How to Reduce the Pain of Scoliosis

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a genetic condition that causes an “S” curve in the spine. The curvature can be either mild or severe, but it can cause back pain and discomfort. Pain pills, like NSAIDs and opiates, aren’t your only option when it comes to dealing with back pain; they aren’t even the best option. Meeting with Dr. Doyle to talk about chiropractic care and acupuncture is the first of many steps you can take to help improve your life.

Although everyone with scoliosis has a different experience, there are things that you should do, and things that you shouldn’t do, to help manage pain and discomfort.

What You Should Do to Help Scoliosis

1. Work out daily.

Something as simple as walking a mile every day can make a huge difference. Strengthening the muscles in your back will help relieve pain and improve posture. Here are some exercises to start with:

1. 1. Arm/leg raise
   2. Pelvic tilt
   3. Cat and cow stretch (spine)
   4. Latissimus stretch (upper back)

Try these and feel the difference! You can find pictures of these exercises here.

2. Dance and play soccer!

Scoliosis shouldn’t keep anyone from the activities they love. If you love playing sports, find one that is low impact, like soccer or golf. If you love dancing, try to avoid overdoing it with backbends, but keep dancing!

3. Sleep the right way.

What you choose to sleep on matters–especially if you have back problems. If you’re a stomach sleeper, we’ve got some bad news: it’s killing your back! Laying on the bed for 6-9 hours can really help or really hurt your back.

You can purchase special pillows to use under your neck and legs, or between your legs if you sleep on your side. Raising your legs with a pillow will reduce pressure on the low back. Keeping the curvature of your neck intact with a pillow can help relieve morning neck pain.

Many people with scoliosis prefer to sleep on their side with a pillow between their knees because it keeps their spine in a more natural position or on their backs because their weight is evenly distributed across their body. If sleeping on their stomach is inevitable, it is recommended to place a pillow under the pelvis.

Also, try a mattress that is more firm for support. You will eventually find what makes it easier for you to get out of bed in the morning.

4. Try acupuncture and chiropractic care.

All of these things combined with acupuncture and chiropractic care can help stop scoliosis from deteriorating quality of life and can even help retrain the spine. Dr. Doyle is trained and equipped in musculoskeletal manipulation and acupuncture. In some cases, these drug-free, natural therapies help relieve pain. Chiropractic may also improve your comfort by retraining your spine to a healthier curvature.

What You Shouldn’t Do to Help Scoliosis

1. Don’t wear stilettos.

Depending on the severity of your condition, those extremely tall, cute stiletto heels may be the cause of a lot of pain. Opt for low-heeled shoes with good arch support. Going barefoot is also a bad idea. Solid arch support benefits for your feet, as well as your spine.

2. Don’t participate in certain sports.

Competitive swimming and football are two of the worst sports for your back. Swimming laps for hours daily can cause the curvature of the spine to progress. Because football is a high-contact sport, players can experience all kinds of injuries, the effects of which can show up years later. For scoliosis patients, sudden impact can have devastating results.

3. Don’t avoid chiropractic care.

The worst thing you can do is to put off treatment. Chiropractic care has been proven to reduce pain and inflammation and improve flexibility and range of motion. Though some people doubt the effectiveness of chiropractic, its results have been repeatedly proven by medical science. Dr. Doyle has extensive training and continues to study the latest developments in chiropractic care.

One of the major benefits of chiropractic is that it doesn’t just treat the symptoms like pain killers do, it treats the problem. Don’t wait any longer to get the help you need for your back pain. Take the first step and contact Dr. Doyle’s Roanoke, Tx office today at 817-767-5430 to set up a one-hour, comprehensive consultation and evaluation. The office is convenient to Trophy Club, Keller, and Justin.