Best Non-Operative Scoliosis Treatment in Malaysia

Difference Between the Structural and Non-Structural Classification of Scoliotic Curves

Before we begin our discussion of the differences between the structural and non-structural forms of scoliotic curves, it is worth mentioning that these terms came into existence to improve surgeon-to-surgeon communications. The number of scoliotic patients is increasing substantially. Given that, the number of surgeries has also increased. The rapid rise in skoliosis diagnoses and surgical interventions was first noticed in the mid-1980s. Dr. Lawrence G Lenke devised a means of classification to improve intra-clinician communication in regard to surgical patients.

The Lenke method of assessments and classifications are, for the most part, based on his two classifications below:

1. Non-Structural (Functional) Scoliosis
2. Structural Scoliosis (Non-Functional) Scoliosis

We ask everyone to keep in mind that this method of classification is for surgeons to help them in their surgical communication with other surgeons or their surgical teams. Thus, don’t be alarmed by the references or descriptions mentioned below:

Functional or Non-Structural Curves 

Functional or nonstructural scoliosis is the term given to scoliotic curves that are reversible. Non-structural or functional scoliotic curves respond faster to targeted treatments. The most common causes of functional scoliosis (non-structural scoliotic curve) are as follow:

• A discrepancy in leg lengths
• Muscular spasms

Non-functional scoliosis, better known as the structural scoliotic curve, is often classified as irreversible scoliosis. Again, don’t get alarmed: The reversibility of scoliosis in the structural and non-structural categories is purely a reference to x-ray assessments performed on side-bending x-rays, as described by Dr. Lawrence G Lenke. In short, Dr. Lenke invented this method to communicate and identify curves that respond better to surgical intervention. So, it is not as applicable to the non-surgical settings or through systems used in our centers. The only reason why we have mentioned this system of classification is to provide you with thorough background information on scoliosis. Besides, you have heard others speak about functional and non-functional scoliosis.

According to most researchers, a structural scoliotic spine is a form of the congenital disorder (present at birth). Structural scoliotic curves involve spinal rotation toward the concavity.  Structural scoliosis is classified in the following manner:

• Idiopathic
• Neurological
• Congenital
• Neuro-Muscular
• Post-Traumatic

What Are The Causes Of Abnormal Spine Curvatures Such As Scoliosis?

The cause of scoliosis isn’t always known, but sometimes, it is the result of developmental abnormalities. Some of these developmental abnormalities are present at birth and progress as the child ages. Developmental abnormalities such as shortened muscles fibers, anatomical leg length discrepancies, and pelvic rotations are mechanical disorders, which may lead to or worsen a scoliotic condition. Other causes may include neural axis anomalies and neurological disorders.

The Neural Axis Causes of Scoliosis

Neural axis defects are said to be present in 10-25% of idiopathic scoliosis cases, but some researchers put the numbers as high as 50% in juvenile scoliosis patients. Neural axis anomalies are disorders near the base of the skull resulting in impingements of either the brain stem or the uppermost portions of the spinal cord. The need for the proper assessment of these structures is critical to the success of any treatments of a scoliotic patient.

The vast majority of centers, clinics, and hospitals fail to recognize the clinical significance of the neural axis anomaly. As such, they are unable to offer effective treatment options. However, our centers and our clinical teams will thoroughly assess your spine to identify hidden and lesser-known causes of scoliosis. Our goal is to correct your spine along with any of the associated conditions present. In short, the care you get from one of our centers is the best and most comprehensive scoliosis treatment option in Asia.

To a great part, neural axis conditions and anomalies were established long ago, but its association with scoliosis emerged in the early 1980s. In fact, with the advent of MRI, clinicians are more capable of identifying neural axis anomaly. However, there is still much debate as to the usefulness of MRI and scoliosis. Our clinical teams of chiropractors will utilize a variety of methods and analysis to assert the wellbeing of the brain stem or upper spinal cord. We assess your spine through X-rays or MRI should there be a need.

Other potential causes could include the following:

• Congenital Scoliosis: A rare form that is present at birth due to abnormal spine development during gestation.
• Neuromuscular Conditions: Cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, poliomyelitis, and other diseases that affect the muscles and nerves may cause scoliosis.
• Specific Genes: At least one gene has been isolated that is believed to be a factor.
• Varying Leg Length: This occurs when one leg is shorter than the other, an individual may develop scoliosis.
• Osteoporosis: This is more common in the elderly when bones degenerate and lead to a side bending of the spine causing secondary scoliosis
• Syndromic Scoliosis: This is linked to other diseases like Marfan syndrome or neurofibromatosis and can cause scoliosis to develop.
• Miscellaneous Causes: Examples of causes include carrying heavy backpacks or bags, poor posture, connective tissue disorders, and certain injuries may contribute to the development of scoliosis.

