Anyone know what Scoliosis Thoracalis is?

[z0mb13]

Just got my health checkup result, but havent done the doctor consultation yet..

Anyone know what Scoliosis Thoracalis is? I think I know what scoliosis is, and Thorax is throat? So my throat has scoliosis?

Thanks for any input

 

[LcarsSystem]

Well I googled it and got pretty much nothing, so I went to webmd and they auto corrected it as, "Scoliosis Thoraces"...

Are you sure that isn't it?

google is your friend

By the way I have mild scoliosis, it just means you have a crooked spine, and that you may need to go through physical therapy to straighten it out. I grew an inch when I did, I am now 6'4", and I still have some but it's nothing real serious unless you have some extreme case.

 

[PokerGuy]

Basically, it means you have scoliosis in the thoracic area, the upper back area. The lower back area is the lumbar region, the upper back is the thoracic area. Usually the scoliosis (curvature of the spine) is not severe, and in those cases therapy etc will help. In severe cases, surgeries and braces might be required. Assuming you are older than 15, odds are pretty good that if they had not yet detected it up to this point, it's relatively mild.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: PokerGuy
Basically, it means you have scoliosis in the thoracic area, the upper back area. The lower back area is the lumbar region, the upper back is the thoracic area. Usually the scoliosis (curvature of the spine) is not severe, and in those cases therapy etc will help. In severe cases, surgeries and braces might be required. Assuming you are older than 15, odds are pretty good that if they had not yet detected it up to this point, it's relatively mild.

Thanks for the info.. dang I didnt know I had scoliosis... yeah I think its pretty mild, I am in my mid 20s and before this no one ever noticed it (I think they noticed it now from the chest xray result)

 

[iliopsoas]

Don't let "doctors" of chiropractic get their hands on you. LOL

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
I'm a complete idiot. LOL

fixed

 

[eits]

go see a chiropractor. they're the best at treating and reversing scoliosis. depending on how bad you have scoliosis, there's a chance that a chiropractor can get rid of the scoliosis. the reason it's important to treat scoliosis is because if it goes untreated, it gets worse and can affect your bodily functions, heart rate, and breathing... it also can cause your back muscles to hurt from doing normal, everyday things. it won't kill you, but you're MUCH better off without it. after your scoliosis is gone, you'll probably have to come back to the chiropractor's office every month or two just to keep it in check... your body will, more than likely, naturally want to go back to having scoliosis and to keep that from happening, you gotta keep an eye on it.

 

[Mark R]

Scoliosis is a 'curvature' of the spine. The 'thoracicalis' bit just means that it affects the spine in the chest. It essentially means that instead of going straight up-and-down the spine curves to left or right.

The severity of scoliosis is variable, from very minor degrees which are scarcely visible on examination or X-ray, to severe deformity where the spine can curve more than 90 degrees.

The cause of scoliosis is not known. Most develops in the adolescent years. Some occurs in adulthood, some occurs in infancy. Some types tend to progress. You can also get a temporary mild scoliosis due to muscle spasm or pain due to injury.

In the case of minor scolisos, there are few, if any, symptoms, and no treatment is required. More serious scoliosis can affect breathing, or in severe cases affect the spinal cord (because the curve puts tension on it). However, some doctors would recommend an occasional check up, if minor scoliosis is diagnoses, to ensure that it doesn't progress.

Treatment varies, but in cases of progression a spinal brace can be used. More severe, or rapidly progressing cases may require surgery to insert metal rods into the spine. There are no definitive studies to prove that chiropractic is helpful - although there are a number of small-scale studies and anecdotal reports that it may help in mild cases. As it is, the vast majority of mild scoliosis does not progress, causes no symptoms requires no treatment (other than checking for progression).

 

[iliopsoas]

Originally posted by: eits

I am a chiropractic quack. I think chiropractic back cracking cures everything.

Fixed.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: iliopsoas

Originally posted by: eits

I am a chiropractic quack. I think chiropractic back cracking cures everything.

Fixed.

when did i ever say chiropractic cured things? i've never said that and never will. your body cures itself.

please find me a post where i ever said that chiropractic cured everything, much less anything.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: Mark R
Scoliosis is a 'curvature' of the spine. The 'thoracicalis' bit just means that it affects the spine in the chest. It essentially means that instead of going straight up-and-down the spine curves to left or right.

The severity of scoliosis is variable, from very minor degrees which are scarcely visible on examination or X-ray, to severe deformity where the spine can curve more than 90 degrees.

The cause of scoliosis is not known. Most develops in the adolescent years. Some occurs in adulthood, some occurs in infancy. Some types tend to progress. You can also get a temporary mild scoliosis due to muscle spasm or pain due to injury.

