Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC – Non-Surgical Scoliosis & Spinal Structural Rehabilitation

Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC is a chiropractor practicing in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a clinical and research focus on non-surgical scoliosis care, spinal structural correction, and cervical spine biomechanics, and spinal injury. He treats adolescents and adults with scoliosis, postural deformity, and injury-related spinal instability using evidence-informed structural rehabilitation approaches. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Dick has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications examining scoliosis mechanics, cervical alignment, and conservative care outcomes.

Clinical Focus Section

Dr. Dick’s work centers on identifying and addressing abnormal spinal mechanics that contribute to pain, postural imbalance, and curve progression. His clinical emphasis includes adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, cervical hypolordosis and instability, post-traumatic spinal injury, and long-term structural rehabilitation. Care is guided by radiographic analysis, functional assessment, and individualized treatment planning rather than symptom-only management.

Research & Publications Section

Dr. Dick has published peer-reviewed clinical research and case reports in medical journals examining non-surgical scoliosis care, cervical spine mechanics, and conservative treatment outcomes. His work includes retrospective analyses and longitudinal follow-up of patients undergoing structured rehabilitation protocols.

Selected Publications:

This peer-reviewed case report examined radiographic and postural changes in an adolescent patient with Lenke 5C idiopathic scoliosis following a two-week intensive conservative rehabilitation protocol.

Clinical relevance 
This publication contributes to the limited body of literature examining short-term, non-surgical structural interventions for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. While findings are limited to a small sample size, the results support further investigation into conservative biomechanical approaches for selected scoliosis presentations.

 

This peer-reviewed single case report describes the application of an integrative conservative protocol, including cantilever traction, weekly spinal mobilization, and engagement of the labyrinthine righting reflex, in an adolescent with mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, reporting structural and clinical improvements over three months of care.

Clinical relevance:
This report contributes to the limited literature on non-surgical conservative approaches for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by documenting measurable changes in Cobb angle and postural function following a multimodal biomechanical intervention. Findings are descriptive and hypothesis-generating, supporting further research on integrated conservative treatment protocols in selected AIS presentations.

This peer-reviewed case report documents measurable reductions in Cobb angle (from 42.4° to 23.8°) and improvements in functional outcomes over 13 months following adherence to a comprehensive conservative treatment protocol for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Clinical relevance:
This publication adds to the limited body of non-surgical scoliosis literature by reporting structural and functional improvements achieved with a multimodal conservative intervention over a 13-month period in a skeletally immature adolescent with severe idiopathic scoliosis. The findings are descriptive and hypothesis-generating, supporting additional research into long-term efficacy of integrative conservative approaches for selected adolescent scoliosis cases while emphasizing that broader study is needed to generalize outcomes.

 

This peer-reviewed cross-sectional analysis examined quantitative cervical radiographic measures in 37 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and found a high prevalence of abnormal cervical translation and instability, particularly at mid-cervical segments, supporting a biomechanical association between cervical dysfunction and AIS.

Clinical relevance:
This study contributes to the limited literature on cervical spine mechanics in AIS by quantifying the frequency and patterns of cervical instability and buckling in a cohort of patients. Results demonstrate that translational instability was common across multiple cervical segments, suggesting that cervical biomechanics play an important role in the overall spinal deformity profile of AIS patients. These findings are descriptive and hypothesis-generating, indicating a need for further research into integrated assessment and treatment strategies that include the cervical spine in comprehensive scoliosis care.

 


This case report describes a U.S. military veteran with long-standing low back and neck pain who experienced improvements in disability indices, range of motion, neurological and orthopedic exam findings, and ability to perform activities of daily living over six months of vertebral subluxation-based chiropractic care.

Clinical relevance:

The case report describes a military veteran with long-standing, severe spinal pain and disability who experienced meaningful functional and symptomatic improvement following a course of vertebral subluxation-based chiropractic care. Over several months, the patient demonstrated reductions in pain and disability scores, improved mobility, and regained capacity for daily activities after years of limited response to prior medical management. Clinically, the report is relevant because it illustrates the potential role of targeted, conservative spinal care in complex, chronic cases, while also underscoring the need for larger, controlled studies to evaluate broader applicability.

 

Professional Collaboration Section

Dr. Dick collaborates with professional education and research organizations, including contributions to the Clear Institute Research, to advance discussion around conservative scoliosis management and spinal biomechanics.

His professional works can be found at Cureus or ResearchGate.

ResearchGate Cureus Medical Journal