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Weiss has apparently given up on PT... just does bracing(!)

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  • Weiss has apparently given up on PT... just does bracing(!)

    I guess ~30,000 patients don't lie.

    (Partial) letter response to Ahmed from Weiss...

    Hello,

    we have a bracing practice, only, so if you want more intensive physiotherapy you may wish to contact the Asklepios clinic in Bad Sobernheim, however you will have to pay in advance and there will be no refund in case you want to leave earlier....
    Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

    No island of sanity.

    Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
    Answer: Medicine


    "We are all African."

  • #2
    Wow, I know, right? I was surprised when I read that, too!
    It can't be true for JIS, though. Look at Tamzin's progress. Maybe it's just that Schroth alone doesn't work? Or the curve doesn't hold? I sure hope that Tamzin doesn't progress again. She's been working SO hard even though Tom says that she taught herself to auto-correct and doesn't spend hours a day. Still, I know they put a TON of work into her. It makes me worry in kind of a sad way. Isn't Dr. Weiss an orthopedic surgeon who promoted Schroth and bracing? I wonder why he doesn't do surgery anymore, or did he ever? After some of the videos that went around that he made, I'd steer clear of him anyway. I know he's famous for bracing and probably does a great job doing what he does. It's just weird to see him make that statement in his letter about PT.
    Be happy!
    We don't know what tomorrow brings,
    but we are alive today!

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by rohrer01 View Post
      Wow, I know, right? I was surprised when I read that, too!
      The point here is that Weiss had 10 years and ~30,000 patients to prove PT helps AIS and he failed. Given that time frame and that number of patients, I think it's not too early to say Schroth is a waste of money for AIS.

      It can't be true for JIS, though. Look at Tamzin's progress.
      JIS is clearly a different animal when it comes to response to conservative treatments. The jury is in on that.

      Maybe it's just that Schroth alone doesn't work? Or the curve doesn't hold?
      Well they realized PT alone doesn't work many years ago when they abandoned just PT and started with bracing in Schroth. Now they have gone one step better and abandoned the PT completely. Let's see if/when they abandon bracing. It may not happen because therea re big bucks in bracing people and most people don't understand evidence and think "it's worth a try." It may be but the over-treatment rate is so high, coupled with lack of evidence of long term benefit, explains the BrAIST study and such. There is a reason not bracing is ethical according to dozens of experienced orthopedic surgeons at over two dozen medical centers.

      I sure hope that Tamzin doesn't progress again. She's been working SO hard even though Tom says that she taught herself to auto-correct and doesn't spend hours a day. Still, I know they put a TON of work into her.
      It's hard to say because she hasn't gotten radiographs in a long time. Maybe Tom will allow them at some point to prove the efficacy of the method. But she probably has improved to the extent you can see that without radiographs.

      It makes me worry in kind of a sad way. Isn't Dr. Weiss an orthopedic surgeon who promoted Schroth and bracing? I wonder why he doesn't do surgery anymore, or did he ever? After some of the videos that went around that he made, I'd steer clear of him anyway. I know he's famous for bracing and probably does a great job doing what he does. It's just weird to see him make that statement in his letter about PT.
      Weiss is not a practicing orthopedic surgeon per what I have been told by someone who knows him. He is a rehab doctor. He does claim to be an orthopedic surgeon on his CV but I am guessing that is by med school training only or something. He promoted Schroth because he is the inventor's grandson. It is VERY significant that he has abandoned PT given that.

      ETA: Here is his CV.

      http://www.scoliosisxpert.com/uk/pageuk.php?va=1

      He does list a 5 year residency in orthopedic surgery. But per someone who knows him, he does rehab medicine.
      Last edited by Pooka1; 07-06-2013, 08:16 AM.
      Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

      No island of sanity.

      Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
      Answer: Medicine


      "We are all African."

      Comment


      • #4
        I guess I'm just a bit more skeptical, but when I read it, my first thought was "He's dropped Schroth because he can't make money at it for some reason."
        Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
        Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
          I guess I'm just a bit more skeptical, but when I read it, my first thought was "He's dropped Schroth because he can't make money at it for some reason."
          Well, he may have abandoned PT BOTH because he couldn't make money AND because he tied and failed to prove it works. There may be many reasons he abandoned PT.
          Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

          No island of sanity.

          Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
          Answer: Medicine


          "We are all African."

