Massage therapy in Treatment for Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a condition where there is an abnormal curvature of the spine which causes chronic discomfort and pain There is no cure for this ailment and the search for ways to reduce the negative symptoms and maladies that accompany this condition continue. Massage therapy is a common way that patients can reduce pressure and pain in the spinal column, relax its surrounding areas in the affected areas of the back, and generally reduce the high levels of stress  that accompany scoliosis.

So why does massage therapy improve the physical and psychological condition of a person suffering from scoliosis? When the body is massaged, muscles relax and lose their tension, blood flows more readily to various areas, and the mind also reduces its activity, immediately allowing the patient's body to begin the healing process.

In a case study conducted by the Katharina Schroth Hospital, they attempted to find out the impact of massage therapy in the treatment of scoliosis, costovertebral dysfunction, and thoracic outlet syndrome. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with the patients numbering 813 out of the 1000 in total, all of which suffering from scoliosis, immediately showing improvements in certain aspects of their physical and mental health. The study, which took place over a period of three years, brought many strong arguments to the case of massage therapy being used as a serious form of treatment for scoliosis. The declaration then made was that massage therapy is an appropriate tool for the relief of symptoms and conditions related to scoliosis, concluding that further research should take place with focus on the ability of massage to address pathologies normally acknowledged as separate entities.

It is often recommended that a regimen of acupuncture should accompany the rehabilitation process of the patient as they undergo their massage therapy treatments. The reason for this is because in the studies which have taken place in regard to the correlation between acupuncture and scoliosis, there has been a positive result and an influence on the deformity of the patient. Sufferers of various deformities affecting not above 35% of the spinal column have shown improvement and when the acupuncture has been performed in conjunction with massage therapy, the positive results have proven to be even greater.

The treatments and methods used in dealing with scoliosis are varied and greatly different, with many different outcomes and final results. Massage therapy, with its positive effects while being employed as a type of ongoing treatment for patients with scoliosis, continues to rise in popularity due to its palliative effects and proven efficacy during rehabilitation. When combined with acupuncture the health benefits increase even further, firmly placing massage therapy under the umbrella of proven and positive treatments in the fight against scoliosis.