Examination for scoliosis is the same as the structural exam with emphasis on identifying which dysfunction?

Examination for scoliosis is the same as the structural exam with emphasis on identifying which dysfunction?

• A. Type 1 dysfunction
• B. Type 2 dysfunction
• C. Type 3 dysfunction
• D. Type 4 dysfunction

Answer: (A)

Scoliosis in the structural exam is approached as a multi-segment, neutral pattern. This means several adjacent vertebrae rotate and side-bend in opposite directions as a unit while remaining in neutral (not flexed or extended). That is the hallmark of a Type I somatic dysfunction. It explains the characteristic multi-vertebral curve seen in scoliosis, where the motion of the involved segments is grouped rather than isolated to a single level. In contrast, a single vertebral segment that is flexed or extended and rotated with side-bending in the same direction describes a Type II dysfunction, which doesn’t match the multi-segmental, neutral nature of scoliosis. Type III or IV patterns involve different, more complex motion restrictions or tissue changes and are not the pattern you’d expect with a structural scoliosis.

Scoliosis in the structural exam is approached as a multi-segment, neutral pattern. This means several adjacent vertebrae rotate and side-bend in opposite directions as a unit while remaining in neutral (not flexed or extended). That is the hallmark of a Type I somatic dysfunction. It explains the characteristic multi-vertebral curve seen in scoliosis, where the motion of the involved segments is grouped rather than isolated to a single level. In contrast, a single vertebral segment that is flexed or extended and rotated with side-bending in the same direction describes a Type II dysfunction, which doesn’t match the multi-segmental, neutral nature of scoliosis. Type III or IV patterns involve different, more complex motion restrictions or tissue changes and are not the pattern you’d expect with a structural scoliosis.