Kathy’s scoliosis appeared at an early age

Kathy Boston noticed her scoliosis when she was 12. She was self-conscious of her back and didn’t want to wear halter tops or any clothing that showed her back.

She shares how her grandparents didn’t notice her scoliosis because she never told anyone. Kathy wasn’t screened for scoliosis as a child, and lucky for her she didn’t experience much pain until later in life. Even when she did start having pain in 2020, she didn’t think anything could be done, so she remained quiet and didn’t tell anyone.

“Quality of life is very important, no one wants to hurt and I hurt for a very long time before I got corrected,” Kathy said.

Kathy went through surgery to correct her spine and advised others with scoliosis to go to the doctor early. Early detection is key to successful care. It can also help control and/or eliminate pain. Every patient deserves options with their diagnosis.

Recovery from surgery can be more difficult as you get older. So it’s important to recognize and take advantage of the window of opportunity for care.

Conservative scoliosis treatment options

If surgery is not required, Hey Clinic also offers conservative treatment options including Schroth physical therapy and 3D CAM CAM bracing. Both of these non-surgical treatments can help stop curve progression and sometimes even reverse it.

Schroth is a type of scoliosis-specific physical therapy designed to strengthen and retrain the muscles of the back and core to hold the spine in improved alignment. The goal is to elongate, de-rotate, and stabilize the spine. The Schroth method consists of stretches, strengthening exercises, breathing techniques, and postural training exercises designed to address each individual curve type.

The 3D CAD CAM brace is a light-weight brace that addresses not only the Cobb angle of a curve, but also the rotation of the spine, providing for better corrections than other types of braces