Treating Scoliosis with Mirror-Image Traction Therapy in Edina, MN

Traction is a therapy that has long been used for the treatment of various spinal disorders. It can also be used very effectively in the treatment of scoliosis.

Scoliosis usually involves some degree of physical deformity in the spine- the shape of bones and discs, and the length of ligaments connecting those bones is altered. Any intervention that hopes to improve scoliosis must address the deformity. Discs and ligaments contain a molecule known as collagen. Collagen is capable of being deformed by force over time. Therefore when you put forces into the spine in exactly the right direction, with sufficient magnitude and duration, the ligaments and discs which are holding the deformity in place begin to change. Exercise alone and other forms of physical therapy, including chiropractic adjustments, have not been shown to alter these underlying structures. Traction therapy directed to the right location in the spine will lengthen spinal ligaments and even change the shape of discs over time. We call this type of traction therapy “mirror– image” traction because the forces are applied to the spine in an exact mirror image of the person’s spinal deformity.

• Traction applied in a very specific manner can improve and sometimes correct scoliosis.
• We call this traction “mirror-image traction” because the corrective forces are an exact opposite, or mirror image, of the spinal deformity.
• Particularly in cases where curves are flexible and moderate in size,  traction can be a very effective treatment for scoliosis.

Mirror-image traction combined with exercise and scoliosis-specific chiropractic adjustments can be a very powerful blend of interventions for scoliosis.  At ScoliTech we specialize in determining the exact therapy to meet the needs of each scoliosis patient.