spinecor

[emarismom]

Me a control freak No way I'm so calm and easy going and I'm just willing to take things one day at a time Just ask my two orthos and chiropractor

I am relieved and I have to say that the news from this forum this week has really had my spirits a little low. I was extra nervous about today!! I just want all of these girls (and boys) to have their backs straighten out NOW!

[Kalarasy]

our appointment in Montreal

My son's curve increased too from 3 degrees to 9 degrees this wendesday. He looks thar he has a good posture but the curve is progressing. Dr. Rivard said that the curve goes up and down, he grew up 3 cm, too. He said that also it might be the new x-ray machine but I could see he is worse than last time. He didn't adjust the brace at all. I don't know what to do next time, it is getting very expensive for us to go to Montreal. Dr Rivard sugested somebody in Chicago or California. California wil be closer to us, but I don;t know if they will have enough experience. We live in Oregon and travel 7hours with the airplane.

[cherylplinder]

Hey Gerbo,
Yes, I`m O.K. It`s just that she had not progressed for a year. I hoped she would not progress again. I even hope for more correction(eternal optimist, half glass full kind of girl, my friends call me Pollyanna.) Last visit, Dr. Rivard did not consider 22 from 20 progression, and neither did I. But she is now up to 26 from 20 in August of 2006. That is significant to me. Would have been nice to hold, very secure, think you know what to expect now kind of thing. The difference on x-ray looked impressive, if you could see the comparison between the 20-18 curve and 26-26 curve. This means we haven`t got this beat and still could progress to surgery. It`s definitely a disappointment.
By the time this appointment arrived, she looked pretty good to me. I convinced myself that what I thought I was seeing a couple of weeks ago was my imagination. Oh well! As I say, it`s a lot better than the 60 degrees Dr. Rivard says she would have been otherwise. I think she would have hit 60 in anything else long ago. I don`t think a Milwaukee would have given her any correction and Dr. Sanders didn`t think anything would even hold her, so

I still have absolutely no regrets with Spinecor. The Milwaukee wouldn`t have offered any correction and, according to Dr. Sanders, no possiblity of holding her either. He told me to get surgery when her curves reached the 60`s. He felt that would happen before she finished growing. Dr. Rivard said yesterday that she would already be in the 60`s otherwise, also, maybe more.


I`m still counting my blessings (but planning my strategy!)





Hugs and love to all,
Cheryl

[MATJESNIC]

Cheryl,

I know how you feel. I wished for my birthday that Nicole stayed the same and that her risser was at least a 4. Well, we all know how that turned out. I have no regrets. At least you know you are doing all that you can. Whatever is beyond our control, will be just that. Thank goodness our girls are comfortable in their brace. It is still not too late to hold onto hope for Rachel. She is still at a low number. Everything will be okay.


Change of subject here. Just got back from seeing Hairspray and it was wonderful. A few years ago we took our girls in to N.Y. and their first Broadway show was Hairspray. Very upbeat and fun!!

[summerfun4]

Just wanted to post an update, since I haven't in a while. It's so hard waiting for the appointments, not knowing which way it will go. I'm so sorry to hear about everyone's progressions this past week. I've been keeping up with everyone, just haven't posted in a while.

We were fortunate with my six-year old daughter's appointment this week, who after 4 months is down to 6.5 from her original 30 degree curve. We were thrilled for her, and then I had Dr. Pappas check my 12-year old. Unfortunately she has a 39 degree curve, identical to my 6-year old's, and she is a risser 3. So now we will be bracing her in August. At least this time through we know what to expect, but it will be much more difficult in other ways, since middle school is such a nasty time. Plus she's so much older, more rigid, so close to 50, and no where near as flexible as my younger daughter.

What really frustrates me is that we started watching my younger daughter because my pediatrician was monitoring my older one every 6 months, but saw no reason for concern (saw a slight rib hump at her fifth grade physical). The last 6 months we've been in an emotional rollercoaster with my younger one, and I figured I'd have Dr. Pappas check my older one, rather than the pediatrician. I am so upset, because this could have been caught so much earlier.

It's obviously hereditary, but neither my husband nor I can find anyone in the family with it. I am now an avid spokesperson, asking everyone to check their children, and if they notice anything, no matter how small, to get it checked by xray. I didn't know, 2 years ago, that all the scoliometer tells you is rotation. He told me her "curve" was only 3 or 4, no cause for concern. This was her rotation, not her curve! Who knows what the curve was.

