So W went today to be measured for the night time bending brace.
W has been given a 20% of a brace holding her curve by either the orthopod or the surgeon, I can't remember which. One of those guys. It would have been over 50% if he didn't know that her identical twin progressed so quickly and so much.
I asked the brace guy about the efficacy of bracing in general. He said he only does 5-8 scoliosis braces a year but has been doing it for 28 years and only 2 cases went on to need fusion. So let's take an average of 6.5 per year for 28 years is 182. Now only two of those are KNOWN to have needed subsequent fusion so he is claiming a success rate of ~99% for bracing to avoid fusion.
Now this does NOT jive even a little bit with my impression from my readings and the testimonials on this and other fora. When I picked my jaw up off the floor,I asked if he would necessarily know if some of those cases went on to need fusion and just didn't tell him. I'm not clear on why he would know either way. I mean once you get the brace and it is determined to fit, don't you just see your orthopod?
If bracing was known to be 99% effective, why do about half the doctors adopt a wait and watch approach? Why did the orthopod sit there and tell me to my face that some orthopods don't believe bracing works? Is that a complete and total lie? Why isn't this widely known and accepted if true? Why don't all kids go into a brace immediately?
I'm missing something here.
Janet called me back just as I was going into the brace place. She said S is not a candidate. W might be but they need three types of x-rays and I only have one. So at some point I will have to get the other two types before I send anything.
W has been given a 20% of a brace holding her curve by either the orthopod or the surgeon, I can't remember which. One of those guys. It would have been over 50% if he didn't know that her identical twin progressed so quickly and so much.
I asked the brace guy about the efficacy of bracing in general. He said he only does 5-8 scoliosis braces a year but has been doing it for 28 years and only 2 cases went on to need fusion. So let's take an average of 6.5 per year for 28 years is 182. Now only two of those are KNOWN to have needed subsequent fusion so he is claiming a success rate of ~99% for bracing to avoid fusion.
Now this does NOT jive even a little bit with my impression from my readings and the testimonials on this and other fora. When I picked my jaw up off the floor,I asked if he would necessarily know if some of those cases went on to need fusion and just didn't tell him. I'm not clear on why he would know either way. I mean once you get the brace and it is determined to fit, don't you just see your orthopod?
If bracing was known to be 99% effective, why do about half the doctors adopt a wait and watch approach? Why did the orthopod sit there and tell me to my face that some orthopods don't believe bracing works? Is that a complete and total lie? Why isn't this widely known and accepted if true? Why don't all kids go into a brace immediately?
I'm missing something here.
Janet called me back just as I was going into the brace place. She said S is not a candidate. W might be but they need three types of x-rays and I only have one. So at some point I will have to get the other two types before I send anything.
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