Objective: To outline some of the tissue characteristics that must be dealt with in order to achieve sustainable corrections in the scoliotic spine on a theoretical basis
Methods: We conducted review of the PubMed and Index to Chiropractic Literature databases, as well as our own personal libraries
Discussion: All of the tissues of the spinal system, including nervous, ligament, muscle, and bone are discussed in detail, relating specifically to their involvement in the totality of scoliosis. None of these tissues respond to short term rehabilitation techniques in a corrective manner. Short term treatments may create plastic deformation forces that may be detrimental to long term outcomes.
Conclusion: Although short term treatments for scoliosis have resulted in positive outcomes, none of these changes have been supported by long-term follow-up studies. Scoliosis treatment involving chiropractic rehabilitation should focus on obtaining long term outcomes for skeletally immature patients, and avoid reporting only short term outcomes in both the adolescent and adult scoliosis populations.
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