title: Improved chest expansion in idiopathic scoliosis after intensive, multiple-modality, nonsurgical treatment in an adult.
abstract: This case report documents a substantial increase in chest wall expansion in a middle-aged woman with stable right thoracic spinal curvature due to idiopathic scoliosis. Treatment involved intensive psychological and mobilization therapies, including comprehensive manipulative medicine treatments and daily manual traction. Over an 8-year period, a 6-cm increase in resting chest circumference (in the absence of weight gain) and a 7.5-cm increase in chest expansion were correlated with a substantial reduction of incidence of respiratory infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hawes
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008349:Manipulation, Orthopedic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000628:therapy*; D013909:Thorax / Q000502:physiology*; D014143:Traction