[?] Subscribe To
This Site

Scoliosis Pain

Scoliosis pain is not a usual symptom actually caused by the physical spinal curvature. Most patients do not experience any pain from their scoliosis conditions. Many of the patients who do have pain are actually suffering from psychosomatic symptoms often brought on by the diagnostic nocebo effect of the curvature, rather than the curvature itself.

scoliosis pain

Physical Scoliosis Pain

Scoliosis is a relatively common condition and the majority of patients have very mild curves that do not need any treatment whatsoever. Most mild spinal curves will not cause any pain or even be noticeable to the patient or others. Moderate to severe scoliosis is still rarely painful, but needs to be monitored. Some severe cases of scoliosis actually do compromise the integrity of the spine and can cause pain in the spinal structures, back muscles or internal organs.

True physical pain from advanced scoliosis should be treated medically and possibly surgically. It is unfortunate that medical science does not have many options when it comes to scoliosis correction. Hopefully in the future, doctors will have a better idea of the genetic causation of scoliosis and will be able to prevent it, rather than treat it.

Psychosomatic Scoliosis Pain

Out of the minority of scoliosis patients that do have pain, most are actually suffering from a psychosomatic reaction to the nocebo effect of the diagnosis. In plain language, this means that the patient has been frightened by being diagnosed with scoliosis and the mind takes the opportunity to create painful symptoms based on expectation, rather than biological causation.

This type of pain can not be treated successfully using drugs or surgery. The only true cure for a psychosomatic reaction of this kind is knowledge therapy. This is the only treatment that treats the actual psychological/emotional cause of the symptoms, rather than wasting time treating a scapegoat physical abnormality.

Recommendation on Scoliosis Pain

It is crucial to reassure a patient about the truth of their scoliosis condition. Make sure they understand that mild to moderate spinal curvature is almost never painful and will not cause them any disability. This is especially important in young patients that are prone to fear, insecurity and exclusion due to their spinal curves. Parental and peer support can make the difference between a life filled with satisfaction and a life dominated by pain.

When I was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 16, I thought my life was over. My chiropractor did nothing to reassure me that my condition was stable and nothing to fear. Instead, I was made to feel as if I was damaged and in need of lifelong treatment in order to maintain health and function. It is no wonder why I developed such a disposition towards psychological back pain after this diagnosis! Looking back, my entire 18 years of suffering might have been prevented if this doctor had some semblance of truth and bedside manner, rather than trying to attract a new patient, oooops, CUSTOMER for his practice.

Later on I learned that my curve was so slight that it actually fell into normal parameters and did not even quality as scoliosis at all. Too bad it took several years for this to occur. By this time, I was already deeply entrenched in the battle for my very life against a host of misdiagnosed back pain conditions. Although I can�t change my past, I can at least create the chance to prevent this same injustice from occurring to another innocent scoliosis patient�

Scoliosis Pain to Back Pain Home 1/29/07 Revised 10/23/07