by Dr. Emil Tompkins, a chiropractor with a passion for helping families grow healthier.
This child has scoliosis. Does yours?
One day, your child comes home from school and you’re told that she has a scoliosis. At first the news is a little shocking, but what do you do? You could go to your primary care doctor and get it looked at and they will tell you if your child is a candidate for surgery. But from talking to hundreds of families with a child with scoliosis, that’s usually the last option we want to hear about. But there is other hope.
What is a scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a condition in your spine where there is an abnormal curvature of 10 degrees or greater. This curvature causes individual bones in the spine to shift out of position and there will be more pressure on nerves. These nerves control every part of the body and can affect your child’s health in many ways.
The most common problems we’ve seen with scoliosis are: gait abnormalities, back pain, poor posture and breathing difficulty. These problems are sometimes not seen in children, but the progress and worsen when we’re adults. If your child is experiencing pain or any of these problems now, it’s vital they are looked at immediately to stop the progression of the curvature.
Is this something that I can leave alone and just hope for the best?
If left alone, the curvature could progress, so at the minimum have your child’s spine checked periodically (every 6 months) to assess the progression of the curvature. If it increases, it is unstable and measures must be taken to improve it. If the curvature is around 40 degrees, surgery is generally performed, placing 2 titanium rods along the length of the spine to help regain it’s stability.
Is there a safer option to help with scoliosis than surgery?
Thankfully yes!! There is promising new research on the causes and care for scoliosis that give us great insight into the most effective care and support for a curved spine. First, lets 
look at one of the causes. It is found that Melatonin, a sleep hormone that is also responsible for fine motor coordination is decreased in people with scoliosis. This is something that can be improved with proper supplementation.
People with scoliosis also generally have a pelvic imbalance that causes problems in their gait. This pelvic imbalance can be improved with Chiropractic adjustments by a Chiropractor who is experienced in caring for people with scoliosis.
Next, we must improve muscular coordination. Very specific exercises prescribed by a chiropractor will provide the increased coordination you need to strengthen and stabilize the spine.
Put these 3 things together and you’ll see a healthier spine and a healthier child.
Dr. Emil Tompkins
If you would like to be evaluated for scoliosis, you can contact our office at 520-572-2596 and Dr. Tompkins will be happy to help you reach your full health potential.
Dr. Emil Tompkins is a family Chiropractor who specializes in caring for children and families in Marana, Tucson and all of Southern Arizona.
