This is my first thread in a series of threads that I hope to post to address what I consider to be very important questions to ask of the pertaining literature and of those treating scoliosis.
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When our 5 year old son was diagnosed with scoliosis in June of 2019, I was determined to get the best medical care possible. I started digging into the pertaining literature and talking to doctors, other physical therapists (I am a physical therapist myself), orthotists, and other medical professionals. My search for a good grasp on what should be done, or should not be done for scoliosis was further intensified when my daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis a few months later.
Through this process, I came up with what I consider to be some very important questions that I have asked, and continue to ask, of the available literature and the professionals that treat scoliosis.
- Can scoliosis progression be slowed down or stopped?
- Can scoliosis related spinal curves be reduced in severity or even eliminated?
- What are the risks of bracing?
- What are the risks of not bracing?
Of course there is a bit of “it depends” involved with all of these questions since each child’s case is different. This is very true for our children as one has what can be classified, so far, as idiopathic (unknown cause) scoliosis and one has a condition thought to be causing or significantly contributing to the scoliosis. I plan to post more about their cases in the future.
In light of the generally agreed upon potential for bracing to be beneficial, my continued research lead me to a very specific question as follows: Can bracing (especially when applied by experienced and highly skilled bracing specialists) significantly reduce or eliminate scoliotic curves with sustained curve reductions over the long-term after bracing stops? As I was doing my review of the literature, I narrowed my focus to a review of the possibility of permanent curve reductions in those with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
I want to focus on the more specific question concerning curve reduction potential in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) for a few reasons. One reason is that AIS is the most common and therefore most researched type of scoliosis. Another reason is that it is generally agreed upon by scoliosis experts that AIS will not improve when left to its natural course with many getting worse as they progress through adolescents. If AIS curves can be permanently reduced in conjunction with bracing, then the curve improvements can be entirely attributed to bracing. On the other hand, early onset scoliosis, scoliosis present before the adolescent stage, can sometimes stop progressing, improve, and even completely resolve on its own in some cases which makes it difficult to measure the effects of pre-adolescent bracing.
This brings me to the copy of my literature review, posted on the next comment, intended to explore the question as follows: Can bracing permanently reduce the scoliotic curves of AIS when bracing ceases at skeletal maturity?
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When our 5 year old son was diagnosed with scoliosis in June of 2019, I was determined to get the best medical care possible. I started digging into the pertaining literature and talking to doctors, other physical therapists (I am a physical therapist myself), orthotists, and other medical professionals. My search for a good grasp on what should be done, or should not be done for scoliosis was further intensified when my daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis a few months later.
Through this process, I came up with what I consider to be some very important questions that I have asked, and continue to ask, of the available literature and the professionals that treat scoliosis.
- Can scoliosis progression be slowed down or stopped?
- Can scoliosis related spinal curves be reduced in severity or even eliminated?
- What are the risks of bracing?
- What are the risks of not bracing?
Of course there is a bit of “it depends” involved with all of these questions since each child’s case is different. This is very true for our children as one has what can be classified, so far, as idiopathic (unknown cause) scoliosis and one has a condition thought to be causing or significantly contributing to the scoliosis. I plan to post more about their cases in the future.
In light of the generally agreed upon potential for bracing to be beneficial, my continued research lead me to a very specific question as follows: Can bracing (especially when applied by experienced and highly skilled bracing specialists) significantly reduce or eliminate scoliotic curves with sustained curve reductions over the long-term after bracing stops? As I was doing my review of the literature, I narrowed my focus to a review of the possibility of permanent curve reductions in those with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
I want to focus on the more specific question concerning curve reduction potential in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) for a few reasons. One reason is that AIS is the most common and therefore most researched type of scoliosis. Another reason is that it is generally agreed upon by scoliosis experts that AIS will not improve when left to its natural course with many getting worse as they progress through adolescents. If AIS curves can be permanently reduced in conjunction with bracing, then the curve improvements can be entirely attributed to bracing. On the other hand, early onset scoliosis, scoliosis present before the adolescent stage, can sometimes stop progressing, improve, and even completely resolve on its own in some cases which makes it difficult to measure the effects of pre-adolescent bracing.
This brings me to the copy of my literature review, posted on the next comment, intended to explore the question as follows: Can bracing permanently reduce the scoliotic curves of AIS when bracing ceases at skeletal maturity?
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