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
            Well, he may have abandoned PT BOTH because he couldn't make money AND because he tied and failed to prove it works. There may be many reasons he abandoned PT.
            It’s hard when a young patient works so hard at PT and fails to have any improvement in correction.....or to have it progress like wildfire. Its almost like saying “Run around the world,(with a bad back)and you too can hit that goal” What goal? We will just about take any improvement.... Its all about hope.*

            Being a driving force at this and having to “install” that hope, even if it doesn’t work, is a tough thing. Tears can flow, and I’m sure he saw them often....Its one thing to know when to fold the cards, its another when hope is the driving force. When you think about a century of effort, you cant say they didn’t try.

            On another note....(time to cheer up)
            In talking about hope, I have noticed that there is some action in Colombia.....
            http://www.srs.org/professionals/glo...i_Colombia.htm
            http://www.srs.org/patient_and_famil...es/Yessica.htm


            Global scoliosis awareness is gathering speed. A good thing.*

            Ed
            49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
            Pre surgery curves T70,L70
            ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
            Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

            Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

            My x-rays
            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

            Comment


            • #7
              Came out of my cave because someone emailed me that my name was mentioned.

              Sharon, the actions of one previously ridiculed for inconsistency, his 'video' career, and fly with the wind approach to making bucks now being quoted as authority for the proposition that SPECIFIC SCOLIOSIS EXERCISE doesn't work. C'monnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!

              As I wrote nearly a year ago, Weiss and the family SOLD the Schroth clinic years ago. Weiss has hands in many pots (cf., recent retracted paper because of 'vested interests'). When the Braist study comes out full fledged, maybe he'll already have sold his bracing businesses and gone into special bells and whistles for surgery, another winning modality. Not.

              Rohrer, I know you mean well, but statements such as "It makes me worry in kind of a sad way" indicate your own assumptions rather than the reality of my daughters life or treatment. Bit of responsibility and observance of facts here, no?

              JIS is clearly a different animal when it comes to response to conservative treatments. The jury is in on that.
              The jury has been chucked out on age-old assumptions about what AIS entails too. Read Stokes et al re. the increasing evidence of neurological causes for "AIS". Re. JIS being a different animal, JIS, especially Tamzin's version, is statistically more viciously progressive than AIS. (The distinction is convenient, by no means solid.) With stronger reason, what Tamzin HAS DONE works for the 'easier' (not easy) AIS.

              You are correct re. Tamzin's curvature being capable of accurate assessment without x-rays, Sharon. The significance of Weiss abandoning "PT" is that he made lot of bucks flogging the clinic. "PT". Of course it doesn't work, it makes scoliosis worse. That's not the issue.

              Ok, back to the cave
              07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
              11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
              05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
              12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
              05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

              Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

              Comment


              • #8
                PS: here's the paper I posted on Tamzin's thread many moons ago, Weiss at his best

                http://www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/7/1/4
                07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
                11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
                05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
                12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
                05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

                Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

                Comment


                • #9
                  Just so's I'm clear, scoliosis can be corrected, just not by the ulterior (or posterior!) motivated methods typically on offer.
                  07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
                  11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
                  05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
                  12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
                  05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

                  Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    JIS and AIS

                    Originally posted by TAMZTOM View Post
                    Came out of my cave because someone emailed me that my name was mentioned.

                    Sharon, the actions of one previously ridiculed for inconsistency, his 'video' career, and fly with the wind approach to making bucks now being quoted as authority for the proposition that SPECIFIC SCOLIOSIS EXERCISE doesn't work. C'monnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!

                    As I wrote nearly a year ago, Weiss and the family SOLD the Schroth clinic years ago. Weiss has hands in many pots (cf., recent retracted paper because of 'vested interests'). When the Braist study comes out full fledged, maybe he'll already have sold his bracing businesses and gone into special bells and whistles for surgery, another winning modality. Not.

                    Rohrer, I know you mean well, but statements such as "It makes me worry in kind of a sad way" indicate your own assumptions rather than the reality of my daughters life or treatment. Bit of responsibility and observance of facts here, no?



                    The jury has been chucked out on age-old assumptions about what AIS entails too. Read Stokes et al re. the increasing evidence of neurological causes for "AIS". Re. JIS being a different animal, JIS, especially Tamzin's version, is statistically more viciously progressive than AIS. (The distinction is convenient, by no means solid.) With stronger reason, what Tamzin HAS DONE works for the 'easier' (not easy) AIS.