Do keep in mind that many other conditions can cause or be a contributing factor to the development of scoliosis. Furthermore, there are times when more than one factor is involved.

Myths & Misconceptions of Scoliotic Spine or Skoliosis

It’s important that patients are aware of the many myths and misconceptions revolving around scoliosis. Some flawed practices and theories are not only false or based on faulty data, but adhering to these misconceptions can be harmful in the long run. These shortsighted theories spread by people with limited knowledge often originate, surprisingly, with doctors and therapists. These doctors and therapists may be well-intentioned, but that is of little matter when following the advice of such practitioners may lead to a poor prognosis in the long run.

A Flaw In The Practice: The Casting Of Scoliotic Spine

Often given as a recommendation for infants. There are instances where an infant may benefit from a cast, but casting should not be performed for other age groups. The practice of casting for those above the age of 4 is flawed. Some inappropriate argument states that casting immobilizes infants and is good for scoliosis. However, in our view casting should only be performed when an infants rib-angle is greater than 20 degrees and if therapeutic options fail.

Plaster of Paris and Casts for the Scoliotic Spine

Plaster of Paris is used to make the casts. This comical and nonsensical barbaric method is close to torture or, at the very least, malpractice! Allow us to highlight the flaws. However, before we do so, let’s put Plaster of Paris into the spotlight for a moment.

A quick-setting gypsum plaster, Plaster of Paris is made up of a fine white powder called calcium sulfate hemihydrate; the powder becomes hard when moistened and then left to dry. Plaster of Paris has been known since ancient times and received its name due to the abundant gypsum plaster that was found close to Paris. Casts that immobilize bones during the healing process are the most popular use of this plaster within the healthcare world. Since we now understand the concept of plaster of Paris, we are ready to move on to why the practice is flawed.

People who feel that casting is appropriate tell us that the casts stay in place for a matter of weeks or months. Such individuals promote the idea that casts allow growth during the healing process. However, they are unaware of the fact that such casts hinder bone, muscle, and ligament growth! A colossal amount of literature exists that states that patients who had cast for only a few days had wastage of soft tissues. To make matters worse, they recommend changing the cast every few months to accommodate the growth that has taken place. In fact, often, they cast and re-cast the helpless infants for months or weeks at a time. This is a torturous and barbaric method of care that must be stopped!

The Myth: Abnormal Spinal Curves Will Correct Itself Over Time

You may have noticed that we did not start the heading with the word “flawed” here, as all myths are flawed! Some doctors practice a “wait and see” method of management. In other words, they do nothing therapeutic until the curve worsens. These are those that recommend periodical X-rays (every 4-6 months) to keep an eye on progression. In our view and those of many leading practitioners, a scoliotic spine should be treated at the time of detection. There is no room for a wait-and-see approach, at least not in our centers.

The human body is in a constant state of flux. In other words, our bodies are constantly changing, even more so when it comes to children. No cases have been recorded where scoliosis corrected itself without treatment. It is just that simple. A child’s spine is constantly changing for better or worse. When scoliosis emerges, it always worsens. At its onset, especially in early adolescence and preadolescent years, the progression is gradual. Its progression increases during periods of rapid growth. The key to successful outcomes is treating kids in early adolescent or pre-adolescent years before periods of rapid growth. So, take the wait-and-see advice of so-called experts with a grain of salt; we recommend seeking advice from medical doctors that treat scoliosis with targeted methods.

The best advice we have for patients and parents is that time is critical and wasting time always ends with the patient on the surgical table. Don’t be fooled or misled by the efforts of the novice. Always seek advice and conservative corrections as soon as there are signs of scoliosis. Early care and detection are the keys to avoiding the big ones. It is just that simple!

The Misconception: Yoga Helps – Be Very Careful!

By definition, a misconception is an incorrect view or opinion based on faulty thinking or understanding. Yoga’s helping scoliosis is a misconception of the highest levels. Yoga prescribed for correcting a scoliotic spine is an erroneous belief widely held and practiced by even some notable orthopedic surgeons.

First and foremost, if you or your child has scoliosis, you need to be aware of certain postures and movements that harm and worsen scoliosis. Most critical is the need to avoid the postures and position listed below:

• Bending backward
• Twisting the torso
• Bending sideways
• Shoulder stand

With this in mind, one can easily see why scoliosis and yoga postures, movements, or maneuvers are harmful. And as such, it is our opinion that yoga postures and exercises should be avoided altogether. Exercising and stretching are critical to improving scoliosis, but it can also be quite harmful. For you to recover from an illness or malfunction, the care you get must be target-specific. Yoga is good but counter-productive for the management of scoliosis. Please visit our page on yoga for a detailed explanation of why Yoga is dangerous for scoliotic patients.

