spinecor

[Celia]

I wonder if anyone is seeing an Osteopath/Spinecor provider? I notice there are a few listed in the Spinecorporation website and what their treatment protocol is? I imagine if Chiropractors can add manual adjustments, head weights, vestibular testing, vitamins to the total price of the brace what the Osteopaths offer It would be interesting.

[WNCmom]

About chiropractic--our local chiropractor (not a scoliosis specialist) was the one who diagnosed Sidney's scoli to begin with, and sent us to an orthopaedic specialist. Sidney gets gentle adjustments every other week. Three weeks ago, when the Spinecor was fitted by Dr. Ouelette (a chiropractor) in Atlanta, he sent x-rays for our local chiro to look at and suggested we have our local guy call him so he could describe the curve and rotation and advise him on how to adjust for best results. It's taken them a while to connect, so we haven't yet had an appointment that reflects that information transfer.

So far, it's impossible to tell if the chiropractic has helped, but it's hard to imagine it has hurt anything. I did talk to a dad whose daughter ended up with surgery--the daughter had adjustments all along, and apparently the surgeon was quite impressed at the flexibility of her spine and the correction he was able to get. The dad felt it was due in large part to the chiropractic.

Elaine--As I mentioned, Sidney has been in the Spinecor just three weeks, so I'm not really qualified to weigh in on this, but it does seem important to give the brace a chance to work. I can see how the increased lower curve could be scary. What worries you more, the curve or Dr. Police's reaction? Sometimes it's tough to be in the middle.

Mary Ellen

[Karen Ocker]

Pilates--again

Structural:
My Rolfer supports my Pilates program--which is individualized-- and my Pilates instructor sees the difference after my sessions. Granted I am fused T-4 to sacrum so we are working on residual effects of being deformed --since I was eleven and I am now 65!!!

Are there any publications in your field stating that Pilates is detrimental for scoliosis??? Before my revision surgery--before I found Rolfing--it was the only modality I tried which gave me any pain/stiffness relief over the years. I did ask my Rolfer about scoliosis treatment and she really could not give me an answer.

[structural75]

Hi Karen,

There's no formal data/studies that I know of that support my comment/observations. Just so you know, I'm not completely anti-Pilates by any means. My feelings/opinion about Pilates is based on it's excessive use and over-generalization as a therapeutic rehabilitative method for 'any' type of condition. Emphasis on "core support" is over-done, and that often comes back to Pilates and the perported over-emphasis it places on creating hypertonic abdominals/low back muscles/ posterior pelvic muscles (gluteals and lateral rotators, and hip flexors. Yes, core support is very important, but to the excess that Pilates is often done it does in fact have its repercussions.

I say this based on personal experience working in a Pilates movement studio and having many pilates instructors come to me with the same variety of problems... Strain Psoas and iliacus muscles and other hip flexors, overtightened gluteals which has inhibited proper form and force closure of the SI joints and negatively effected pelvic mechanics. Rigid lumbar spines often accompanied by a loss of lordotic curvature.

In moderation I think it can be very useful to people in many cases. But we have to keep in mind that Joseph Pilates suffered from a congenital condition (rickets) which left him very, very unstable from a muscular stand point. His program of exercise was first and foremost designed for himself to help regain and maintain muscular stability. Most people don't start out with such severe instability and therefore need to be mindful of the consequences of too much stability = rigidity.

As for the points I mentioned about the shortening or tightening of the adductors, psaos, hip flexors and such... It is easily understood that Pilates focuses a lot of attention on these muscles and from my observation (and many other colleagues in the same and similar disciplines) these regions are often, if not always, involved in scoliotic patterns. So what I would like to emphasize here is just that we need to be very careful about how these regions are worked and it takes far more than a basic pilates training to understand the mechanics and tensegrity of that pattern in order to work with it without doing more potential harm.

I just wanted to say be cautious... And keep a watchful eye on its potential progression. I have always favored things such as yoga because not only does it strengthen the core effectively and integratively, it also promotes length and ease in the body via stretching and such. Length is a scoliotic individuals best friend so-to-speak.... Compression and limiting movement work against scoliosis. After doing Pilates myself for about 8 months, I also found it to be very isolative at times... bracing the abdominals, low back and pelvis while moving the legs.... same with the arms often... holding the shoulder blade in place while the arms move, creating excessive and compromising strain on the rotator cuff muscles. When in life do we move with such restriction and regulation???

