Improved chest expansion in idiopathic scoliosis after intensive, multiple-modality, nonsurgical treatment in an adult

This case report documents a substantial increase in chest wall expansion i n a middle-aged woman with stable right thoracic spinal curvature due to id iopathic scoliosis. Treatment involved intensive psychological and mobiliza tion therapies, including comprehensive manipulative medicine treatments an d 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 i n chest expansion were correlated with a substantial reduction of incidence of respiratory infections.