In the case of minor scolisos, there are few, if any, symptoms, and no treatment is required. More serious scoliosis can affect breathing, or in severe cases affect the spinal cord (because the curve puts tension on it). However, some doctors would recommend an occasional check up, if minor scoliosis is diagnoses, to ensure that it doesn't progress.

Treatment varies, but in cases of progression a spinal brace can be used. More severe, or rapidly progressing cases may require surgery to insert metal rods into the spine. There are no definitive studies to prove that chiropractic is helpful - although there are a number of small-scale studies and anecdotal reports that it may help in mild cases. As it is, the vast majority of mild scoliosis does not progress, causes no symptoms requires no treatment (other than checking for progression).

there are a couple known causes of scoliosis... genetics and routine body habits/positions... for example, you've got a higher chance of developing scoliosis if you have a leg shorter than the other one or if you have a thick wallet in your back pocket.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

Edit: I totally missed that the OP said he was having a consultation with his doctor. If that's the case, then he probably WILL refer you to someone depending on how bad your scoliosis actually is. If it is very mild you're probably better off not even worrying about it, however you would want to get regular checkups to make sure it isn't getting worse.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

skim through this... it might be of interest to you

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

skim through this... it might be of interest to you

Yeah, I just learned about this recently, but I forgot who told me about this.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: Smartazz

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

skim through this... it might be of interest to you

Yeah, I just learned about this recently, but I forgot who told me about this.

it might have been me, but i don't think it was

 

[Antisocial Virge]

go see a chiropractor. they're the best at treating and reversing scoliosis.

Alright, that sent a shiver down my spine *hardy har har*

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

Popping someone's joints only goes so far. While I realize that Chiropractic care is definitely improving since the days of "IT CAN CURE AIDS ZOMG!!!1" it is still severely limited in what i can do. Anyone with basic knowledge of anatomy and human physiology should be able to see that. As far as treating scoliosis with chiropractic medicine... I highly doubt that. Scoliosis isn't the result of bumping one of your vertebrae out of alignment... it is, as you said, a genetic disorder or in some cases the result of years of physical stress causing gradual misalignment. I would NEVER let someone try to "fix" my scoliosis by realigning all my vertebrae. That's idiotic. And IMHO, it's awfully irresponsible of people to automatically refer chiropractic care before other options for all things bone related. You said it yourself that his scoliosis would probably return resulting in continual care... do you have any idea what popping every vertebrae on a monthly or even weekly basis can do to your bones?

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: Smartazz

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

skim through this... it might be of interest to you

Yeah, I just learned about this recently, but I forgot who told me about this.

it might have been me, but i don't think it was

I've read that as well. Chiropractic medicine is as an infant compared to other more established areas if you consider that before the 80's it was still considered a philosophy and held to the belief that spinal manipulation could cure completely unrelated illness (though it argued such illness WERE related).

There are good, responsible, responsible chiropractors out there... there are also still a lot of quacks. Chiropractic medicine still needs more time to develop before it can be RESPONSIBLY used to treat more serious conditions (scoliosis for example) and not just a subluxed shoulder or a slipped vertebral disc.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: Smartazz

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

skim through this... it might be of interest to you

Yeah, I just learned about this recently, but I forgot who told me about this.

it might have been me, but i don't think it was

I've read that as well. Chiropractic medicine is as an infant compared to other more established areas if you consider that before the 80's it was still considered a philosophy and held to the belief that spinal manipulation could cure completely unrelated illness (though it argued such illness WERE related).

There are good, responsible, responsible chiropractors out there... there are also still a lot of quacks. Chiropractic medicine still needs more time to develop before it can be RESPONSIBLY used to treat more serious conditions (scoliosis for example) and not just a subluxed shoulder or a slipped vertebral disc.

While the "pinched garden hose theory" has mostly been abandoned, it is still used in a modified form by some chiropractors to explain vertebral subluxation. However, the concept of the subluxation, which has marginal evidence, remains integral to typical chiropractic practice. In 2003, 90% of chiropractors believed the vertebral subluxation complex played a significant role in all or most diseases.[7]

I don't have anything against chiropractic medicine, but that part of the wikipedia entry caught my eye. Neither MD's nor DO's are always thoroughly-trained in the ability to properly conduct and critically review research, but basing your entire practice on something that has questionable validity is...well...questionable to me.

Then again, I also recognize that I could be entirely misunderstanding the current basis of chiropractic care.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: Smartazz

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k
Find a specialist (read: Doctor) who can treat you properly. If you don't know who to go too, find a doctor (general practitioner) who can refer you to someone. Most doctors do not give referrals to chiropractors btw... take it how you will.

the trend is changing. general practitioners are sending patients to chiropractic doctors more and more these days. times have changed.

the reason why medical doctors didn't refer to chiropractors in the past was mainly because of this: Text

skim through this... it might be of interest to you

Yeah, I just learned about this recently, but I forgot who told me about this.

it might have been me, but i don't think it was

I've read that as well. Chiropractic medicine is as an infant compared to other more established areas if you consider that before the 80's it was still considered a philosophy and held to the belief that spinal manipulation could cure completely unrelated illness (though it argued such illness WERE related).

