Medical Updates – National Scoliosis Foundation

A New Alternative Treatment for Idiopathic Scoliosis

July 1, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Awareness, Medical Updates, Parents, Patients, Treatment

“During a recent school screening, it was determined that your son/daughter may have a condition called scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Please consult your physician for further information and available treatment options.”

For most parents, this news can be both alarming and confusing, especially when a child appears to be both healthy and active at the time of diagnosis. Clearly, routine spinal screenings have done much to increase the population’s awareness of scoliosis in general, but serious questions rarely arise until a parent discovers that his or her child may have the disorder.

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Understanding Flat-Back Syndrome

June 23, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Medical Updates, Resources

From time to time, NSF receives inquiries about a condition called flat back syndrome. To find out more about it, Nancy Schommer recently interviewed Michael LaGrone, MD, a scoliosis specialist who has a private practice in Amarillo, Texas. Dr. LaGrone is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society and a medical advisor to the NSF. He is also a member of the clinical faculty of the Texas Tech University Health Science Center.

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Rib Thoracoplasty

June 23, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Medical Updates, Patients, Pre-Op & Post-Op

Every year, the National Scoliosis Foundation receives queries about rib thoracoplasty, a surgical technique sometimes used to help patients with scoliosis who also suffer from a “rib hump”. To find out more about the procedure, NSF asked Dr. Serena S. Hu, Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, to respond to a number of questions. What follows are excerpts of her responses, which have been edited by Nancy Schommer, author of Stopping Scoliosis.

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Pain

June 23, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Medical Updates, Parents, Patients, Pre-Op & Post-Op

Because the National Scoliosis Foundation receives constant inquiries from individuals asking whether pain is a symptom of idiopathic scoliosis, we interviewed Dr. Robert Winter, internationally know for work in surgical and non-surgical treatment of spine deformity. Dr. Winter is the author of numerous textbooks, papers, and chapters of surgical textbooks. He is a frequent speaker at national and international orthopaedics conferences. He is also a founding member and past president of the Scoliosis Research Society, President of the Minnesota Spine Center, Chief of Spine Service at Gillette Children’s Hospital, and Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota.

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Let’s Get The Terms Straight

June 22, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Awareness, Medical Updates, Parents, Patients

On January 5, 1990, at our request Ann Landers reprinted a 1983 letter from NSF’s Vice President, Kenneth Love. As a result of that letter appearing in her syndicated column, we’ve received numerous letters and phone calls concerning a variety of subjects, including infantile, juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, not to mention kyphosis and kypho-scoliosis. In order to clarify these and other terms, we interviewed Dr. John B. Emans, of Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. We thank him for helping us “get the terms straight.”

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Exercise and Adults with Scoliosis

June 22, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Medical Updates, Patients, Pre-Op & Post-Op, Resources

Many adults with scoliosis, including those with prior corrective surgery, are curious about the risks and benefits of exercises and sports participation. In our experiences, most adults with scoliosis have never held discussions with medical professionals about these issues. Research based information about therapeutic or recreational exercise for adults with scoliosis is lacking. The advice expressed in this article will therefore reflect experiences described to us by our patients with scoliosis, and our recommendations to these patients.

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Exercise for Adolescents

June 22, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Children, Education, Medical Updates, Parents, Patients, Resources

Adolescents with scoliosis and their families have questions concerning exercise. These questions are usually about two general areas:

Can exercise correct or stop the progression of the scoliosis curve?
Are recreational exercise and sports participation advised?

In this article, we will present some of the advantages and limitations of exercise for adolescents with scoliosis. Adults with scoliosis, including those with corrective surgeries, often also seek advice about exercises, especially if they begin experiencing discomfort and stiffness in their backs. Therapeutic and recreational exercise for adults will be presented in a future article.

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Chiropractic

June 22, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Medical Updates, Patients, Pre-Op & Post-Op, Resources

The word “chiropractic” is a compilation of two Greek words which are interpreted to mean “efficient hands”. In 1898 David Daniel Palmer, the originator of chiropractic, set up the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Today, there are fifteen accredited institutions and programs in the US offering the Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree.
Following is an explanation of the nature, practice, and basic theories of chiropractic as defined by the Council of Chiropractic Education, and the Massachusetts Chiropractic Society.

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Bracing for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

June 22, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Children, Medical Updates, Parents, Patients, Teens

Throughout history man has tried to straighten out that which nature has bent, twisted, or curved. Hippocrates not only gave a name to scoliosis but he also tried to correct it. Over the centuries since then physicians have used a wide, and sometimes strange, variety of devices to straighten a crooked spine.
In today’s world when a growing adolescent is diagnosed with progressive idiopathic scoliosis and the curve is between 25 and 40 degrees, the physician will prescribe the wearing of a brace to keep the curve from worsening. Depending on the severity of the curve, the curve pattern, and the amount of growth remaining, the physician may not wait to document progression but will prescribe bracing on the initial visit.

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Answers to Questions About Mild Curves

June 22, 2015 National Scoliosis Foundation Medical Updates, Patients, Resources

Every year, the National Scoliosis Foundation receives letters and telephone calls from parents of young people who have been told they have a “mild” curvature of the spine. They are concerned and confused. They have been told that treatment is not presently necessary but may be in the future. Parents ask us, “are we to just stand by and watch our child become deformed?” To find out more about such curves, we interviewed Dr. William P. Bunnell, Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California.

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