Abstract
BackgroundThe treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is contingent upon many variables. Simple observation is enough for less serious curvatures, but for very serious cases surgical intervention could be proposed. Between these there is a wide range of different treatments. Manual therapy is commonly used: the aim of this paper is to verify the data existing in the literature on the efficacy of this approach.MethodsA systematic review of the scientific literature published internationally has been performed. We have included in the term manual therapy all the manipulative and generally passive techniques performed by an external operator. In a more specific meaning, osteopathic, chiropractic and massage techniques have been considered as manipulative therapeutic methods. We performed our systematic research in Medline, Embase, Cinhal, Cochrane Library, Pedro with the following terms: idiopathic scoliosis combined with chiropractic; manipulation; mobilization; manual therapy; massage; osteopathy; and therapeutic manipulation. The criteria for inclusion were as follows: Any kind of research; diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; patients treated exclusively by one of the procedures established as a standard for this review (chiropractic manipulation, osteopathic techniques, massage); and outcome in Cobb degrees.ResultsWe founded 145 texts, but only three papers were relevant to our study. However, no one of the three satisfied all the required inclusion criteria because they were characterized by a combination of manual techniques and other therapeutic approaches.ConclusionThe lack of any kind of serious scientific data does not allow us to draw any conclusion on the efficacy of manual therapy as an efficacious technique for the treatment of Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
Highlights
The treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is contingent upon many variables
Scoliosis 2008, 3:2 http://www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/3/1/2 allows us to employ two alternative methods of therapeutic approach: 1. The patients are not subjected to screening or to previous treatments
This forces the persons who are affected by serious scoliosis to begin treatment later, causing negative repercussions on the final results or the need to perform an important surgical intervention
Summary
Simple observation is enough for less serious curvatures, but for very serious cases surgical intervention could be proposed. Between these there is a wide range of different treatments. Idiopathic scoliosis is a pathology that affects approximately 2% of adolescents [1,2]. There are scolioses that, once discovered, don't worsen anymore, whereas others are characterized by a rapid and dramatic worsening – especially during the pubertal growth spurt – or that continue to worsen in adulthood. The patients are not subjected to screening or to previous treatments This forces the persons who are affected by serious scoliosis to begin treatment later, causing negative repercussions on the final results or the need to perform an important surgical intervention
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