                    You are correct re. Tamzin's curvature being capable of accurate assessment without x-rays, Sharon. The significance of Weiss abandoning "PT" is that he made lot of bucks flogging the clinic. "PT". Of course it doesn't work, it makes scoliosis worse. That's not the issue.

                    Ok, back to the cave
                    TAMZTOM, you know Schroth's results have little to do with your daughter's results. Like you said, Rohrer means well and was only worried that this news may be a red flag with regard to long term results.

                    For those of you new to scoliosis:
                    JIS is more likely to progress than AIS.
                    JIS more likely to progress to the point of requiring surgery than AIS.
                    JIS is known to respond better to bracing than AIS.
                    JIS has not been well separated from AIS during PT, so we don’t know if it responds differently than AIS (though I suspect JIS may respond better than AIS and in addition to in/consistent frequency and in/consistent quality of PT may contribute heavily to the discrepancy in results).
                    Any disorder with an accompanying dx has the potential to respond differently to treatment than a disorder with a single dx.

                    Cobb angles without x-rays are opinions rather than accurate assessments. If a doctor tells you the size of your curve based only on a visual and physical examination, then it is time to locate a more knowledgeable professional. –And on that note, I will start figuring out how to post x-rays without including personal data. (While the recent ones are digital, the older ones are films.)

                    A Mom

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by AMom View Post
                      Cobb angles without x-rays are opinions rather than accurate assessments. If a doctor tells you the size of your curve based only on a visual and physical examination, then it is time to locate a more knowledgeable professional.
                      Yes. But I have an open mind with JIS coupled with a potentially large correction in terms of perhaps eye-balling a change. It might be possible if it is large enough, not sure.

                      Had this been an AIS case, I flat out wouldn't believe a correction even with a radiograph. Well, I guess I would believe it but I would bet it was temporary. There is no evidence for correction through conservative methods in AIS to my knowledge. If Tom has some radiographs from some people he is working with, I am sure we all would look forward to seeing that. Or maybe he can tell us how many AIS cases he is helping and how many corrected on radiograph. What percentage of the kids with AIS improved?

                      For JIS, just in this sandbox, among braced kids we have several cases that had out of brace decreases. For PT, we have one case that might be a decrease and one case that has held somewhat steady or rather crept up only very very slowly. It's only two cases total though.
                      Last edited by Pooka1; 07-09-2013, 10:59 PM.
                      Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                      No island of sanity.

                      Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                      Answer: Medicine


                      "We are all African."

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by TAMZTOM View Post
                        Rohrer, I know you mean well, but statements such as "It makes me worry in kind of a sad way" indicate your own assumptions rather than the reality of my daughters life or treatment. Bit of responsibility and observance of facts here, no?
                        Tom, of course I mean well. Taken into context that a world renown scoliosis specialist has abandoned physical therapy is disturbing. I say I worry in a sad way because of the devastation it would cause to Tamzin and your whole family IF this doesn't work. The reality is that it is working and her neurological symptoms have abated, per you. I believe you 100%. That sad worry in the back of my mind is because this doctor gave up, making me wonder if this will be permanent. I know you can't live your life "what iffing" everything and every decision. We have to live in the here and now and make the best decisions that we can for our kids right now.

                        I have often referred people to your thread because of the success that you are having with Tamzin. But, let's face it, none of us want false hope, not implying that you are giving false hope. You just seem to be charting new waters by utilizing multiple methods. I sincerely hope that these waters prove fruitful for you and Tamzin. I will continue to refer people to your thread.

                        I make no assumptions about your daughter's treatment and I have no access to facts other than how you portray them. There's no bias on my part other than maybe I put Tamzin's case too high up on a pedestal. Dr. Weiss statement just rocked that pedestal and made me worry.
                        Be happy!
                        We don't know what tomorrow brings,
                        but we are alive today!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by rohrer01 View Post
                          Tom, of course I mean well.
                          Got you Rohrer, thanks for the clarification. To put your mind at rest, it affects me not a jot whether all non-invasive practitioners depart the scene. That might result in more kids being corrected.

                          Amom, x-rays mislead. Of course Schroth results have little to do with my daughter. TR results have little to do with your daughter's results either. Oh, and x-rays mislead, often so dangerously that people end up in surgery when they shouldn't. Oh, rotation is also important.

