Chronic Mid Spine Pain

Question

Dear TAI Experts:

I am 25 years old and the middle section of my spine has been hurting for over ten years. I’ve been to several chiropractors out of desperation but the first offered no solution and the second one last year was a very temporary solution. I will no longer go to a chiropractor regularly as I am unsure of their methods and philosophy. I’ve been diagonosed with scoliosis with multiple curves but the spot that hurts the most is directly anterior to my bra strap. The protruding vertebrae, however, seem to now be in an inferior location. I can feel certain vertebrae grinding against the floor when lying down and when sitting against a hard-backed chair. How do I get my spine back in alignment without a chiropractor and how can I live the rest of my life without this nagging back pain?

Answer

You pose a very good question and I believe there’s an answer with hope. First, I must say that without knowing what your chiropractic treatments have included, I don’t feel like I can comment on what you have or have not been getting for treatment. I can say that mobilizing, manipulating, or adjusting the spine and soft tissue can have some very positive effects. That said, many of us require additional treatment to really make changes that last. The health of the musculoskeletal system is largely dependent on structures being able to move freely and with good control. Strength and range of motion play a role in this picture. More and more we have come to appreciate the importance of training the nervous system. In other words, re-train/educate peoples bodies on how to move correctly, many times in ways that change faulty patterns that might produce “stuck” or “miss aligned” joints. Even if the spine does not line up perfectly straight (as in scoliosis), health can be achieved by finding balance in the muscle tone and movement patterns. Without doing a complete evaluation of your condition I cannot comment specifically on your situation. In general, if someone has had the number of Chiropractic visits that you’ve described and you still need to return, my opinion is that something is being missed. I would say the same thing if someone needed to come see me that often. In physical therapy, our goal is to help people independently manage their conditions. If you have not had movement training through closely supervised and structured exercise, that may be a good next step. Many physical therapists have advanced training in this type of rehabilitation.

David Deppeler, PT, OCS, COMT, FAAOMPT