Scoliosis is a medical condition that defines an unnatural curvature of the spine, according to MayoClinic.com. This condition occurs most often during the maturation process throughout puberty and can cause additional discomfort or medical complications. However, inpatient physical therapy treatments are available for scoliosis patients. These treatments are geared toward helping you regain muscles strength in your spine as well as increase the range of motion or ROM within your vertebral column.
Therapy
Scoliosis treatment will begin once a 15-degree curvature is detected in the spine, according o the Ministry Health Care website. Therapy will include spine lengthening and stretching exercises, back muscle strengthening exercises, manual mobilizations and flexibility movements aimed at helping the patient increase his spinal ROM. Inpatient treatment can also be used for extreme spinal curvatures and may include surgical intervention prior to therapy.
Scroth Method
The Scroth Method refers to a rehabilitation protocol for the treatment of scoliosis and can be used in either an inpatient or outpatient setting. The Scroth Method is "based on the principle that scoliosis has a postural component that can be improved by altering the forces that act on the spine," according to The Scoliosis Clinic at Spinal Dynamics of Wisconsin. As such, the patient will undergo therapeutic exercises and manual stretching to impose corrective physical force on the spine with the goal of properly aligning the vertebral joints. This is best done in an inpatient setting with constant education and observation from a licensed physical therapist.
Inpatient Admission
Patients with severe cases of scoliosis may also have further medical complications related to the internal forces that spine curvature has imposed. For example, patients may have difficulty breathing when lying down or while exercising due to pressure on the lungs and diaphram. These patients are best treated in an inpatient setting to allow a team of doctors and therapists to monitor breathing and other vital signs during treatment.
Duration
As the Esprit Wellness Scoliosis Center suggests, patients with scoliosis develop this condition over a span of many years up to puberty. Therefore, correcting the irregular spine curvatures can take a considerably long time and can include months of consistent therapy. Inpatient therapy settings will assist with stabilization until the patient is able to enroll in an outpatient therapy program with minimal additional medical concerns.