                          Nb: I knew it was a bad idea to come out of my cave.
                          07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
                          11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
                          05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
                          12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
                          05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

                          Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by AMom View Post
                            Any disorder with an accompanying dx has the potential to respond differently to treatment than a disorder with a single dx.
                            This is the other point that concerns me when case are discussed and this isn't mentioned. Chiari/SM is the only type of scoliosis that I am aware of that will sometimes INSTANTLY reduce just by draining the syrinx. That suggests that Chiari/SM, whatever the progression potential as against straight AIS or straight JIS, is less structural in some way than IS where you never see an instantaneous decrease apart from fusion or placement of growth rods and such.

                            This is one reason I have an open mind with PT + JIS + Chiari/SM. Maybe if you can get enough straightening to the point of the neuro systems abating, then maybe you have allowed some drainage of the syrinx which might result in an actual instantaneous decrease in the curve. So it is misleading to not mention the Chiari/SM when saying a child has JIS and that all JIS cases should not expect the same results if this biology is in play for Chiari/SM.

                            So it is probably misleading to not describe all these cases as much as possible as either straight AIS, AIS plus Chiari/SM, AIS/Marfans, straight JIS, JIS_CHiari/SM, JIS/Marfans, etc. etc. Lumping when there is evidence for splitting it to muddy the waters and is moving away from actually ever hoping to understand this issue.
                            Last edited by Pooka1; 07-10-2013, 06:20 AM.
                            Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                            No island of sanity.

                            Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                            Answer: Medicine


                            "We are all African."

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Pooka1 View Post
                              Chiari/SM is the only type of scoliosis that I am aware of that will sometimes INSTANTLY reduce just by draining the syrinx.
                              I've read of "spontaneous regression" of AIS, JIS, IIS. There are 1000s of cases where syrinx drainage AND the decompression make the scoliosis worse or make no difference at all to the curvature. "...sometimes instantly reduce..." doesn't really tell us much at all. Have you a link to anything substantial, Sharon? Was this an isolated case? Was the curvature <15 degrees? I wonder if you've read something about a baby or toddler?

                              That suggests that Chiari/SM...is less structural in some way than IS.
                              Invalid. The use of "less structural" is also misleading, although I know what you mean.

                              Maybe if you can get enough straightening to the point of the neuro systems abating, then maybe you have allowed some drainage of the syrinx which might result in an actual instantaneous decrease in the curve.
                              That reasoning is sound, apart from the "instantaneous decrease" bit. A curved spine doesn't just pop back into place, even if a presumed obstruction is removed. E.g., affected ligaments and other soft tissue contribute to holding the curve in misalignment. IVD shape and vertebral shape too would require remodeling. Again, I wonder if you've been reading infant cases? That remodeling of bone and soft tissue is a well known problem, cf., the recurring rib rotation, spine rotation and curvature, etc. common post-surgery.

                              So it is probably misleading to not describe all these cases as much as possible as either straight AIS, AIS plus Chiari/SM, AIS/Marfans, straight JIS, JIS_CHiari/SM, JIS/Marfans, etc. etc. Lumping when there is evidence for splitting it to muddy the waters and is moving away from actually ever hoping to understand this issue.
                              Or there are sufficient similarities between them all to argue for retaining all within the ambit so that we actually correct the condition. Have you read Stokes et al on the increasing likelihood that AIS has neuro roots?

                              ...but I must move on. These are all interesting areas to discuss, but I spend my time actually fixing my daughter rather than dreaming about it.

                              The thread was about Weiss's possible departure from physiotherapeutic treatment of scoliosis. Some email from some unknown person tells me nothing. Interesting to note that in the paper I've linked above, he cites the TR research as being conducted on a group with a "20%" likelihood of progression!
                              07/11: (10yrs) T40, L39, pelvic tilt, rotation T15 & L11
                              11/11: Chiari 1 & syrinx, T35, L27, pelvis 0
                              05/12: (11yrs) stopped brace, assessed T&L 25 - 30...>14lbs , >8 cm
                              12/12: < 25 LC & TC, >14 cms, >20 lbs, neuro symptoms abated, but are there
                              05/13: (12yrs) <25, >22cms height, puberty a year ago

                              Avoid 'faith' in 'experts'. “In consequence of this error many persons pass for normal, and indeed for highly valuable members of society, who are incurably mad...”

                              Comment

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