Sorry I'm venting. I just can't believe we could have addressed this these past 2 years. Hopefully we have time to at least stop it, if not correct it. I'd love to give our doctor a piece of my mind.....

Hope everyone has a good weekend. We're trying to begin planning for a school year with our two daughters in braces.

Thanks for listening,
Linda

[christine2]

Adriana
I just read your post about your follow up. My daughter also went up at one of the visits but then went down at the next. It seems to me the the curve at this point is very small compared to the origenal 31 degrees. This is a good thing especially at 9 yrs old. I also tried to come up with a solution to find a closer Dr. but my husband and I agreed that with the results we are getting with Dr. Coillard & Dr. Rivard not to make any changes. We have many years of bracing ahead of us. I personally feel that in the future the brace will begin to be more recognized here in the states. I think the docs are simply waiting for more studies. Then we may venture out to a closer Doctor.

[Celia]

Hey Gang,

Wow....I can't leave you guys for one week without all hell breaking loose??!

I now have the honourable distinction of hiking some very rugged terrain in my flip flops If one can't look fashionable and comfy at the same time, what's the point?! I did manage to take a break from my vacation last week to book the followup appointment in Montreal and it's scheduled for the second last week in August. Anyone else going to be there? Anyhoo....I must get back to the beach. On another note, the day before our vacation started the dreaded monthly curse arrived??? How unlucky can one get!

[Allegra]

chill!/spinecor

wow i totally missed gerbo telling everyone to chill out.
that should lighten everyone up a bit hahaha

But it seems like everyone's back is getting worse right now. Am i just imagining things?
Has anyone heard of that circle of life thing where when you're at the top of the circle, you have good luck, and when you're at the bottom, you have bad luck. I don't really believe it, but it kind of seems like that.

Also, has anyone heard of Dr. Davind Gorrie? We went to see him about the Spinecor. He's in Irvine, CA and he's a chiropractor. My parents regard chiros as people who weren't smart enough to get into medical school, but he is the closest and didnt really try to persuade us either way.
The Spinecor actually doesn't seem that bad, although i'm sure you can still see it through clothes.

Just keeping everyone posted.

[Kalarasy]

Christine

My son had his x-ray with the new x-ray machine. I don't know if it is more accurate or no.

[cherylplinder]

I'm not sure what therapy you are pursuing. What is cranial sacral therapy? What kind of therapist?

[cherylplinder]

I researched your earlier posts. What did Dr. Rivard say?
As you say, if you're sure it isn't doing any harm and helps the spasms, I might continue. I have never had any back or neck spasms, but I understand they are quite painful.

[gerbo]

mmmhhh, wouldn't trust anybody who suggest they can cure scoliosis (which is the suggestion if they say they "work to get her out of brace") Still, if it feels good to your daughter, and you have no better ways to spend your money... (but than, I'd spend a fortune to make my daughter feel better)

[cherylplinder]

Thirty three to 5 is unheard of with any other brace. And Rachel may have progressed some, but she would have been in the sixties long ago without the Spinecor, the TLSO (BOston) didn't correct her at all, and I don't believe a Milwaukee could have even held her.
26/26 is bad in that it isn't the 20/20 neighborhood she has been in. It is progression, but look at the alternative.
Hang in there!

[gerbo]

ha, get our good friend structural involved!

Really, what you need to think about is this; what do you want any given treatment to actually do, and than from what you see, is it doing that or is it "likely" to do so (or possible) from what you see and based on that you decide whether it is worthwhile.

In practice; if you do this for symptom relief (muscle spasm) and you get symptom relief (your daughter feels better) than it is doing its job. But don't expect any moment it is going to cure the scoliosis as there is nothing to suggest that that kind of treatment will do that. And personally, as i said before, anybody who makes unrealistiuc promises should be looked at very sceptical!!!

Mind you, we are seeing an osteopath now "just in case", difference being; she says she doesn't know whether it will make any difference to scoliosis, only thing she promises to do is to "help to keep the spine mobile", and from what she does, and how l feels after, i think she is as good as anybody in doing so.

33 to 5, sigh....... in a nice flexible young spine, outlook must be good. (but i understand and share your "anxieties")

[gerbo]

http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...s/cranial.html

this gives you some flavour....... (might or might not be biassed, but worth reading)