Over four million Americans have scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. However, the pain of scoliosis in both adults and children is often highly treatable, which allows for a better quality of life. In children, it’s usually possible to reduce the scoliosis curvature and stop it from further progression. We can achieve this by releasing restrictions in the connective tissue called fascia, the tough, fibrous tissue that covers muscles, joints, bones, and other tissues.  

Fascia contains millions of nerve endings that give us position sense or proprioception, telling the brain where each body part is in space. Scoliosis, with its abnormal curve of the spine, is the result of a problem with position sense. Most cases of scoliosis are idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown. However, in my clinical experience, problems with restricted fascia can contribute to spinal distortion, causing muscular imbalance, abnormal curvature, and the resulting pain. Here’s what to know about treating this condition.  

Scoliosis in Children 

Many scoliosis cases start in childhood or adolescence, and they’re often found by school nurses during routine screenings. In mild cases, conventional medical care will ensure the curve doesn’t worsen, with an X-ray taken every six months to monitor its progression.  

If the scoliosis does become more severe, physical therapy with stretching exercises is often used to manage the condition, or the child can spinal wear a brace to maintain alignment. If these treatments do not help or the scoliosis continues to worsen, a surgery to implant metal rods next to the spine will often be advised.  

In my experience, treating fascia restrictions is the most critical way to relieve the effects of non-surgical scoliosis. In children younger than 16, the fascia release treatments we use usually reduce the curvature significantly, and in mild cases, eliminate the curvature completely. In over twenty years of practicing fascia release therapy, I have never seen a curvature continue to worsen once this treatment regimen has been started.   

Scoliosis in Adults 

For most adults with scoliosis, the condition began in their youth—but in some cases, the curvature can start to develop after adulthood. Sometimes trauma, surgeries, or other medical issues can lead to the onset of scoliosis. But whatever the cause, adults with scoliosis are even more likely to deal with spinal pain than children with the same problem. In fact, more than three quarters of adults with this scoliosis suffer from back pain. 

Many of these patients come to me feeling they have run out of options for relief.  However, treating scoliosis pain in adults is similar to that in children, and the results are also excellent. The focus is on fascia release, gentle therapeutic stretches, and specific exercises.  Although we usually cannot reduce the curvature in adults, pain relief is still successful. 

One example I will give is a 78-year-old woman, whom I will refer to as June. She had experienced a lifetime of pain from severe scoliosis that caused a visible deformity in her posture. Her pain had increased in recent months, but she was hesitant to take medications. Her discomfort was particularly severe when standing, which limited her daily activities. 

Every patient is unique but overall, June’s treatment was similar to most cases of scoliosis I see.  She received manual therapy to release fascial restriction, mainly in the spine and rib cage area. She also performed gentle stretches and spinal exercises. Over time, her pain level went from a 10 when standing (where 10 is unbearable pain) to about a three, on average. Soon, she was able to resume normal activities once again.  

Finding Scoliosis Relief 

With fascia therapy, most adults can experience enormous pain relief, even if the spinal curvature itself is not resolved. Fascia therapies to remove restriction in connective tissue can also decrease muscle spasm, joint restriction, and painful motion.   

Some patients with scoliosis will need occasional ‘tune-ups’ because their curvature causes new restrictions to develop. The frequency of these wellness visits will fluctuate from one person to the next—but once the initial pain relief is achieved, an occasional tune-up is usually all it takes to manage those symptoms. 

I hope that fascia release therapy becomes more available in scoliosis care. The benefits can be profound for those who deal with spinal curvature, and experiencing sustainable pain relief without medication is a major win for wellness. 

 Dr. Eric Winder has 27 years in practice and focuses on relieving pain and restoring alignment and motion through fascia release therapies. For more information, visit https://gentlebay.com/