Braces are Fundamentally Flawed!

Bracing is a myth concocted by profiteers and pushed by the ill-informed. Don’t fall victim to this absurd practice. Full-time scoliosis bracing is an outdated treatment that must end. The bracing of scoliosis has been around for over 400 years, and it has almost never resulted in positive outcomes. Therefore, those who brace a scoliotic patient fit the description of being insane for insanity is doing the same thing-over-and-over and expecting a different outcome. In Malaysia, many centers offer hard braces, and some have fancy soft braces with hefty price tags. Please stay away from these profiteers for they only want to drain your wallet.

Bracing is a controversial practice, and it has failed to show clinical effectiveness. In fact, research has found bracing for worsening clinical outcomes. It has been proven that bracing causes more problems for the person wearing it, such as breathing problems, weakened muscles, and pain.

The Common Ground Between Bracing and Casts

Braces, including hard plastic braces, metal braces, and even softer dynamic braces, will lead to muscle weaknesses. Simply put, when you don’t use your muscles, they deteriorate. For example, when a broken wrist is cast, the muscles in the wrist and even the arm become small and weak. In fact, most broken wrist patients will have significant weakness and atrophy in their wrist muscles. Some experience muscle weakness to the point where they are unable to extend or flex their wrist. Similarly, this is what happens when your child wears a scoliotic brace for the recommended 18-23 hours a day.

If you need another clear signal that bracing is counterproductive, Simply look at the fact that curves worsen when the brace is taken off. In a brace, your child’s spine becomes stiff. When robbed of the opportunity to move, joints degenerate at an accelerated pace. Additionally, scoliosis bracing puts stress on the ribs and typically causes a rib hump. Please visit our bracing for scoliosis page for more information.

What Are the Current Methods of Scoliosis Treatment in Malaysia?

This section will review some of the best currently available treatment methods, including physiotherapy, exercise, chiropractic treatment, massage, bonesetters, and guru care like yoga. We’ll aim to inform you fully about each of these options, presenting both the benefits and the potential drawbacks. Let us be clear at the outset, though: CSC’s preferred scoliosis treatment methods will always be those our chiropractic doctors and clinical physiotherapists provide. CSC’s scoliosis treatment plans are always customized to reflect the unique needs of individual patients. Factors affecting your treatment plan in one of our centers may include one or more of the following:

Curve Severity: The shape and degree of curvature indicate whether or not an individual case will worsen. “S-shaped” or “double” curves are more likely to cause future complications. “S-shaped” curves are less troublesome on their own, but they can develop into double curves over time. Our clinical team members will carefully evaluate your condition before establishing a targeted treatment plan.

Curve Position: Curves in the central portion of the spine are the most severe and pose a greater risk than curves at the lower or upper ends of the spine. You can rest assured that our experts are the best ones in Malaysia for a comprehensive therapy approach.

Skeletal Maturity: Scoliosis is far less likely to worsen if the patient is already past the age at which the bones stop growing. Therefore, the care you get from us will be focused on improving your muscular and soft tissue imbalances to enable healthy growth as you get older.

Non-Surgical Treatment Options For Scoliosis

CSC centers are dedicated to providing holistic and individual solutions for dealing with scoliosis. We are the most comprehensive source of non-invasive scoliosis treatment in Asia. Our clinical teams look at spinal joint positioning, muscular balance, the sternum, rib cage alignment, and the lower limbs. We inspect a scoliotic curve from every point of view to understand every aspect of your condition and ensure that you get the most effective treatment possible.

CSC’s chiropractic doctors helping you will use X-rays to identify the most important sites to treat. While we treat the entire spine, we recognize that key segments need precise correction to deal with scoliosis. Less-experienced practitioners frequently overlook the subtle rotational malpositioning of the spinal segments, and even those who find such malpositioning may not have the therapeutic expertise necessary to correct the problem. Proper holistic care also requires equally insightful attention to be paid to the pelvis, hips, knees, feet, and ankles. Effective scoliosis treatment needs to be specifically targeted. While corrective surgery is usually an option for scoliosis, we always regard it as the last option.

Even advocates of spine surgery typically only recommend it for cases of extreme curvature. Before you commit to a course of treatment like surgery, consult with us and consider our non-invasive scoliosis treatment options first. We may be able to provide relief that other professionals cannot.