Lumbar Scoliosis & Decompression Therapy

Introduction

As part of the body in an S-shaped curve, the spine allows the body to move functionally and that it is being supported. The spine makes sure the body stays upright and can do everyday functions. The spine is also composed of ligaments, muscles, the spinal cord, and discs that protect the spine from injury. However, different conditions and injuries do occur in the spine that can cause a person to suffer and even develop symptoms that affect the spine. Spinal conditions like scoliosis, DDD (degenerative disc disease), and a herniated disc can affect a person’s quality of life. Luckily non-surgical treatments can help alleviate symptoms that affect the spine. Today’s article will discuss lumbar scoliosis, its symptoms, and how decompression therapy can help alleviate scoliosis symptoms for many individuals. By referring patients to qualified and skilled providers specializing in spinal decompression therapy. To that end, and when appropriate, we advise our patients to refer to our associated medical providers based on their examination. We find that education is the key to asking valuable questions to our providers. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.

What Is Lumbar Scoliosis?

Do you feel uneven when you are walking? How about feeling back pain occurring in your lower back? Or does your range of motion feel limited? Any of these symptoms that you are experiencing could signify lumbar scoliosis. Research studies have found that scoliosis is a spinal deformity that causes the spine to be in a lateral curve and rotates the vertebrae themselves. Now scoliosis usually occurs when a person is a child, and their spine is curved. Naturally, the spine itself is in an S-shaped curve straight in the back; however, lumbar scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the lumbar region of the spine. Lumbar scoliosis usually occurs in adolescents to adulthood, depending on the severity of lumbar scoliosis is causing on the spine.

Other research studies have found that since the spinal disc naturally decreases due to average age can be one of the causes of lumbar scoliosis. This occurs when the spinal discs degenerate and lose their height and stability, causing stress on the facet joints. This causes degenerative changes to the spine and causes it to curve sideways and become deformed in the lumbar regions of the spine. When this happens, unwanted symptoms and factors will occur in the individual suffering from lumbar scoliosis.

The Symptoms

Depending on how severe the progress is with lumbar scoliosis individuals, it can range from having no symptoms to developing symptoms over time. Research studies have stated that some of the signs that occur for individuals who have lumbar scoliosis can include back pain and the development of numbness in the legs. This is due to the spine curving sideways in the lumbar region, causing the spinal disc and joints to press on the nerve roots spread throughout the spine, thus causing low back pain. Some of the other symptoms that research studies found for lumbar scoliosis include:

• Physical changes when walking
• Reduce range of motion in the spine
• Cardiovascular problems
• Spinal pain
• Back pain

Spinal Decompression Treatments-Video

Are the aches in your back ranging from a mild, dull ache to severe radiating pain that goes down to your feet? How about feeling unstable when you are walking around doing errands? Or do you feel a limited range of motion when bending down or turning side to side? You could have lumbar scoliosis, and spinal decompression therapy can help alleviate these symptoms. The video explains how spinal decompression therapy can treat chronic back symptoms and issues like lumbar scoliosis and even low back pain. What spinal decompression does is help stretch the spine slowly and gently to alleviate the pressure that the nerve roots are suffering from. Spinal decompression therapy also allows the spinal disc to be restored in the spinal column. Combining chiropractic therapy can help restore the spine suffering from lumbar scoliosis back to its original placement. Suppose you want to learn more about how decompression therapy can benefit you. In that case, this link will explain what spinal decompression therapy does to the spine and how it can alleviate lumbar scoliosis.

How Spinal Decompression Therapy Alleviates Lumbar Scoliosis

As stated in previous articles, spinal decompression therapy is a non-surgical treatment that helps alleviate painful symptoms affecting the spine and back. What this treatment does is that it uses motorized traction on the spine itself and starts to gently pull the spinal joints to cause the relief to the back. Now spinal decompression can help individuals with lumbar scoliosis and back pain with chiropractic therapy to help position the spine back in its original form through traction and manipulation. Research studies have found that individuals with mild degenerative lumbar scoliosis have had excellent results since spinal decompression has helped improve radicular symptoms causing pain in the spinal joints. This allows many individuals to feel relief after being in pain. Other research studies have found spinal decompression combined with spinal fusion is another form of treatment. It is safe and effective for older individuals suffering from spinal conditions like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Compared with other therapies, decompression therapy can help restore a person’s quality of life and spinal health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the spine allows everyday movement to the body without any issues or pain affecting the entire body structure. Spinal conditions like lumbar scoliosis can develop gradually over time and cause many individuals to suffer from spinal pain. Lumbar scoliosis causes a wide variety of symptoms in the spine as the vertebrae joints are rotated and curved sideways, causing pressure on the nerve roots and limiting the body’s range of motion. Treatments like spinal decompression therapy and other non-surgical treatments for the spine and back can help relieve the symptoms of lumbar scoliosis and allow the spine to return to its original state. With spinal decompression therapy, people can get back to their wellness journey pain-free and not have to feel miserable due to spinal conditions like lumbar scoliosis.

References

Baaj, Ali. “Scoliosis Symptoms.” Spine, Spine-Health, 26 Jan. 2017, www.spine-health.com/conditions/scoliosis/scoliosis-symptoms.

Daubs, Michael D, et al. “Decompression Alone versus Decompression with Limited Fusion for Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis in the Elderly Patient.” Evidence-Based Spine-Care Journal, © AOSpine International, Nov. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3592774/.

Janicki, Joseph A, and Benjamin Alman. “Scoliosis: Review of Diagnosis and Treatment.” Paediatrics & Child Health, Pulsus Group Inc, Nov. 2007, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2532872/.

Medical Professional, Cleveland Clinic. “Adult Scoliosis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Outcome.” Cleveland Clinic, 25 Sept. 2019, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15837-adult-scoliosis.

Tsutsui, Shunji, et al. “Can Decompression Surgery Relieve Low Back Pain in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Combined with Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis?” European Spine Journal : Official Publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Sept. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3777068/.

York, Philip J, and Han Jo Kim. “Degenerative Scoliosis.” Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, Springer US, Dec. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5685967/.

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