After a few minutes spent reviewing Internet sites devoted to scoliosis, you might end up feeling rather depressed and overwhelmed by the mass of contradictory and unscientific information to be found.  Small wonder that so many scoliosis surgeries take place every year - from what you read on the Internet (which is really the largest library in the world!), it seems to be the only option.

 

One study entitled, "Surfing for Scoliosis: the quality of information available on the Internet," the authors came to the conclusion that, "The information about scoliosis on the Internet is of limited quality and poor informational value."  The only website which earned their praise was www.srs.org, the official Web site of the Scoliosis Research Society; this website is, of course, heavily biased towards traditional approaches such as bracing & surgery.  It should not surprise us that this study was conducted by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.

 

However, the true effectiveness of the Harrington Rod surgery does not live up to the claims.  Curves progress even in surgically treated patients; "Inital average loss of spinal correction post-surgery is 3.2 degrees in the first year and 6.5 after two years, with continued loss of 1.0 degree per year throughout life."

 

This is a mixed message, to say the least.

 

This is why we are exceptionally proud of the message we promote at CLEAR Institute: that there is a non-surgical treatment for scoliosis, with no psychological or physical scarring, that achieves lasting, positive results!  It is this message of hope that defines who we are, even more so than the results we achieve.

 

If you or someone you know is suffering from the all-too-real side effects of scoliosis, please take a moment to review the CLEAR Institute practitioner list, and find the closest chiropractor.  Take the time to schedule an appointment, and keep an open mind to the alternative types of treatment the chiropractor may suggest.  Historical approaches to scoliosis have failed to achieve lasting results.  It's time to spread a new message across the globe - a message of hope, and healing!

 

"Boston brace treatment produces complex trunk motions that tend to shift the spine and rib cage anteriorly [forward], with little derotation and lateral displacement to the left, whereas ideal correction would be the opposite[emphasis added]."

"A more optimal way to achieve trunk corrections could be made by applying loads laterally on the convex side and on the anterior thoracic [front of the chest] opposite the rib hump, with a system that constrains mechanically the posterior rib hump from moving backwards."

 

This study, and others like it, led to the development of the Scoliosis Traction Chair that CLEAR Institute designed and patented in 2004.  Why did it take seven years for someone to act on the idea that scoliosis could be corrected biomechanically?  Maybe it's because when all you have is a hammer (or scalpel), every problem looks like a nail (or patient in need of surgery!).  It's time to take a new look, from a fresh perspective.  Chiropractors trained by CLEAR Institute have an understanding of the mechanics and physics involved in the spine that many other healthcare practitioners - indeed, even many other chiropractors! - do not.  Please do not make the mistake of assuming that, simply because your family doctor is unaware of alternatives, they do not exist, or they are unscientific.  You might be surprised by how much science is involved in chiropractic.

 

By the way, the above study was compiled and performed by  the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  When it comes to scoliosis, physicists are closer to hitting the mark than the physicians designing these braces!

 

 

 

 

Commonly, people living with scoliosis dread x-rays.  After seeing their condition steadily deteriorate with each series, combined with the fear of too much radiation, it sometimes becomes difficult to talk a patient into one more set of x-rays.  But before you hesitate to undergo chiropractic treatment for this reason, please consider the following facts about scoliosis x-rays.

 

1.) According to a study published in August of 2000 in the Journal of Radiology, "Patients undergoing scoliosis radiography receive doses that are low in comparison with other types of radiographic examination."  A similar study published that same month in Spine found that patients with scoliosis that received fifty or more x-rays from 1912-1965 had a risk of dying from breast cancer that was four times higher than non-x-rayed patients.  At this time, there was a need for caution, since standard films were taken at 0.6 cGy (centigray).  Today, films are shot with only 0.02 cGy - thirty times less than in the past.  To achieve the same level of exposure, over 1500 x-rays would have to be taken on one patient.  Pediatric x-rays are shot at an even lower level of magnitude.

 

2.) When taking a precision x-ray - that is, one not to rule out fractures or abnormailities, but rather to measure the position of the spinal units - positioning matters more than one might think.  Even a slight rotation off from center will skew the results and show an inaccurate image.  For this reason, chiropractors who use x-rays as an objective outcome assessment tool must be very concerned about how the x-rays were taken.  X-rays from other sources oftentimes can be unreliable if they are shot at different angles or focal distances, which prevents comparison between films.

 

X-rays allow the trained chiropractor to measure and quantify the results of treatment, and determine if alterations to existing treatment protocols are necessary.  If you are seeking chiropractic care for your scoliosis, you should insist upon x-rays that are accurate and scientific; follow-up films should be taken every three months, and always in the exact same positioning.  This is the only way you will know if chiropractic is helping you.  If one particular chiropractic method or technique does not show improvement objectively, though, do not give up on chiropractic entirely!  Our website, www.clear-institute.com, has a list of chiropractors trained in precision x-ray analysis and biomechanical correction, and new doctors across the country are added every month.