Back Talk: Keeping You Straight

KARL SCHWARTZ, D.C.

Many patients come in and want to know if their spine is straight. What exactly is scoliosis, and why should I care? Your spine actually is an engineering marvel; we are the only mammals that stand on two feet. Because of this, your weight-bearing is extremely important. Your spine consists of twentyfour bones or vertebrae. When viewed front to back, the spine should be aligned along your center of gravity. The vertebrae are interlocked, and held together with disks, ligaments, muscle, and facia which allow for movement. The discs function as separators and allow for pivoting and movement of the vertebra and, most importantly, allow the thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves to exit the spinal column without pressure or interference. Ligaments connect bone to bone for stability and muscles are attached to the bones to move the joints, producing motion. A straight spine maximizes efficiency, requiring the least amount of energy to maintain the musculoskeletal system against the forces of gravity. The less energy that is spent on maintaining the musculoskeletal system, allows more energy to be utilized for other body system functions, i.e., the digestive system, the nervous system, and the circulatory system.

There are four types of scoliosis: • Congenital, meaning that bones were misformed during fetal development, causing spinal imbalance before bone growth maturation. This occurs in about one in a thousand infants. • Neuromuscular, meaning that there is some type of medical condition present in a child that impairs the brain and nervous system, hampering normal communication with the muscular system. • Idiopathic Adolescent can develop in infants and juveniles, but is most commonly diagnosed in adolescents aged 10-18. There is no known single cause, and occurs in 80% of cases. • Adult de Novo is also called degenerative scoliosis, and occurs in adults primarily due to degenerative spinal changes with aging.

Regardless of the type of scoliosis, the sooner it is diagnosed, the better it can be managed. Elementary and secondary school testing can detect obvious highrisk students with a simple orthopedic test. The test observes standing posture and simple forward bending of the spine to identify abnormalities.

Posture is the window to the spine. Chiropractors consistently look at posture and alignment to detect imbalances in the spine. If needed, x-rays of the spine are taken to visualize spinal distortions, of which scoliosis is one of the major conditions we can detect and treat.

Can scoliosis be corrected? Congenital and neuromuscular occur in a very small percentage of the population, and can be maintained and prevented from worsening. The Clear Scoliosis Institute reports that 95% of idiopathic adolescent and Adult De Novo patients are able to achieve a reduction and avoid invasive surgery. Now is the best time to have your and your family’s spines checked!

DR. KARL SCHWARTZ is a graduate of Life University in Marietta, Georgia; he has been practicing chiropractic in Tucker for twenty-one years and a resident here for fifteen years. His office specializes in preventing sports injuries and maximizing performance by analyzing posture, weight bearing, and gait. If you have a question you would like addressed in a future column, please email karlschwartzdc@gmail.com. Note “Back Talk” in the subject line.