"At Home" Scoliosis Treatment Tips....

Scoliosis 101 - Scoliosis is a mulit-factorial condition
Idiopathic Scoliosis is a multi-factorial condition with both environmental influences and genetic pre-disposition. While the new Scoliscore test can determine genetic pre-disposition for idiopathic scoliosis, we can not currently alter the genetics at this point; however there are many new and exciting ways of reducing and eliminating the environmental influences that actually drive the spinal curvature progression.

Environmental Influences of Idiopathic Scoliosis

The environmental influences that cause the scoliosis spine progression are poorly understood and even more poorly researched, but piecing together the data we do have available it appears the environmental influences fall into one of three broad categories. NOTE: None of these categories are mutual exclusive to each other and each category influences and interacts with the other categories to varying degrees in each scoliosis case.

•Bio-Mechanical
•Bio-Chemical
•Activity Related
Based on these three categories I have created a list of "10 scoliosis treatment tips"

Not "Scoliosis Friendly"

Source: FixScoliosis.com10 Scoliosis Treatment Tips
1. Beware of back bends in gymnastics and ballet.

Why: Circumstantial evidence has determined that activities that cause a “flattening” or hyper-extension of the mid back may cause progression in scoliosis curves.

2. Clean your shower heads at least 1 time per month.

Why: The mycobacterium that grows inside the showerhead between uses can lead to chronic mycobacterium infection and drive up osteopontin levels.

3. No fish tanks in the house.

Why: Prolonged standing water (similar to the water inside the showerhead) can lead to chronic mycobacterium infection, which can increase osteopontin levels.

4. Don’t sleep on your stomach.

Why: Sleeping on one’s stomach has multiple negative aspects (including lower and mid back pain), but more importantly for scoliosis patients it forces the normal spine position out of the side view dimension and into the abnormal scoliosis curve.

5. Take 200 micro grams of Selenium a day (L-selenomethionine to be exact)

Why: Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral and is known to drive down excessively high levels of a cytokine called “osteopontin” which drives bone remodeling and has been found in excessively high levels in patients with severe scoliosis. In addition, a 2007 published study found Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis patients were frequently selenium deficient.

Note: Take with food for people with sensitive stomachs.

6. Avoid slumped postures when sitting at the computer and texting.

Why: Scoliosis already causes an abnormal loading of the spine and poor postural habits only serve to increase the abnormal bio-mechanical stress on an already compromised spine.

7. Reduce backpack weight to less than 10% of the patient’s body weight.

Why: Abnormal weighting of the scoliosis compromised spine may lead to curve progression. Most schools will readily provide an extra set of text books, so the student can keep a set at home and at school eliminating the need for transferring the books.

8. Distribute backpack weight evenly.

Why: Asymmetrical loading of the spine with a back pack causes abnormal loading of the spinal curvature and could cause curve progression.

9. Back yard trampolines are a no, no.

Why: The compressive nature of the patient’s body weight multiplied by the number of times they bounce up and down in short period of time may lead to a rapid advancement of the spine curvature referred to as “postural collapse”.

10. Avoid high heel shoes.

Wearing high heel shoes can cause excessive lumbar lordosis (the normal side view curve), which is correlated with progressive scoliosis.