Alternative Scoliosis Treatments

The treatment for severe scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, has traditionally been surgery. The Harrington rod that was inserted into the spines of adolescents from the 1960s into the 1980s has given way to advances that include temporary rods, electrical stimulation and laser treatments. Several treatments have the most promise as alternatives to surgery.

Considerations

While no alternative therapy has matched the consistent success surgery has had, those listed here offer pain relief in some patients even without total alignment. Since surgery continues to be risky in adulthood, the danger lies in postponing surgery until after age 50, when it is no longer recommended except in cases that are life-threatening.

Yoga

Yoga offers what are considered the most beneficial exercises for scoliosis patients. These exercises are designed to align the spine, with movement timed to breathing to help develop muscles for support. With postures that provide relief through stretching, some yoga exercises are particularly effective for people with scoliosis. These include spinal and abdominal twists along with the joint freeing series, supine knee chest twist, crocodile twist and passive back arch. The head-to-knee pose helps align the spine, while the one leg up/one leg out pose is also helpful. For more information read "Back Care Basics: A Doctor's Gentle Program for Back and Neck Pain" by Mary Pullig Schatz, MD and Mukunda Stiles's "Structural Yoga Therapy: Adapting to the Individual."

Chiropractic

In chiropractic medicine, body structure is manipulated in an attempt to relieve pain. Scoliosis patients are treated with adjustments to the spine as the chiropractor attempts to correct through manipulation a condition known as vertebral subluxation, in which one vertebra shifts its position in relation to the others. With chiropractic treatments, spinal adjustments are sometimes attempted along with supporting exercises, posture changes, or corrective heel lifts in shoes to compensate for a shorter leg. The younger the patient and the more mild the case, the more likely manipulative therapy is to halt the curvature's progress.

Osteopathic

Osteopathy relies on muscle and skeletal manipulation to return the patient to health. Before osteopathic manipulation treatment begins, the practitioner often observes a patient's posture while sitting, bending one knee, balancing on one leg, and attempting to touch her toes without bending her knees. During treatments, manipulation is done as necessary to various parts of the body including the head, pelvis, rib cage and abdomen. Head weights and shoulder weights are sometimes used to return the body to as normal a position as possible. Additional exercises might be prescribed to reinforce treatment or a brace recommended in severe cases.

Documentation

The difficulty with alternative treatments for severe cases of scoliosis is that there is not sufficient documentation to track the effectiveness of treatment. Without conclusive long-term evidence from controlled studies, no alternative therapy has been as successful as surgery has at stopping progressive scoliosis. There are enough anecdotal reports of relief in mild cases, however, to make alternatives worth investigating.