Portales chiropractor helps fiancé with scoliosis

A Portales resident is working to specialize in a new non-surgical treatment of scoliosis.

Lee Hillard of Hillard Chiropractic said his interest in finding a new treatment for scoliosis began when he met his fiancé, Jennifer Turbeville, in 2005.

“I was in chiropractic school in Dallas when I looked at Jennifer’s X-Ray,” Hillard said. “It was then that I realized that as a doctor I did not know how to treat her.”

The new treatment is a combination of rehabilitation procedures and chiropractic adjustments that were developed by doctors of the Clear Institute in St. Cloud, Minn., Hillard said.

Typical medical treatment for scoliosis has been observation, bracing and surgery, Hillard said.

Hillard said he has seen significant progress since Turbeville started the treatments two months ago.

Turbeville had two curves in her spine — one at 48 degrees and another at 21 degrees, Hillard said. Since the start of the treatment those curves have been reduced to 35 degrees and 13 degrees.

“I have a lot more lung capacity and range of motion,” Turbeville said. “My balance has improved and I am a half-inch taller.”

The treatment is intensive and can last for over two hours, Hillard said.

With the adjustments, the patient will have to continue with rehabilitation exercises in order for the treatment to be effective, Hillard said.

Hillard said it is not his intention to discredit, challenge or discourage the traditional medical treatment of scoliosis.

“It is our goal to offer a preventive treatment to the patient to avoid the brace and surgery,” Hillard said. “Traditional chiropratics has failed to treat scoliosis until now.”

Similar corrective chiropractic care is available at Smith Chiropractic Center in Portales.

Chiropratic adjustments along with mirror imaging treatment and rehabilitate exercises are used to diminish and correct the curve of the spine, owner William J Smith said.

“We are trying to correct and treat the curve in the spine to prevent the need of braces or surgery,” Smith said. “We have offered this treatment for many years and it has helped developing and post surgical patients.”

The medical Web site www.webmd.com reports most cases of scoliosis are mild and do not require treatment.

The disease is most serious in young children who are still growing. A curve in the spine may get worse as a child grows, so screening is important so that any curve in the spine can be found early and watched closely, the site said.

For an adult suffering from scoliosis, www.webmd.com reports:

• Pain relievers, such as aspirin and similar drugs, and regular exercise may be enough to relieve back pain.

• If the curve is less than 50 degrees, regular observation by a doctor may be done to check for any progression in the curve.

• If the curve is greater than 50 degrees and is getting worse, surgery may be considered.

Two-to-3 percent of the population 6 million people in the U.S. are affected by scoliosis, according to the National Scoliosis Foundation Web site.

“The treatment prescribed for scoliosis ... varies with the individual patient,” the site said “Severity and location of the curve, age, potential for further growth and general health of the patient all must be taken into account.”
A mild curvature — up to 20 degrees — generally needs only periodic observation to watch for signs of further progression, the site said.