Scoliosis care in St. Thomas: managing pain, stiffness and curve progression

Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine, usually with some rotation. Most curves are small. Some cause years of back pain, stiffness, and uneven wear on the joints and discs. A few, mostly in growing adolescents, need bracing or surgery from an orthopedic spine specialist.

There are not many scoliosis resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and families often assume every option is off-island. Much of the day-to-day care is not. Here is what Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness in Charlotte Amalie can and cannot do, and when you need a specialist.

The short version: chiropractic care does not straighten a structural curve. It can manage pain and stiffness, keep the spine moving, build the muscle that supports it, and track the curve over time so nothing is missed.

What this feels like

Adults with scoliosis usually come in for one of these:

• A low back or mid back ache on one side, worse after standing or walking for a while.
• Stiffness in the morning and after sitting.
• One hip or shoulder that rides higher, or clothes that hang unevenly.

Teenagers rarely have pain. Their curves are usually spotted by a parent, a coach, a school screening, or a pediatrician.

What is usually going on

Most adolescent scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning the cause is not known. It appears around the growth spurt and can progress while the child is still growing. That is why adolescent curves need monitoring by an orthopedist or pediatrician, and sometimes bracing. Large or rapidly progressing curves need a surgical opinion.

Adult scoliosis is either a curve carried over from adolescence or a new curve from uneven degeneration of the discs and joints. Adult curves progress slowly, if at all, but the discs and joints on the inside of the curve wear faster. It is a mechanical back pain problem with a curve underneath it, and it responds to the same kind of care as other mechanical back pain.

How we treat it at Tradewinds

On your first visit we take a history and examine posture and spinal motion. For adults, we take digital x-rays to measure the curve. A standing x-ray with a Cobb angle measurement is the standard way to document scoliosis and the only reliable way to tell later whether it has changed.

Dr. Keys is the Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a member of the Virgin Islands Chiropractic Society, and the International Chiropractors Association representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For adults with scoliosis and back pain, care usually includes:

• Chiropractic adjustment. Specific adjustments to the stiff segments of the spine and pelvis to restore motion and reduce pain, using Gonstead, Diversified, or flexion-distraction.
• Spinal rehabilitation and therapeutic exercise. Strengthening the deep spinal muscles, hips, and core so the spine is better supported. This is the most important part of long-term scoliosis management.
• Soft tissue work and massage therapy. For the overworked muscles on the outside of the curve and the shortened ones on the inside.
• Posture analysis and digital x-ray tracking. We document the curve at the start and re-measure at sensible intervals. A progressing adult curve changes the plan and usually means a specialist referral.

These services are on our services page. Since most adult scoliosis patients come in for low back pain, our lower back pain page covers that side in more detail.

We screen for scoliosis in children and teens. X-rays are rarely needed for adolescents; whether one is taken depends on the child's history and condition. Dr. Keys sees children of all ages, and a parent or guardian must be present at every visit for a minor and signs the consent forms. For adolescents, we can examine and document a curve and provide exercise-based care alongside the orthopedist or pediatrician who is monitoring it. We do not replace that monitoring.

We do not sell scoliosis correction programs. If someone promises to reduce your curve by a fixed number of degrees, ask for the before and after x-rays.

When you should see someone else

See an orthopedic spine specialist, or ask your physician for a referral, if:

• A child or teenager has a visible curve, an uneven back on forward bending, or a curve that has grown since the last measurement.
• An adult curve is measured as progressing between x-rays.
• There is leg weakness, numbness, or pain running down the leg that is getting worse.
• Breathing feels restricted, which can happen with large curves.
• Pain is severe, constant, and not related to position or activity.

Go to the emergency room for back pain with loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the saddle area, fever with back pain, or pain after a serious fall or crash.

Surgical opinions are usually off-island. If you need one, we help you organize your imaging and records.

Visitors, crew and cruise passengers

If you live with scoliosis and your back flares up during a charter or a cruise stop, we can see you the same week and get you moving. We are a short drive from Havensight and Yacht Haven Grande.

Getting seen

Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness is in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI 00802, just east of Charlotte Amalie. Call (340) 690-4994 or email info@tradewindschiropractic.com. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments.

Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tue, Fri: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. Closed Sat and Sun.

Tradewinds has more than 180 five-star Google reviews. Meet Dr. Keys.

Questions patients ask

What are the scoliosis treatment options in the US Virgin Islands?

Day-to-day care for scoliosis pain and stiffness, exercise-based management, and x-ray tracking are available on St. Thomas at Tradewinds Chiropractic. Bracing for adolescents and surgical opinions for large or progressing curves usually require an orthopedic spine specialist, often in Puerto Rico or on the mainland. We help you organize imaging and records for that referral.

Can a chiropractor fix scoliosis?

No. Chiropractic care does not straighten a structural curve. It can reduce pain and stiffness, keep the spine moving, and build the supporting muscle with rehab exercise, which is what most adults with scoliosis need. We document the curve with x-ray so any change is measured, not guessed.

Is chiropractic safe for someone with scoliosis?

Yes, with an exam first, and x-rays when the history and condition call for them. Adjustments are chosen for the patient and the curve, and Dr. Keys uses lower-force techniques such as flexion-distraction where that suits the case better. If anything in the exam suggests the spine should not be adjusted, we tell you and refer you.

My teenager was told they have scoliosis. Where do we start?

Start with your pediatrician or an orthopedist so the curve is measured and a monitoring schedule is set. We screen for scoliosis in children and teens. X-rays are rarely needed for adolescents; whether one is taken depends on the child's history and condition. We can document the curve, provide exercise-based care, and work alongside the physician who is following it.

How often should a scoliosis curve be x-rayed?

For growing adolescents the orthopedist sets the interval, often every several months during the growth spurt. For adults with stable curves, re-measurement every few years or when symptoms change is typical. We do not x-ray more often than the case calls for.