Life Beyond the Curve
Life Beyond the Curve
E32 | What is Dextroscoliosis? with Dr. Justin Dick
In Episode 32, host Heather Rotunda and Dr. Justin discuss what scoliosis and scoliosis pain feel like.
Throughout the episode, you'll hear:
- What dextroscoliosis means
- Whether it has a known cause
- What symptoms can develop is scoliosis is left untreated
- What the treatment process looks like
We hope you enjoy the show!
For more information, visit clear-insitute.org.
Hello, and welcome to Episode 32 of Life Beyond the Curve. I'm your host, Heather Rotunda. Dr. Justin Dick of Clear Life Scoliosis Reduction and Chiropractic in Huntersville, North Carolina, is back with us today to discuss the topic"What is Dextoscoliosis?" Dr. Justin majored in Healthcare Systems& Administration and Nuclear Medicine before receiving his Doctorate in Chiropractic. He joined CLEAR Scoliosis Institute in 2018 and is both Standard and Intensive Care certified. I'm sure you'll enjoy this conversation with Dr. Justin and learn as much as I did. Episode 32, here we go!
Intro:You're listening to Life Beyond the Curve, a podcast brought to you by CLEAR Scoliosis Institute. Each week, we interview experts in the industry, answer your pressing questions, and empower you to take control of your scoliosis diagnosis and live life to its fullest. Enjoy the show.
Heather R:Welcome back, Dr. Justin, thank you for joining us today.
Dr. Justin:Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this very important topic.
Heather R:So our topic today is"What is Dextroscoliosis? Can you explain for us what dextroscoliosis means?
Dr. Justin:That is a really big word, and it probably is a little intimidating<laugh>. But there are a few different types of scoliosis based on the causation. There are also different curvature patterns. Scoliosis can develop anywhere along the spine, although the thoracic spine, which is where your ribs are, is the most commonly affected. In most cases, scoliotic curves bend to the right away from the hearts. But in atypical cases with underlying causes, the curve can bend to the left towards the hearts. So impacts the heart a little bit more. Scoliosis is an abnormal sideway, spinal curvature with rotation and a minimum Cobb angle measurement of 10 degrees. When scoliotic curve bends the right, this is the most common curvature pattern and is also called dextroscoliosis. When it bends to your left is called Levoscoliosis. So these are just medical terms, nothing to be confused about. It's just how doctors talk to one another
Heather R:<laugh> okay. So dextroscoliosis is the curve pattern. Does it typically occur in just one location of the spine? And part two, do we know what causes it?
Dr. Justin:Oh my goodness. A double whammy
Heather R:<laugh>
Dr. Justin:Well, when it comes to the curvature location, scoliosis can develop anywhere along the spine, but it most commonly affects a thoracic spine, which is the middle to upper back. Causation is important because as dextro curvatures are the most prevalent type characteristics of typical cases of idiopathic scoliosis. When I see a curve bend to left, which is known as levoscoliosis, this is a red flag and it's scoliosis atypical, and generally has an underlying cause, such as neuromuscular, congenital, uh, degeneration, degenerative or traumatic, uh, injury, and the underlying cause will have to drive the treatment approach. So when it comes to answering the question, what causes dextroscoliosis, the answer is that the majority of cases, causation is unknown to us.
Heather R:Okay. We've talked before about the early signs to watch for, and they're often cosmetic signs, like uneven shoulders or hips or a,lean to one side. Are there more serious symptoms that develop if scoliosis is left untreated for a long time?
Dr. Justin:Great question. Uh, if a condition has been left untreated or isn't treated proactively and progresses in severity symptoms tend to become more noticeable. In severe cases, scoliosis can start affecting multiple parts and systems within the body. It can cause breathing impairments, chest pains, leg pains, digestive issues. If a scoliotic, uh, curve increases in size, it can start to press on certain organs causing a variety of potential issues. And when a condition becomes compressive, once the skeleton maturity has been reached, then cause varying varying levels of back pain. When the nerves are compressed, radiating pain is commonly felt in the legs and feet. So each scoliosis is very unique and can present with different symptoms. Each person must be treated individually as well. Each scoliosis must be treated individually. There is no one size fits all. As far as symptoms are concerned or treatments. This is why CLEAR doctors are so important, as we have to see the person as a whole.
Heather R:Okay. So, you know, that's very helpful. I've gotten questions from scoliosis patients saying, you know, my, I am having problems with my lungs or my stomach and could it be because of my scoliosis? And apparently the simple answer is yes.
Dr. Justin:Great answer.
Heather R:<laugh> okay. How is dextroscoliosis treated at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic? Can you walk us through the process, starting with the patient's first phone call to your clinic?
Dr. Justin:Of course, of course. This first phone call is the most important phone call that we have. Just as there's different types of scoliosi, there are different approaches to scoliosis treatments. At my office, Clear Life Scoliosis Reduction and Chiropractic, patients benefit from a conservative chiropractic-centered approach, and it prioritizes the spine's overall health and function. Generally the, the first patient call comes directly to me, when I work one on one with my patients, that is how important it is to see me. The patient and I discuss what their history is and what's occurring presently that brings them into the office. An appointment scheduled, and the paperwork is completed by the patient. Uh, CLEAR treatment protocols include three phases. They start with preparing the body for a treatment, using a variety of therapies to relax the spine and the surrounding muscles, making the body more responsive. The next step involves scoliosis-specific chiropractic adjustments. They're far more complex and precise than general chiropractic care. These feature the use of advanced mechanical adjusting instruments designed to achieve gentle, but precise, corrective results. Chiropractic adjustments help us, uh, help the adjustments and the positioning of the most tilted vertebra. Uh, the vertebra are just other words for bones of the spine, back into alignments with the rest of the spine that are performed on the back, hips, and other related areas. Uh, so essentially the spine is one big motor. You have to treat the entire spine if you actually want results. If you're only treating one piece of the spine, you're not actually gonna get long term results. You're only gonna part-time results because we are one big motor. The third phase involves a variety of custom prescribed scoliosis specific exercises, designed to influence balance, coordination, and posture. These exercises target specific muscle groups that help provide the spine with optimal support and stabilization. And they also help to activate certain areas of the brain to improve brain-body communication, and achieve more balance and natural body position. But upon, excuse me, by combining different scoliosis-specific treatment disciplines, we at Clear Life Scoliosis Reduction work toward achieving the curvature reductions on a structural level, spinal stabilize, a stabilizing and increasing core strength. So the spine spine and surrounding muscles can provide it with the optimal support.
Heather R:All right. Is there any final bit of advice you'd like to share with the listeners today?
Dr. Justin:Well, when it comes to treatment of dextroscoliosis, a conservative chiropractic-centered approach delivered by a CLEAR-certified scoliosis chiropractor can help achieve corrective results without the need for invasive surgery. There is hope. We've seen lives transformed and restored. When modern medicine says it's impossible, we've seen overcomers.
Heather R:That's wonderful. Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Justin, it's always a pleasure. We look forward to having you back on Life Beyond the Curve.
Dr. Justin:Thank you.
Heather R:If you've received a diagnosis and want to pursue alternative treatment, go to clear-institute.org and click on the purple Find a Doctor button at the top of the page, search by your location and find the doctor nearest you. More to come next week!