Scoliosis and Chiropractic Care

Most people have heard of scoliosis from spinal examinations that are often performed in schools by the school nurse but few people understand what scoliosis is and how to use conservative methods to treat this relatively common condition.

Scoliosis is a lateral (to the sides of the body) curvature that has progressed 10 degrees or more from normal posture. When the school nurse or your doctor performs an examination for scoliosis they are looking for this abnormal lateral curve of the spine which may be accompanied by a “hump” on one side that is evidence of rib cage deformity occurring due to the scoliosis. The danger in scoliosis is that it may progress as a child’s spine grows. Depending on the severity of the scoliosis and the resultant curvature the vital organs (mainly the heart and lungs) may be compressed which inhibits normal function.  

While there is no definitive known cause of scoliosis, recent scientific studies have concentrated on hormonal and neurological causes for this condition. There have been some promising findings from these studies that may assist doctors to treat scoliosis with conservative methods.

One on the most significant findings involves the pineal gland. This small gland is located in the brain and is responsible for the hormone melatonin. Melatonin appears to have a direct influence on the development of a balanced and therefore straight spine lacking the lateral curvature of scoliosis.

Two studies of the effect of melatonin on spinal development were performed by surgically removing the pineal gland from young chickens in one study and removing the pineal gland from rats in another study. Both studies produced spinal curvatures similar to scoliosis as occurs in humans with rotation of the vertebrae (spinal bones) accompanied by humping of the rib cage. In the rat study, some rats were given melatonin which prevented the development of scoliosis-like spinal curvatures. These findings led the researchers to suspect that melatonin is involved with maintaining the balance of 24 vertebrae when stacked one atop the other which will lead to the formation of a straight spine or one suffering scoliosis if there is a lack of melatonin.

So what does this have to do with chiropractic care of scoliosis?

Many studies have verified the presence of problems involving balance when standing and muscular coordination difficulties in people suffering scoliosis. It has not been determined if the abnormal gait (walking) patterns found in children with scoliosis are a consequence of the scoliosis or if an abnormal gait pattern is a contributing factor leading to the formation of scoliosis. One study using scientifically advanced measuring devices combined with sophisticated computer analysis has helped shed some light on this question by finding there are lower extremity control problems present in children with scoliosis when compared to children without scoliosis.

Findings from studies such as these allow Doctors of Chiropractic to stop or slow down the progression of scoliosis by utilizing chiropractic adjustments, nutritional supplementation, specific exercises to improve balance as well as neuromuscular coordination, and the use of spinal pelvic stabilizers to initiate the normalization of foot function and the resultant gait symmetry.

Of course, a thorough initial examination must be performed before a course of treatment can be established. Do not wait. Get a proper evaluation from your local Doctor of Chiropractic today to determine if your child has scoliosis and what can be done for it before it progresses any further.

Mediterranean Diet for Heart Health

The Mediterranean Diet is still being touted as an excellent way to lower the risk of cardiovascular related deaths from myocardial infarction (heart attacks) or stroke. Recently, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published findings from a study that has become known as the PREDIMED study (which is an acronym for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet study). The PREDIMED study took five years to complete and involved 7,447 people so the findings should be fairly representative of the general population.

The PREDIMED study showed that a Mediterranean diet containing extra-virgin olive oil and/or tree nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, and/or walnuts may reduce the risk of death caused by cardiovascular disease by 30 percent. The study is explained this way because two groups, both consuming a Mediterranean diet with either extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts, showed substantially less risk of suffering cardiovascular disease related death from myocardial infarction or stroke regardless of whether they ate olive oil or tree nuts. A similar group consuming a low-fat diet did not experience this large of a reduction in the risk of suffering cardiovascular death.

It is surmised that these findings are related to the ingestion of compounds called phenols, which would be fairly high in this type of diet. The importance of consuming phenols was demonstrated by a study that looked at people who consumed their regular diet, people who consumed their normal diet along with olive oil low in phenols, and people who consumed their normal diet along with olive oil high in phenols. The group consuming olive oil high in phenols experienced a number of positive health enhancing effects including reduced inflammation, reduced tumor production, reduced cancer risk, and lessened potential for cardiovascular disease. Variations in phenol content may be one explanation of why some olive oils offer a reduction in cardiovascular disease while other olive oils do not.

Is olive oil the only food that may offer a rich source of phenols to help prevent cardiovascular disease? Of course it is not. But many of the other foods high in phenols are not commonly found in the typical American diet though they definitely should be consumed on a regular basis.

Foods high in phenols include: black elderberry, black chokeberry, black currant, blueberry, globe artichoke heads, coffee, sweet cherry, strawberry, blackberry, plum, red raspberry, flaxseed, dark chocolate, chestnut, black tea, green tea, apple juice, apple, whole grain rye bread, hazelnut, red wine, soy yogurt, cocoa powder, and pomegranate juice. Other foods having respectable amounts of phenols include: black olives, spinach, pecans, black beans, red onions, broccoli, and soy milk.

However, consuming foods such as olive oil may offer benefits other than the effects from phenols. It is thought that the oleic acid found in olive oil is responsible for lowering blood pressure. Overall, it appears that a good plan for eating a heart healthy diet may be to consume olive oil and tree nuts along with other sources of monounsaturated fats such as those found in avocado to help prevent cardiovascular disease.