How Does Compression and Tension Effect of Scoliosis?

To begin this conversation it is important to understand that there are two things the body doesn’t like; compression and tension. Compression is the act of flattening through use of pressure (think of someone gently squeezing your head for hours on end, uncomfortable right?). Tension is the state of being stretched (think of someone bending your finger back for prolonged periods, also uncomfortable!). What leads to these normal forces becoming disrupting forces is repetition. Repetition is what your body consistently does over a period of time. In the end, our body is controlled by our brain, which can learn bad habits very quickly in its pursuit to be efficient but sometimes what is efficient is not effective. For example, if you were standing on your left leg when first reading this, that stance is resting on the hip joint and not using the hip muscles for support. Using the hip muscles requires energy, which for survival, it is more efficient to save that energy. For musculoskeletal pain, it is a worthwhile and effective use of energy to use those hip muscles. Nearly all injuries can be broken down into this idea of repetitive forces (compression or tension).

What Is Scoliosis?

When it comes to scoliosis, broken down simply it is a miscommunication between your shoulders and hips and the spine gets caught in the middle. We explain it best in this capacity because it literally is your spine bending from the top and from the bottom. The goal of treatment is not to manually put the spine back in alignment but to figure out where this miscommunication is happening. There may be a deficiency in your shoulders and/or hips, or what connects the two together (your core). Identify where this is happening, relearn that movement pattern and the spine will respond in a positive fashion.

Typically, patients ask: how can I fix my back pain or how can I correct my scoliosis? In order to answer this question, you have to know the why? More often than not, treatment first requires a mindset shift and new questions asked: How do your hips work? How do your shoulders work? (followed up by why don’t they work well?) Typically one hip/shoulder works completely different than the other. How on earth can the spine feel good and stay straight when above and below it is out of balance and can’t function? The body takes the path of least resistance so the spine bending to accommodate repetitive use is easier than learning how to move through the hip or shoulder resistance.

In more clinical language, scoliosis is a condition that refers to the abnormal sideways or rotational curvature of the spine. There are two different subsets of scoliosis; structural and functional. Structural is typically the one found in childhood. Functional refers to the repetitive asymmetrical use explained above, where your functional use has created a curve. Although scoliosis can happen at any time, it is less likely during adulthood once a person has reached skeletal maturity. So if you were just diagnosed with scoliosis at 25/45/65, its most likely functional scoliosis (again think about the questions above, do you use your body asymmetrically?) Most often, scoliosis occurs in children just before puberty—ages 10-20—and affects 2-3% of the population in the U.S. (an estimated 7 million people). Standard treatment for scoliosis that you’ll hear from your PCP or orthopedic doctor varies and depends on the severity of the curve, the location of the curve and the patient’s age, and for more severe cases surgery is recommended. Causes may be genetic, environmental or oftentimes, unknown. However, beginning to identify the asymmetries through the use of physical therapy for scoliosis, we can help slow the progression of the spinal curve or when a patient begins to develop other conditions (pains) as a result.

How Is Scoliosis Diagnosed?