There are good, responsible, responsible chiropractors out there... there are also still a lot of quacks. Chiropractic medicine still needs more time to develop before it can be RESPONSIBLY used to treat more serious conditions (scoliosis for example) and not just a subluxed shoulder or a slipped vertebral disc.

chiropractic never claimed to cure anything... only bad chiropractors did. it's an absurd statement. as for unrelated illnesses being treated by chiropractic, that's completely valid. for example, ome (otitis media with effusion) is best treated with an upper cervical adjustment because it opens up the eustacian tubes and allows the proper pressure and drainage of the middle ear. however, aom (acute otitis media) is best treated with antibiotics, which is not something chiropractic can do. chiropractors can co-manage aom patients to make sure they don't end up with ome (one leads to the other).

i agree wholeheartedly that there are a lot of quack chiropractors out there... they're self-serving douches who're ruining the profession, in my opinion. however, the good news is that most of them are in the older population... they're dying out. the bad news is that they don't know the newer studies and research and don't have the more up-to-date knowledge about certain things to be better diagnosticians and adjusters.

an acute herniated disc is more critical than scoliosis. an acute subluxated shoulder is also very important to treat because it could cause the patient pain during daily, personal, or work related activities, which is important. giving nsaids or cox2 inhibitors or whatever will never treat or correct the problem that's causing the symptoms... it just masks the symptoms.

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: eits
an acute herniated disc is more critical than scoliosis. an acute subluxated shoulder is also very important to treat because it could cause the patient pain during daily, personal, or work related activities, which is important. giving nsaids or cox2 inhibitors or whatever will never treat or correct the problem that's causing the symptoms... it just masks the symptoms.

'Serious' was poor word choice on my part. I definitely agree that chronic-pain causing conditions are more critical than something that might never cause pain, discomfort or restrict a persons daily life. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of prescription-happy doctors out there. My point was that TREATING scoliosis is a 'serious' matter because manipulation of the spine IS SERIOUS. Having someone hammer on your back every month/week, just so your spine is perfectly straight, could leave you in worse condition 20 years from now than you were when you first started.

I suppose what it comes down to is for patients to try and be a little more critical and not just blindly follow what their doctor tells them to do. In the case of chiropractitioners, make sure they're reputable... make sure they give you a thorough examination and don't just ask you to let them start crunching away at your bones. And in the case of general practitioners... don't be afraid to ask for alternatives to being drugged up or ask to be referred to a specialist. If they discount your concerns... find a new doctor.

There are quacks on both sides of the spectrum.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits
an acute herniated disc is more critical than scoliosis. an acute subluxated shoulder is also very important to treat because it could cause the patient pain during daily, personal, or work related activities, which is important. giving nsaids or cox2 inhibitors or whatever will never treat or correct the problem that's causing the symptoms... it just masks the symptoms.

'Serious' was poor word choice on my part. I definitely agree that chronic-pain causing conditions are more critical than something that might never cause pain, discomfort or restrict a persons daily life. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of prescription-happy doctors out there. My point was that TREATING scoliosis is a 'serious' matter because manipulation of the spine IS SERIOUS. Having someone hammer on your back every month/week, just so your spine is perfectly straight, could leave you in worse condition 20 years from now than you were when you first started.

I suppose what it comes down to is for patients to try and be a little more critical and not just blindly follow what their doctor tells them to do. In the case of chiropractitioners, make sure they're reputable... make sure they give you a thorough examination and don't just ask you to let them start crunching away at your bones. And in the case of general practitioners... don't be afraid to ask for alternatives to being drugged up or ask to be referred to a specialist. If they discount your concerns... find a new doctor.

There are quacks on both sides of the spectrum.

that's not true whatsoever... unless they adjusted into the concavity of the scoliosis...

disc problems cause lots of pain long-term because you lose disc integrity which throws you into djd. after a while, you'll end up with a compressed nerve and no way to restore disc space without surgery.

as for your second paragraph, you're 100% correct. i've talked to some friends who currently see a chiropractor and they tell me what they did on the first visit and i'm just kinda stunned at how unprofessional/non-protocol it was... a chiropractor shouldn't adjust on the first visit...

 

[AbAbber2k]

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits
an acute herniated disc is more critical than scoliosis. an acute subluxated shoulder is also very important to treat because it could cause the patient pain during daily, personal, or work related activities, which is important. giving nsaids or cox2 inhibitors or whatever will never treat or correct the problem that's causing the symptoms... it just masks the symptoms.

