Scoliosis affects an estimated 6-9 million people in the U.S. Roughly 3 million cases are diagnosed every year.
Often times if scoliosis is caught early enough the curve can be stabilized or reduced.
Early screening is done through the forward bend test. The forward bend test can be done at home using a bubble app or a scoliometer. The child bends forward and the bubble app or the scoliometer is run along the spine. If the angle of trunk rotation reads above 5 degrees then it is recommended to get x-rays reviewed by a spine specialist.
When scoliosis is caught early there are more options for treatment. Options can include bracing, Schroth physical therapy and less invasive surgery all dependent on the patient’s curve as well as their preferences.
Scoliosis Bracing
The 3D CADCAM Cheneau-style brace is a light-weight, custom brace fabricated on-site, that applies pressures to certain areas of the spine while providing opposite void space to shift the curves. “This design offers better correction than other styles of bracing and compliant use of the 3D CADCAM Scoliosis Brace can halt curve progression, help with pain and often provide correction in flexible curves,” says, KC Wheeler, Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist and Hey Clinic provider. The brace is also ultra-thin, ultra-light and less noticable under clothes, more comfortable, and easier to put on than the older off the shelf braces.
Schroth Physical Therapy
Schroth PT is a conservative, non-surgical approach to treating scoliosis. This form of treatment, when combined with bracing, has been shown to reduce progression of scoliosis during adolescent growth and, in some cases, decrease the angle of the spinal curvature.
Hey Clinic Schroth physical therapists will develop an individualized home exercise program after multiple one-on-one sessions in our office, so that the exercises can be continued on a daily basis, which is critical to the success of conservative treatment options.
Choosing Surgery
Despite our best efforts using conservative treatments some curves still progress. If a curve gets into the range where scoliosis surgery could be considered, we will discuss that option so the patient as well as the family can make an informed choice.
