Question
Hello,
I would greatly appreciate any help you could give to me.
I see a chiropractor for a tense and achy back, right side only.
The Chiro's x-ray showed I have a "curve to the left." I was told this could be from my right hip being "high" or postural compensation or from a leg length descrepancy, etc.

I've had the problem for about 7 years.  Only the right side of my back aches and gives me discomfort.  It feels as if my quadratus lumborum muscle is so tight that it pulls my right hip up and causes tightness and burning achiness.  I'm a 40 yr old female. I run and am active.  I wear orthotics and have a neuroma and beginning of a bunion on right foot.

I have 3 main problems on my right side:  1.) My lower right back will ache and burn - eith with heavy lifting or sitting.  2.) my right thoracic back will ache and need tennis ball massage. 3.) My right trapezius muscle will get super tight and need massage to relieve.

Upon my own observation: My left shoulder is higher.  My problem side shoulder is low (right.)  From the front, just below my sternum - where my ribs protrude -my left side ribs are more prominent than my right side.  My right side is more flat and pulled in.  

I hope with the information I have provided you can point me in the right direction of what steps I can takle to alleviate my almost daily discomfort.

Thank you for your time,
Melissa

Answer
Thanks for the details. Your chiropractor should be helping you with this problem.
Scoliosis typically develops at the age of 11-14 and you may have NO pain when younger. So, this problem has been for more then 7 years , you just weren't aware of it. Scoliosis is best treated by chiropractic and a mixture of specific stretching and specific exercises. You can also try yoga that is geared more for alignment of the spine. Your doctor should be giving you specific stretches for you're spine.
It is very common to have right shoulder pain with left sided scoliosis. You need to be diligent with your stretches.
I had scoliosis as a child and mine was straightened through these methods described. I was very young when I went through treatment. Your age complicates things because you have had scoliosis for a long time And muscles build memory in those poor postural patterns. So the trick is to remap the poor muscle memory. This takes time. It could take 1- 3 years to correct and there is never any guarantee it will correct completely.
It's important to find out what is causing the scoliosis. I find short legs to be the culprit frequently . Your chiropractor should shoot an anterior to posterior pelvic x ray to rule out a leg discrepancy. If you have a short leg based off x ray only then you may need to add a heel lift into your orthotic.
Good luck!