Chiropractic vs. Medical Physicals: Evaluating Scoliosis

Hello from Dr. Hulsebus!

Hi there! I’m Dr. Brant Hulsebus, and welcome to my blog. I’m a chiropractor based in Rockford, Illinois, and I want to talk about a topic that comes up a lot during school physical season – scoliosis. Your primary medical doctor will be doing a test for evaluating scoliosis.  Double check with your chiropractor.  

Back to School Physicals

Every year, kids go back to school and often get physicals for sports and activities. In Illinois, chiropractors like me are not allowed to do school physicals. So, kids usually go to a medical doctor. During these physicals, doctors might ask kids to bend over and touch their toes to check their back. If they see something unusual, they might say the child has scoliosis. But hold on, what’s scoliosis?

What is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is when the spine, which should be straight, curves like an “S” or a “C” shape. It’s like looking at a winding road instead of a straight highway. The thing is, bending over and touching your toes isn’t the best way to tell if someone has scoliosis. 

The Right Way to Check for Scoliosis

The only way to be 100% sure about scoliosis is to take a full x-ray of the spine. X-rays let us chiropractors see the spine clearly from top to bottom. Many kids come to my office after a doctor says they have scoliosis, but when we take an x-ray, their spine is perfectly straight.

Why It’s Important to Check with a Chiropractor

Imagine a young teenager being told they have scoliosis without a proper x-ray. This might worry them a lot, and sometimes doctors even put kids in a brace without double-checking! This happened with one of my patients, a 14-year-old. The doctor put him in a brace without taking an x-ray. When I took an x-ray, his spine was straight! No brace needed. 

So, if a doctor tells you or your child they might have scoliosis, take a deep breath and get a second opinion from a chiropractor. Chiropractors are experts in looking at spines and can help make sure the diagnosis is correct.

Family History and Scoliosis

Scoliosis can run in families. If grandmas, moms, or other relatives had it, it’s a good idea for kids in the family to get checked by a chiropractor. If there’s no history of scoliosis in your family and a doctor tells your child they have it from just a toe-touch test, definitely check with a chiropractor.

Get Checked Early

It’s super important to check kids for scoliosis before they hit puberty. Once they’re grown, it’s much harder to fix. So, get them checked when they’re around 10 or 11 years old. Chiropractors can help prevent scoliosis from getting worse as they grow.

Trust the Experts

Just like you’d go to a dentist for teeth problems, go to a chiropractor for spine issues. Chiropractors spend a lot of time learning how to take care of spines. They know how to find and treat scoliosis better than anyone else.

Wrapping It Up

If a doctor says your child might have scoliosis, don’t just take their word for it. Go to a chiropractor and get an x-ray to be sure. And always check with a chiropractor for any spine problems. They are the experts who can help.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about chiropractic or scoliosis, leave a comment, and I’ll try to answer them in my next post. 

Stay healthy and take care of your spine!

Dr. Hulsebus

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