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  • new brace

    Hey all. My name is Kelly and I'm 15 years old. I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 10, and we watched my curves closely until March 2003, when I received my Charleston Bending Brace. For almost six months I have been wearing my brace to sleep every night, much to my discomfort. (my sympathies to all who have to wear one!!) Unfortunately, I went to my orthopaedist 2 days ago and they told me that my lumbar curve had progressed 10 degrees with the brace, and it was now at 43 degrees. We are currently considering a 23 hour brace as an option, but I haven't heard very positive things about them. I've heard that they are extremely uncomfortable and that finding clothes to fit while wearing one is a nightmare. I've also heard that most people who wear them end up needing surgery anyway. Surgery is another option we are considering, and right now that's looking like a better way to go. Does anyone have a story where the use of a 23 hour brace was successful? Please let me know. Thank you!
    Kelly

  • #2
    Hi Kelly,
    I am not sure if what my brace was is qualified as a "23 hour brace". I had what they call a Boston Brace. I wore it for 3.5 years. I wore it pretty much all day. I had to work myself up to 24 hours a day but once I had worked myself up to that length, I did not have to wear it all day, but I chose to wear it just because I felt that it would help me out better in the long run. When I was first diagnosed and actually got the brace my spine was around 33 or so in the lumbar. During my 8th grade year, I had grown 6 inches in 6 months, which caused my spine to go haywire and it curved 7 more degrees, while wearing the brace. BUT, the doctors said it was the brace that held my spine from curving anymore than it did because they said that if I hadn't had the brace during that incredible growth spurt, my spine would have curved out of control! I continued growing a little bit at a time after that and I wore my brace until January of my sophomore year, and it hadn't curved anymore from the time of my 8th grade growth spurt until that time, so I think it did a pretty good job of holding my spine where it needed to be. It wasn't noticeable at all. I had no trouble finding clothes that fit, because the brace I had was formed to shape your body perfectly and so you can wear the same size of clothes. I am very glad that I had that brace and that I wore it as much as I could, otherwise I would have already had to of had surgery
    Molly

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    • #3
      23 hour brace

      hi,

      kelly,i wore a 23 hour brace for 5 months. i had a hard time with it and unfortunately it didn't work. this was not the brace's fault though. my curves were to large. i am now getting surgery. i never got used to the brace but i believe my parents now when they say "you never got used to the brace because you didn't want to let yourself". believe me it is true when the doctor says you can make wearing your brace easy or hard. it is all how you think about your brace. i had no trouble finding clothes though. except jeans and light coloured shirts. i gave up with jeans. i could have worn light shirts if i wanted to but you could see through them. you just need to get the clothes a size or two larger. i would say that you should try the brace but wear it faithfully. not like me . i didn't wear it eough. try it because surgery is not fun from what my doctor said. hope this helped you
      ~*Lauren*~
      Braced for 5 months
      Decided on surgery with 65 and 54 degree curves
      Pre-op curve measurements were in the 70's and 80's
      Surgery on April 26th 2005
      Fused from T3-L4
      Post-op curve is 15 degrees

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