'Serious' was poor word choice on my part. I definitely agree that chronic-pain causing conditions are more critical than something that might never cause pain, discomfort or restrict a persons daily life. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of prescription-happy doctors out there. My point was that TREATING scoliosis is a 'serious' matter because manipulation of the spine IS SERIOUS. Having someone hammer on your back every month/week, just so your spine is perfectly straight, could leave you in worse condition 20 years from now than you were when you first started.

I suppose what it comes down to is for patients to try and be a little more critical and not just blindly follow what their doctor tells them to do. In the case of chiropractitioners, make sure they're reputable... make sure they give you a thorough examination and don't just ask you to let them start crunching away at your bones. And in the case of general practitioners... don't be afraid to ask for alternatives to being drugged up or ask to be referred to a specialist. If they discount your concerns... find a new doctor.

There are quacks on both sides of the spectrum.

that's not true whatsoever... unless they adjusted into the concavity of the scoliosis...

disc problems cause lots of pain long-term because you lose disc integrity which throws you into djd. after a while, you'll end up with a compressed nerve and no way to restore disc space without surgery.

So you don't think regular spinal manipulation could potentially CAUSE things like reduction in disc integrity or wear on the vertebrae? ROFL. And all for a condition that might never produce distress for the patient.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits
an acute herniated disc is more critical than scoliosis. an acute subluxated shoulder is also very important to treat because it could cause the patient pain during daily, personal, or work related activities, which is important. giving nsaids or cox2 inhibitors or whatever will never treat or correct the problem that's causing the symptoms... it just masks the symptoms.

'Serious' was poor word choice on my part. I definitely agree that chronic-pain causing conditions are more critical than something that might never cause pain, discomfort or restrict a persons daily life. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of prescription-happy doctors out there. My point was that TREATING scoliosis is a 'serious' matter because manipulation of the spine IS SERIOUS. Having someone hammer on your back every month/week, just so your spine is perfectly straight, could leave you in worse condition 20 years from now than you were when you first started.

I suppose what it comes down to is for patients to try and be a little more critical and not just blindly follow what their doctor tells them to do. In the case of chiropractitioners, make sure they're reputable... make sure they give you a thorough examination and don't just ask you to let them start crunching away at your bones. And in the case of general practitioners... don't be afraid to ask for alternatives to being drugged up or ask to be referred to a specialist. If they discount your concerns... find a new doctor.

There are quacks on both sides of the spectrum.

that's not true whatsoever... unless they adjusted into the concavity of the scoliosis...

disc problems cause lots of pain long-term because you lose disc integrity which throws you into djd. after a while, you'll end up with a compressed nerve and no way to restore disc space without surgery.

So you don't think regular spinal manipulation could potentially CAUSE things like reduction in disc integrity or wear on the vertebrae? ROFL. And all for a condition that might never produce distress for the patient.

that's a loaded question. disc integrity is continuously lost upon motion from the second decade of life (ages 10-19). however, chiropractic improves nutrition imbibition and proper motion to the disc, which improves health of the disc. dehydrated/malnourished discs get worse at a much faster rate than if they're treated with chiropractic adjustments.

also, go back and read the edit i made to the post... i added something at the bottom you probably missed.

 

[LordMaul]

Originally posted by: AbAbber2k

Originally posted by: eits
an acute herniated disc is more critical than scoliosis. an acute subluxated shoulder is also very important to treat because it could cause the patient pain during daily, personal, or work related activities, which is important. giving nsaids or cox2 inhibitors or whatever will never treat or correct the problem that's causing the symptoms... it just masks the symptoms.

'Serious' was poor word choice on my part. I definitely agree that chronic-pain causing conditions are more critical than something that might never cause pain, discomfort or restrict a persons daily life. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of prescription-happy doctors out there. My point was that TREATING scoliosis is a 'serious' matter because manipulation of the spine IS SERIOUS. Having someone hammer on your back every month/week, just so your spine is perfectly straight, could leave you in worse condition 20 years from now than you were when you first started.

I suppose what it comes down to is for patients to try and be a little more critical and not just blindly follow what their doctor tells them to do. In the case of chiropractitioners, make sure they're reputable... make sure they give you a thorough examination and don't just ask you to let them start crunching away at your bones. And in the case of general practitioners... don't be afraid to ask for alternatives to being drugged up or ask to be referred to a specialist. If they discount your concerns... find a new doctor.

There are quacks on both sides of the spectrum.

*ahem* Just thought I might stop you there, since I've seen you post the same comment a few times, and mention that you're quite right -- but only because your spine should never be perfectly straight (vertically). Your spine has specific curvatures that need to be maintained and a "perfectly straight" (or even mostly straight) spine is actually a serious problem.

You're also arguing with just enough knowledge to not sound completely lost, but it's obvious you have little real experience or education on this subject. Oh, and did I mention that you're arguing with an educated member of the medical community specializing in this exact area of medicine? Eits is the wrong guy for you to argue with.