So no, there are no studies, one way or the other to show Pilates effect or use with scoliosis.. but I would really like to see one, or two... . I do feel clinical observations are equally as relevant as studies.. both provide insight that the other cannot. Then we can make better decisions from there.

I'm glad its helped you over the years... I think one of the reasons exercise helps, regardless of its variety/name is that it is circulating blood and nutrients/oxygen to tissues that may otherwise be lacking in such. That's a simple explanation to keep this long reply short .

Best Regards,
Structural

[Karen Ocker]

Thanks Structural,

Those are very good points!

[rtremb]

We need help........Esme is having trouble with her brace. The number 2 strap is hurting so badly she can't wear it. It is very tight at her waist and as a result is digging into her side. I am wondering if anyone else had this problem and had to get it adjusted? She has only been wearing the brace for 12 days. Two days ago this wasn't bothering her.
We don't go back to Montreal for the one month check up until November 28th.
Any experience or comments would be really appreciated. Thanks.
Ruth

[Celia]

Ruth,

I'm so sorry Esme is experiencing pain! I'm pretty sure this is not normal because I've never encountered anyone who has had pain or discomfort from the brace. I can't even imagine how straps would cause pain??? Perhaps her high curves are contributing to the pain Since you live so close to Montreal, I would contact the doctors ASAP.

[MATJESNIC]

Ruth,

You can start by calling Dr. Rivard. Maybe he will have a suggestion. He is usually good about returning phone calls. I am so sorry she is in pain.

[rtremb]

Celia & Melissa:

Thanks for your replies. I will call the Montreal doctors tomorrow....hope this can be fixed.

Ruth

[alabama mom]

Ruth, I am so sorry to hear that your daughter is having this problem. My daughter did have this problem with strap #2, as well. It dug into her skin, and actually caused an open wound! We got the brace in April, returned to Montreal in May, and this began happening around August. Our next appointment was set for October, but I did call Dr. Colliard about it, and got an appointment in September. She told me to use Mercuricrome, and by the way, she was on vacation when she called me back about it. Well, when we went to the appointment, and I showed this to her, she put a new, longer strap #2 on my daughter's brace. Since my daughter had grown around 2 inches and gained over 12 lbs. since the first fitting, I figure she just outgrew that strap. I know that your daughter has only had the brace for a short while, but it seems that her strap may also be too short/tight for her. I hope this helps you out, as I know how horrible it is to see her suffering from the brace. Please let me know if I can help you out in any way.
Oh...Dr. Colliard also gave us a "comfort pad" that slides on the strap. We put it right in that spot on her waist. My daughter IMMEDIATELY felt better from these adjustments. And, before I got to Montreal, I had been folding a couple of paper towels and putting them between the strap and bodysuit to help ease the pain. She said that it did help some, so you may want to try something like that, for a quick fix. Good Luck!

Nancy.

[rtremb]

Nancy:

Thank you so much for your message. I will try your suggestions.

I have emailed Dr. Rivard and Dr. Colliard tonight so hopefully we will hear from them tomorrow.

The #2 strap is very very tight so hopefully this problem can be fixed - there is room to move it along a bit but we didn't want to change the position of it without being told to by the Montreal doctors.

Ruth

[alabama mom]

Ruth, I know how you feel. I too, was afraid to move things without them seeing it, or assuring me that it was ok to. I definately feel that her strap is too tight. Hopefully, you have enough room to extend it out. We had to have a longer strap, ours was just too small. Good luck again, with it all.

Nancy.

[qiling]

Ruth,

You have already done what I would have recommended, calling and emailing the doctor. maybe the strap shrank when you washed it? Well, anyway,don't worry, symptoms are clues that help solve the problem. Esme will be fine.

Elaine

[WNCmom]

We're way too new to Spinecor to offer any advice, but I wish you luck with this, Ruth--and please let us know how it comes out. We may find ourselves in the same position one day soon.

The (minor) problem we're having with Sidney's brace is that his 1 and 4 straps come unsnapped--often during phys ed at school, but sometimes when he bends to tie his shoes or in the morning when he's just waked up and is still in bed. Occasionally it will come unsnapped in the night. He resnaps, of course, but it's annoying and a little worrisome. Our next appointment is Nov. 21. I think I'll email today Dr. Ouellette, though.

Anybody else have a problem with this?

Mary Ellen

[alabama mom]

Mary Ellen,

We have this problem alot. My daughter just keeps snapping them back on. When I mentioned it to Dr. Colliard, she actually showed my daughter that she could use the next closest snap hole, to snap it back. She also said that we could change out the snap if we needed to. Good luck!

Nancy.