Need help on choosing RSC brace or LA Brace

[EddieMom]

Hi, I am new to this forum. My daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis of double curves 24 and 26 degrees 3 weeks ago at San Diego Children's Hospital. I found lots of information from all the posts here at this overwhelming time period. Thanks a lot. After lots of readings, I almost come to the decision on what I need to do. I will get her a brace: either RSC from Grant Wood, or LA Brace from Gez Bowman. Does anyone here knows which one is better? Gez Bowman is closer to me which may help us on followups, but may be RSC has better quality? Also we are going to try the Schroth method, I am not sure I should go to San Jose or Arizona, any suggestions? Thanks.

EddieMom
Age 13
T 24, L 26 09/15/2010

[mamandcrm]

Hi EddieMom,

Both those braces are Cheneau type braces. There is an issue about whether Cheneau is the best choice for double curves. I believe a study was posted somewhere on this site about it, and I just read yesterday or today from one poster that her daughter with double curves was discouraged from getting a Rigo-Cheneau (by the RCS orthotist we see here in VA, I think). It's something you should discuss with the orthotists you are considering. As far as making a choice between the two, if that's what you still come down to, I would speak with both orthotists directly, and also ask to talk to several patients from each office who have similar curves, similar age range, etc. Good luck with your decision-making.

[LindaRacine]

Isn't the specialist recommending one type of brace? If so, I would go with their recommendation. As lay people, we cannot possibly make a better informed choice than they can.

--Linda

[Pooka1]

Isn't the specialist recommending one type of brace? If so, I would go with their recommendation. As lay people, we cannot possibly make a better informed choice than they can.

But the problem that many people realize is that recommendations frm specialists (surgeons, orthotists, etc.) don't rest on much if any high quality evidence. Parents know this or learn it at some point and so feel unconstrained to go with whatever they want. In the extreme, they are even going to chiros which is not a relevant field to scoliosis.

Bracing appears to be a wild west situation wherein people routinely make choices that differ from what the surgeon recommends. And they may change surgeons because they don't agree with the treatment. This situation is rational or at least not irrational because nobody has anything to hang their hat on.

We have folks who were told to brace who refuse and people who were told bracing probably won't help who brace.

The wild west aspect is inevitable when there is so little known about the treatment despite years of study.

The OP's choice of brace perhaps as against the opinion of some expert could well be the correct one. Nobody knows nor will they ever likely know absent decent studies which appear impossible to do at this point.

[EddieMom]

Exactly. Our specialist's answer is that since there is no clear scientific evidence to show that one type is better than another, so he cannot recommend one type. Usually he would just use regular Boston brace for his patients.

[bas2101]

I hear excellent things about both orthotists. If you would like contact information for a girl who also has double curves (thoracic higher however) and had great success (no longer in surgical territory) with Gez/LA brace/Schroth, please PM me. I can give you contact reference info. regarding Grant Wood as well. My daughter wears the Rigo-Cheneau, but it was obtained by Dr. Rigo. If I stand correct, Grant Wood works in coordination with Dr. Rigo.

My daughter has been to Scoliosis Rehab in Wisconsin several times. They are excellent. The Arizona clinic is owned by them, so I imagine they are also excellent. I do not know who teachers Schroth in the San Diego area, but do know of a woman in Northern California, Beatriz Torres.

Good Luck,

Brooke

[LindaRacine]

But the problem that many people realize is that recommendations frm specialists (surgeons, orthotists, etc.) don't rest on much if any high quality evidence. Parents know this or learn it at some point and so feel unconstrained to go with whatever they want. In the extreme, they are even going to chiros which is not a relevant field to scoliosis.

Bracing appears to be a wild west situation wherein people routinely make choices that differ from what the surgeon recommends. And they may change surgeons because they don't agree with the treatment. This situation is rational or at least not irrational because nobody has anything to hang their hat on.

We have folks who were told to brace who refuse and people who were told bracing probably won't help who brace.

The wild west aspect is inevitable when there is so little known about the treatment despite years of study.

The OP's choice of brace perhaps as against the opinion of some expert could well be the correct one. Nobody knows nor will they ever likely know absent decent studies which appear impossible to do at this point.

Yes, but all the OP has to go on is anecdotal evidence of a few vocal parents. The specialist at least has probably seen hundreds of patients.

[Pooka1]

Yes, but all the OP has to go on is anecdotal evidence of a few vocal parents. The specialist at least has probably seen hundreds of patients.

Yes that's a good point.

I think it is extremely misleading to mention one likely undocumented case that is different from the OP's daughter's curve, what magnitude it is, what the evidence is of permanent reduction ("successful"), is that reduction only in brace, is the child still in a brace with an obviously unknown final outcome, are any Cobb angle readings done by non-surgeons, etc. etc. etc. Some of these people deal with nonsense purveyors who have no relevant training in scoliosis.

And most importantly, even if that one case was helped by that brace, how many similar patients were not?

It is just so misleading to read some of these posts.

[EddieMom]

Hi, for those of you who are considering bracing. My duaghter's experience may help. We finally decided to go with RSC brace made by Grant Wood. Fitted on Nov. 11, 2010, wore it about 12 hours a day for the first week, then started wearing it full time (18-23 hours) on Nov 20, 2010. We just did her in-brace X-ray today after 2 weeks full time bracing: both thoracic curve and lumber curve are reduced to <= 11*! Dr said: wearing your brace as much as you can!.

09/15/2010 T 24*, L 26*
11/11/2010 fitted RSC brace
12/08/2010 In-brace: T 11*, L 11*

[KJD]

Those are very good results, I'm happy for you.

My daughter was fitted for a rigo cheneau brace ( orthotist in VA ) on Nov 17th and she has adjusted to it very well. We will have the in-brace xrays done around the end of december, I am very anxious. We also went to wisconson for a week of training in Schroth, they are VERY wonderful there. I would recommend them or anyone affilliated with them.