Question
Can a mild curvature in the spine cause chronic pain for an adult, especially while sitting (pressure on the spinal cord)? I have had several tests done (MRI's, bone scans, ultrasounds, CT scans, bloodwork) for right sided pain, and I am wondering if it may be because of the very mild curvature of my spine. I'm noticing muscle spasms throughout my back, a pulling sensation on my left ribcage at time, and right sided pain. My 10th rib on my right side seems to be "longer" than the other, or perhaps pushed in a tiny bit. The curvature is less than 20 degrees I think. Just curious if any mild curvature of the spine can cause a lot of pain, especially while sitting down (I feel so much pressure on my spine, and it radiates around to my right side and sometimes feels tingly) and standing for long periods of time, and the pain worsens with activity. I did have an MRI of my T spine and xrays too, which showed a mild curvature, but the doctors seem to think it's so mild it wouldn't produce any pain for me. Is it correct to think this way? Could one leg longer than the other, or bad posture contribute to a spinal curve? I look forward to your answers, thank you so much!

Answer
Kristy:

Thanks for writing!

NO, a mild curvature of the spine will not produce that much pain. But the thing that is causing the mild curvature of the spine will, and that cause is usually a tilt in the foundation that your spine sits on. That foundation is called the Sacrum.

The sacrum hooks to the hip bones and that connection is not supposed to move. But sometimes it gets moved and when it does, the nerve system that tells the body about itself goes haywire. The body starts getting messages that it is in a particular postion when in fact it is not. And pain occurs, as the messages continue to conflict with what is actually there.

The only way to correct this is to see a chiropractor who is specially trained in finding and correcting this quickly and easily. Go to www.sorsi.com and/or www.icak.com and look for a good chiropractor near you. They can set the foundation level and straighten out the rest.

Does this answer your question?

Dr. Rozeboom