thoracic boston brace

[aksor]

My daughter is 11 and has been diagnosed with scoliosis a year ago. She now needs a brace and got a molding done this week and will have it fitted in two weeks. She seems to have a positive attitude about it which is great but I'm concerned with how she will feel if she can't wear jeans.....will she have a problem wearing skinny jeans and jean that sit at the hip?? Style is soo important at this age.....I just hope she won't be too limited....

[aksor]

Thank you for your advice.....but unfortunately my kid is sooo fuussy.....she doesnt wear sweats or sweat shirts which is silly ...she just likes jeans and leggings with skirts.......LOL.....I think I might have found a solution....I was thinking of trying a maternity belly band it looks like a tube top but you wear it over you jeans when you cant button or zip your pants all the way....it looks like a tank top under your clothing.....I don't know if it will fit her though because she is very slim......but it would definetely solve the problem.....layering is quite fashionable and she like to layer.....How long has your daugher been wearing her brace? My girl has such a good attitude about getting a brace ...I hope she keeps that up.........its gonna be hard when she gets the brace....gonna be hard getting used to it......how did your liitle one cope??

aksor, I'm sorry to hear your family has to go through this. My almost 11 year old is wearing a different brace, so I'm not sure if this would work; however, we have found knit "jeans" at Kohl's (made by Candies) and at Justice. They look like very stretchy five-pocket pants. Luckily, "sweatpants" have become fashionable, and you will also find stylish sweats and crop sweats at Justice as well.

We have purchased everything a size larger than what she would normally wear to cover the brace. Winter has been pretty easy--tunic length sweaters, loose fashion sweatshirts. Spring/summer will be a bit tougher, but I've noticed Justice is selling tunic length sleeveless tops, so we've got that going for us!

Here's a whole thread on this:

http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8934

[mamandcrm]

If she likes leggings, get a lot of those! They work Great, and look good with the tunic/babydoll tops. Some kids manage with very low-rise jeans under, I think, but not sure how well you would like that . It's trial and error, with time, you and she will figure out what works for her.

[aksor]

Thank you for the ideas, I guess we will just have to wait and see ...we'll figure something out....we have to...

If she likes leggings, get a lot of those! They work Great, and look good with the tunic/babydoll tops. Some kids manage with very low-rise jeans under, I think, but not sure how well you would like that . It's trial and error, with time, you and she will figure out what works for her.

[aksor]

Kids seem to cope what they are delt with better......Its my daughters positive attitude that makes me positive.

aksor, my daughter is in the SpineCor brace at present, so the brace is not that obvious, and she (unlike me!) copes with things very well (must have gotten that quality from my husband's side!)

Hopefully, others who are using the Boston brace can comment.

[aksor]

Hi, I was wondering ...I had looked up spinecor brace and its a new revelutionary brace that doesnt constict movement, doesnt show under clothing and it can permanently stabilization or correct scoliosis in 89% of patients. Do you know if its good for all types of scoliosis?
I wonder why we're not getting that kind of brace it....it says its made in Canada.....

aksor, my daughter is in the SpineCor brace at present, so the brace is not that obvious, and she (unlike me!) copes with things very well (must have gotten that quality from my husband's side!)

Hopefully, others who are using the Boston brace can comment.

[aksor]

Thank you for your reply....Your right I'm sure that her doctor will do waht best for her.....its just so hard....I just want the best for her......all Ive been doing is researching online...and reading......I hope all goes well for your daughter.....thanx again

aksor, your orthopedist is most likely going to recommend what he/she knows best, and the SpineCor brace is relatively new. I cannot advocate for one brace or another, since we just started this brace 6 weeks ago along with some Schroth physical therapy, and I don't know what the outcome will be. Honestly, if she doesn't remain stable in this brace, or progresses greater than 5 degrees, we will try the Rigo-System Cheneau brace.

Our own orthopedist had very little experience with the SpineCor brace (only "10-15 patients" by his estimation), and his main issue with it was that the crotch straps were uncomfortable, which was an issue for my daughter as well until we saw another provider and had the brace refitted properly.

Your orthopedist is also less likely to recommend a Rigo-System Cheneau brace, because it is not well-known outside of Europe, and there are only a few orthotists in the US (I don't know about Canada) who have been trained to fit the brace.

I hope everything goes well for your daughter. I have learned that you have to be your own advocate and research as much as possible to make the best possible decision for your own, individual child.

[aksor]

Thank you and good luck ...I really hope it works out for your girl. I think I'm gonna see what happens with this the boston brace and be prepared with questions when I see her orthopedic. He's supposedly one of the best and does work in other countries.....We will be going to a information class her doctor and others will be lecturing in Feb. Hopefully they can answer alot of questions......

aksor, what I meant was that your orthopedist may not know much about other, newer braces--you may have to research these things for yourself, and then make your own decision.

My own experience with my orthopedist has been that he ultimately believes surgery is the answer and is inevitable; after all, he is a surgeon, and this is how he was trained. He has very little incentive in preventing a procedure for which he earns a great living. I am not saying my orthopedist will not try his best to avoid surgery, but surgery IS what he does. Ultimately, it is the parent who decides what is best for his or her child, hopefully armed with as much information as possible.

[LindseyDavis]

Im Lindsey and I just got it and discovered tons of cute ways!

-cute rollover shorts from hollister, and abercrombie (cute brands, but stretchy. Might be too short tho, they do have pretty potentially trampy clothes LOL)

-stretchy band skirts

dresses make it impossible to find

leggings from PINK and what ever stores can look so cute!

I'm not wearing jeans because I have to wear them sooooo low and under the brace makes a mark on my skin and over looks kinda odd on my frame!

Hope these work, and dont limit to just baby dolls, tight shirts w/ a busy (I meant busy as in have a pattern) design or writing distract!

Good luck girls