One must be careful when using the word ‘cure’ in a medical context. There is a big difference between a ‘cure’ and a ‘treatment’ – an effective treatment might completely eliminate the symptoms of a disease, but if the underlying disease is still present then – strictly speaking – the patient has not been cured.
By the most rigid definition of the word,
scoliosis is more or less impossible to outright cure. Even if the patient no longer suffers as a result of their curved spine, their scoliosis is still there; even if the angle of the curve is reduced to the point that it no longer qualifies as a case of scoliosis, the patient has not truly been ‘cured’ because there is a chance that they may relapse and that the curve will begin to progress again.
Don’t worry, however – if you suffer from scoliosis, there are a number of very effective treatment methods that can help you to overcome the symptoms of the condition and achieve a high quality of life.
Common scoliosis treatment methods
When a medical doctor diagnoses you with scoliosis, they will likely recommend one of the following courses of action:
- Observation. If your spinal curvature is quite mild and/or you haven’t yet finished growing, medical practitioners may recommend forgoing treatment for the time being and simply observing the condition’s progress. Further action can be taken at a later date depending on whether the curve improves, gets worse, or stays the same.
- Bracing. Some scoliosis patients wear a back brace to halt the progression of their spinal curve. This is effectively a rigid plastic shell that prevents your back from changing shape any more than it already has. Sometimes the brace is only worn at night, but it is more common to keep it on around the clock (except when showering or bathing).
- Surgery. Spinal fusion surgery is an operation that is commonly used to combat more severe spinal curves. Click here to read about this procedure and what it actually involves.
Remember, none of these approaches – not even surgery – ‘cure’ scoliosis as such. Rather, they aim to relieve the symptoms of scoliosis, straighten up the spine, and stop the curve from progressing any further.
Treating scoliosis with physical therapy
Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we treat scoliosis patients using a set of non-surgical therapies that we collectively refer to as
The ScolioGold Method. This programme is specifically tailored to the needs of scoliosis sufferers, combining numerous treatment strategies in order to effectively combat:
- Back pain
- Mobility and flexibility issues
- Muscle weakness
- Further progression of the condition
- The visible symptoms of scoliosis (e.g. uneven shoulders, leaning to one side)
While ScolioGold therapy cannot truly cure scoliosis any more than surgery or bracing can, this has proven to be capable of minimising the symptoms of scoliosis and dramatically improving patient QOL (quality of life). It also has a demonstrable impact on the Cobb angle –
click here to see X-ray evidence of this.
We at Scoliosis SOS are currently in the process of applying for NHS funding, which would make ScolioGold treatment far more accessible for UK patients. In the meantime, if you’d like to arrange a consultation at our clinic in London, please get in touch today.
