As national screening becomes more widespread and public health awareness increases, adolescent scoliosis has gradually entered public view and received significantly more attention. Many parents believe scoliosis is caused by the widespread use of modern electronic devices, with children frequently sitting "crooked" while gaming or using phones. In fact, this condition existed in ancient times as well; people who valued posture long ago paid attention to issues that affect body shape and health.

Blocked meridians, imbalance of tendons and bones

Liver and kidney deficiency, depletion of essence and weak bones

The kidney stores essence and governs bone and marrow production; the liver stores blood and controls the tendons. Adolescents are in a critical period of growth and development; if congenital endowment is insufficient, it can lead to liver and kidney deficiency. Inadequate kidney essence cannot nourish the bone marrow, resulting in delayed or fragile bone development and reduced spinal resistance to deformation; liver blood deficiency causes tendons to lose nourishment, reducing tendon and bone flexibility, making them prone to contracture and stiffness, which further exacerbates spinal imbalance.

Prolonged sitting damages flesh, spleen deficiency leads to loss of nourishment

In traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen governs the muscles. Prolonged inactivity easily harms spleen qi, leading to spleen deficiency and insufficient generation of qi and blood; when muscles lose nourishment from qi and blood, they become lax and weak and cannot provide balanced, stable support for the spine. Imbalance of muscular strength on both sides of the spine with long-term uneven loading will gradually form structural scoliosis. This corresponds to the statement in the Huangdi Neijing that “those with muscle atrophy acquire it from damp places”; prolonged sitting is like living in a “damp place,” which easily exhausts spleen qi and results in muscle wasting and dysfunction.

Improper posture, vascular and network strain

Adolescents’ skeletal systems are not yet consolidated; long-term poor posture (such as slanted sitting, carrying a bag on one shoulder, or crossing the legs) or improper exercise habits can cause the muscles and tendons along the dorsal Governing Vessel and the bilateral Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian pathways to remain in a state of persistent tension or traction, producing “tendon injury” or “strain.” The spine is called the “sea of the Governing Vessel” and is the core channel for the movement of the body’s yang qi. The Governing Vessel runs along the posterior midline of the spine, “passing through the spine,” and oversees the body’s yang qi. When the Governing Vessel’s yang qi is sufficient, the spine is warmed, strong, and upright; if the Governing Vessel is deficient or obstructed and yang qi is weak, the spine lacks nourishment and warmth, making the tendons and bones prone to flaccidity, deformation, pain, and stiffness.

TCM Helps Adolescents Stand Tall

Herbal Therapy

In clinical practice, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is often dominated by spleen-deficiency patterns. These patients frequently lack exercise or are unwilling to exercise, with weak muscle strength; some patients also have liver qi stagnation. "When seeing disease of the liver, knowing the liver transmits to the spleen, one should first tonify the spleen." Internal treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis centers on strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi, with modifications added according to concurrent patterns. Some patients may present with liver and kidney yin deficiency; treatment should be based on the specific condition and constitution, nourishing liver and kidney yin, warming and tonifying kidney yang, regulating qi and blood, and adjusting zang-fu function to promote healthy development of tendons and bones.

Traditional Exercises

Exercises such as Baduanjin and Five-Animal Exercises can be practiced. Baduanjin includes spinal stretching, rotation, and extension movements that can relax tight muscles around the spine while enhancing spinal flexibility. For example, “Both Hands Hold up the Heavens to Regulate the Triple Burner” involves raising both hands with palms upward to stretch, which can traction the spine upward to extend it, improve the physiological curves of the spine, and relieve tension in the shoulder and back muscles; “Regulate the Spleen and Stomach by Single-Hand Lifting” involves lifting one hand upward while pressing the other hand downward, alternating left and right, which can stretch the muscles on both sides of the trunk (such as the quadratus lumborum and latissimus dorsi), strengthen the weaker side’s musculature, while relaxing the tense side’s muscles, balancing the tension on both sides of the spine and gradually improving spinal symmetry.

Traditional Chinese medical tuina

Can relax the muscles and soft tissues on both sides of the spine, reduce myofiber contracture, and correct corresponding vertebral misalignments to achieve the purpose of treating scoliosis. Tendon-regulating manipulations can make the “tendons return to their grooves,” restore muscle elastic modulus, thereby achieving the normal state of “tendons leading bones, tendon and bone harmonized.”

Acupuncture therapy

Acupuncture points related to the Governing Vessel and Bladder Meridian can, through the “meridian–viscera–spine” connection, promote the circulation of qi and blood, relieve muscle tension, and regulate visceral function. In addition, the muscle-associated Yanglingquan (GB34) is also a commonly used acupuncture point for treating this condition; it can relax tendons and activate collaterals, relieving generalized muscle tension.