................................................................................................................................................................................... FAQs

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

No, a patient does not need referral by an MD before visiting a doctor of chiropractic. Chiropractors are first contact physicians, and are so defined in federal and state regulations around the world. Following a consultation and examination, the doctor of chiropractic will arrive at a diagnosis under chiropractic care, or refer the patient to the appropriate health care provider.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects.

The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension.

Neck manipulation is a remarkably safe procedure. While some reports have associated upper high-velocity neck manipulation with a certain kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection, there is not yet a clear understanding of the connection. The occurrence appears to be very rare—1 in 5.85 million manipulations— based on the clinical reports and scientific studies to date. If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider.

It is important for patients to understand the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain -- prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) -- as these treatments may carry risks significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen.

Yes, children can benefit from chiropractic care. Children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or discomfort. Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient. It is a highly skilled treatment, and in the case of children, very gentle.

Chiropractors are educated as primary contact health care practitioners, with an emphasis on musculoskeletal diagnosis and treatment. Educational requirements for doctors of chiropractic are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions. The typical applicant at a chiropractic college has already acquired nearly four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education, including courses in biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and related lab work. Once accepted into an accredited chiropractic college, the requirements become even more demanding — five academic years of professional study are the standard. Because of the hands-on nature of chiropractic, and the intricate adjusting techniques, a significant portion of time is spent in clinical training.

Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the intensive years of chiropractic education. The chiropractor typically uses his/her hands to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to reduce pain, and restore or enhance joint function. Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms immediately following treatment.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that often causes the spine to look like the letter "S" or the letter "C". These abnormal curves in the spine affect the middle of the back (the thoracic region), and the lower back (the lumbar region). The neck is also likely to lack its natural curve, affecting the balance and posture of the entire body.

It is also possible for the scoliosis curves to affect the body in other ways. For example, the spine may develop a "third" curve, often referred to as a compensatory curve. This is actually the spine’s way of helping the body counteract the "S" or "C" curves as it attempts to keep the body balanced. The spine may also rotate or twist inwardly on itself, in a spiral-like manner, compressing the vertebrae together over time.

Even the mildest case of scoliosis can affect a person’s overall health, self-esteem, and confidence. Issues with muscle control and strength, pain and discomfort, posture, flexibility, and appearance affect the emotional health of individuals with scoliosis, reducing their quality of life.

AIS is how your child's scoliosis may be categorized. Idiopathic simply refers to the fact that there is no known cause, such as an injury, that led to the curvature in your child’s spine.

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, therefore, is just another way of saying that the scoliosis first occurred at or near puberty, for no apparent reason.

Cobb’s angle is a method of measurement expressed in degrees used for evaluation of curves in Scoliosis. To obtain a Cobb’s angle measurement, a line is drawn across the top (superior) plate of the first identified vertibra in the curve, and second line is drawn across the bottom (inferior plate) of the last identified vertibra in the curve. The angle between the two lines, (or lines drawn perpendicular to them) is measured as the Cobb angle. While Cobb’s angle is a standard and useful measurement of scoliosis, it does not take into account 3-dimensional curves, and in some cases does not have a direct correlation to spinal balance.

Yes. Dr. Kevin trained practitioners have had very good success in treating scoliosis in patients with Cobb’s angles over 30 degrees.

The body needs curves in order for it to function properly. There should be a natural curve in the neck and other natural curves in the spine itself to allow the body to function properly. If one curve is missing, the body attempts to compensate. This is what is happening in people with scoliosis, the body, the spine specifically, is trying to compensate for a missing curve. Scoliosis could therefore be described as the body’s natural and innate response to the loss of mechanical function.

It is easy to understand the concept of mechanical advantage for yourself. Find a heavy weight, about 10 to 20 pounds, and hold it in your hand. Most likely, your elbow will come close to your body, and your palm will be up, with your fingers facing away from you. This is very similar to how your spine supports the weight of your head with the curve in your neck. Now try removing the curve from your wrist; rotate it 180 degrees and bend it forwards with the weight still in your hand. Your elbow will swing out to the side to replace the lost stability. This is very similar to what happens in your spine when the curve in your neck is lost; the body develops scoliosis because a straight spine is extremely unstable. Essentially, scoliosis is a biomechanical reaction to the loss of the curve in the neck, and it develops due to pressure & interference on the nerves responsible for maintaining posture & symmetry during growth.

Yes. Correcting scoliosis begins with correcting the cervical (neck) part of the spine, specifically, by restoring the normal curvature of the neck. In most cases of scoliosis, there is loss of curve or reverse curve in the neck. When normal curvature and structure are restored in this area of the spine, the brain is able to communicate more effectively to the rest of the body. As a result, balance and coordination are also improved.

Treatment duration will depend on the location and severity of the Scoliosis.

Dr. Kevin has treated patients as young as 7 to as mature as 91 with successes in all age groups.

Scoliometer is a proprietary name for a device used to measure the amount of curvature in a person’s spine.

The spinal correction centre methodology of Scoliosis treatment does not rely on bracing. The humidity and heat in Asia makes it hard for scoliosis suffers to wear 23 hours per day.

Typical chiropractic adjustments have been proven to be ineffective and sometimes even harmful to the scoliotic patient, due to the mobilization of fixated vertebrae by the adjustment. While this may cause pain relief in the short term, the long term result often is increased progression of the Cobb angle. Spinal Correction Centre are not focused on relieving pain, although this is certainly the end result. The practitioners are committed to achieving structural changes to the spine that will allow the body to de-rotate and to correct itself, and use specific, reproducible precision x-rays that are analyzed according to exact guidelines to measure and quantify the change.

Scoliosis is not always associated with pain, although it commonly may be. Even in people without pain, however, the function of the heart & lungs is compromised. According to the National Scoliosis Foundation, scoliosis is associated with reduced life expectancy. On the average, people with scoliosis suffer a 14-year reduction in their life expectancy due to the strain upon the heart & the reduced amount of oxygen supplied to the body. Scoliosis is also associated with headaches, shortness of breath, digestive problems, chronic disease, and hip, knee, & leg pain.

The controversy over the effectiveness of bracing is somewhat misleading. You will never find any doctor in the world claiming that bracing will reduce or correct scoliosis; rather, the debate is over whether or not wearing a brace will prevent the scoliosis from getting worse. When doctors state that bracing "works," what they're really saying is that it stabilizes the scoliosis, keeping it at its current position. Most doctors will insist that bracing does "work" – with proper compliance. Recommended compliance is twenty-three hours per day, every day. If this seems a little extreme to you, you're not alone.

In a study published in the American Journal of Orthopedics, 60% of the patients surveyed felt that bracing had handicapped their life, and 14% felt it had left a psychological scar ¹ . The Children's Research Center in Dublin, Ireland, has not recommended bracing as a treatment for scoliosis since 1991, stating, "If bracing does not reduce the proportion of children with AIS [adolescent idiopathic scoliosis] who require surgery for cosmetic improvement of their deformity, it cannot be said to provide a meaningful advantage to the patient or the community."
| 1 Spinal Correction Centre does not recommend using any type of brace in our treatment protocols.