conservative physiotherapy. Chiropractors learn a technique called flexion-distraction that has been shown to significantly improve painful disc conditions. Also, physiotherapists utilize a technique called McKenzie that has been shown to assist with alleviating disc pain. Finally, chiropractors, osteopaths, and physical medicine doctors also can learn a therapy called spinal decompression (intermittent traction). If these techniques do not work then I surgery is most likely necessary. Also, surgery should only be an option after failed physiotherapy and the person as an abnormal nerve conduction velocity testing and/or a study called an EMG. Thes two tests show if there is nerve damage due to the disc compression and if the the muscles are losing strength due to nerve damage. Again, conservative first and then if that does not work surgery. Also, always get a second opinion. This time around go to a neurosurgeon. Neurosurgeons specialize in preserving nerves and surrounding tissue and are less likely to recommend complex spinal surgery. They tend to favor nerve/tissue sparing procedures that have better surgical outcomes in the long run. One final thought, your dad's age may play a role in whether he is a good candidate for surgery. What is most important is what are his other health issues? Is he obese? Diabetic? Hypertensive? Does he have a heart condition? These all affect how well a person does during the surgery and with recovery. If he does not have other health issues then the surgeon may want your dad to get the surgery; because he is healthy enough and in good enough shape to have a positive recovery. I wish you and your father all the best.

Women who have had multiple children are more prone to "slip rib syndromes." The cartilage around the end of the anterior portion of the rib rib can become lax with the pressures and postural changes of pregnancy. Then later on when these women try to exercise they experience rib pain, or when they age and have a fall the "rib slips out." As long as she does not have a pacemaker or indwelling medical device I would recommend physiotherapy this can be delivered by a chiropractor or physical therapist.

Most certainly! You want to find a chiropractor that has specialized training in maternal health issues. There are chiropractors that state pregnant women should not be adjusted because their ligaments and joins are "lax" due to the pregnancy hormones. However, the group of specialists within the profession that treat maternal issues disagree. It is because your joints are under more pressure and ligaments are lax that your body's alignment suffers and the result can be pain. I have adjusted my pregnant patients all the way through their pregnancies. Several wished they had seen a chiropractor when they had been pregnant with their first baby. It was after they became pregnant for the second time and they did not want to deal with the pains that come with a changing body and passenger on board :), they sought out a chiropractor. They all just about had said they wished they had known or thought about chiropractic care the first time. Again, you will want to find a chiropractor that specifically addresses the joint/muscle issues that come with pregnancy.

Chiropractors that are trained in functional nutrition can help patients manage their gout and the pain that goes with it. You can find one by following this link:
https://aca-cdid.com/doctors.php?on

It will depend on the type of deformity. An X-Ray gives a 2-dimensional view of the spine, whereas a CT Scan or MRI helps to give more depth and dimension to the tissue/structures being viewed. If it is something like a fused vertebrae (when two vertebra decide to share a body - a congenital block vertebra), this can be made by an X-Ray. If there is something believed to be a deformity that might be pinching the spinal cord, then a CT scan or MRI is needed to determine how severe the impingement or deformity may be.