[written by Brigette Schwimmer]
Are you of the age where they did scoliosis screening in middle school? I distinctly remember it being a big event in school where everyone had to have their back looked at -super awkward because you had to put on those weird paper gown things and have someone look at your back. But when I bring this up to my teenage-patients nowadays they just give me a blank stare, with a “They did what?”
Thankfully my spine was entirely unremarkable at that time, however as I’ve started to pack on the years I’ve begun to notice something: I’m always shifted one direction where my right shoulder is forward and higher to the left, and my left hip is always higher than the right, effectively curving my spine in a C-shape. So did you know, it is possible to have adult onset scoliosis?
Just like other parts of our body, our spine weathers the test of time, and with that changes accordingly. In my particular case, a left hip injury causes me to always shift my weight to the right which, if I’m not mindful, shifts the whole spine to the side. And that’s where it likes to stay. So is this scoliosis?
We always hear about it, but what is the working definition of scoliosis? According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is simply defined as an abnormal curvature of our spine, and has different types based on where the curve is, how bad it is and what caused it. For some sources the curve in the spine has to be measured as 10 degrees or greater (called “The Cobb Angle”) to truly be considered scoliosis.
In my particular case, it’s unlikely I have true scoliosis. However I have seen plenty of patients similar to me that tell me similar stories, “My back hurts” or “My clothing fits differently on one side” or even “I feel shifted” that certainly do.
Often times the word scoliosis can have a lot of baggage with it -fear, anxiety, concern- because any time someone starts telling you your spine is misshapen, it’s downright scary. The most important takeaway though, there are so many wonderful things you can do about it!
Physical therapy is a wonderful treatment for scoliosis. A big thing we can do for you is to “lengthen the shortened side” and “strengthen the lengthened side”. Because as your spine starts to move into a different shape, some muscles get lengthened and some get shortened.
Muscles are all about right length at the right time: too short/ too long and it’s hard for them to function optimally. I have seen really great results with many patients, ages 30-80+ with this really straight forward approach. There are many other specific types of physical therapy dedicated just to the treatment of Scoliosis! It truly is a diverse field of practice.
If you have any questions or concerns that this might be something you are working with, schedule a discovery visit with us and we can take a look. While it is beyond the scope of a PT to “diagnose” you with scoliosis, it is certainly within our scope to look at your spine for any asymmetries which may show up and offer you some relief from it, or, we can also help you find the right medical provider.
The bottom line? Scoliosis can happen as we age, and there is plenty you can do to take care of yourself!
