By Maggie Victoria

My daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 8. She was stable. It was her diagnosis, that sent me to the web because I was not having her journey as mine was; a disaster. She has strongly expressed to me, that there will be no surgery, that she will not live life as I do. She said, even if she has to live twisted, she will not allow “them” to do to her what they did to me.

I came upon the CLEAR scoliosis treatment, and Schroth, and several other treatment options for her. Since there were treatments for her where she was schooled, I embarked upon a physical therapy program, and a regular chiropractor. This was my first mistake in her treatment. Understand that the generalists are not equipped to deal with scoliosis. They did nothing to help her. In fact, the treatment, largely ineffective had a very negative impact on her ability to cope with her diagnosis.

I continued to research online, and I found the CLEAR Institute, and one of their certified doctors, Clayton Stitzel DC. I found him to be very knowledgeable in the three dimensional non-surgical treatment of scoliosis. I found his passion to help, to educate, and raise awareness refreshing and motivating.

We found a CLEAR scoliosis treatment center near our home and my daughter has started treatment there. The wait and watch protocol, as suggested by the surgeon, has doubled her Cobb angle, and now she has rotation which is more difficult to treat. If only the surgeon had told us about CLEAR scoliosis treatment and recommended it to us, instead of waiting and watching while she progressed from early stages of scoliosis to a triple curve with rotation. Why are the orthopaedic doctors such a close-minded community! I am angered and frustrated, that I as a parent had to find the CLEAR Institute on my own.

She is early in her scoliosis treatment, she is doing well, her confidence levels have increased, she is standing taller and she is happy we are not sitting and waiting for it to triple.

Parents must be realistic to understand that scoliosis, like any other condition can be managed, it can be treated without surgery, (which is primarily for cosmetic reasons in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis anyway), and a child can live a very healthy normal life without surgery. Parents must also understand that nothing, not even scoliosis surgery, will always straighten the spine to that of non-scoliosis ranges.

My life has forever changed because of scoliosis surgery, cosmetically, I look like “hell” and considering that is the only reason to do surgery, we should have left it alone and I would have been better for it.

I support, counsel and share with scoliosis patients every day, who have come to me, for advice and a kind word. They suffer as I do, they are strong people, with good hearts who also share my passion, in non-surgical scoliosis treatment and the search for a better way.

My Advice to Parents

Have a sense of perspective. Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis is not the worst thing your child can be diagnosed with. It is not life threatening, children will not die without scoliosis surgery, their organs will not be crushed, scoliosis surgery is primarily indicated for cosmetic improvement only. Know that now, more than ever there are choices and options. Also have confidence in your ability to parent, knowing what is best for your child, because no one knows your child better than you.

Speak with other parents, join online forums, however, take what you read, remove the emotions, and weigh what you read based on your own common sense. Know that there are studies, but very few that illustrate the long term outcomes of surgery.

Do not wait and watch. There is non-surgical scoliosis treatment that can begin to attack the scoliosis and attempt to keep your child out of the operating room.

Do not be intimidated, in to making rash or rushed decisions about your child need for surgery. There is NO rush, there is time to seek out alternatives, to do your research, to get second and third opinions. Keep in mind that surgeons are paid to operate.

Understand that the best gift you can give your child is their health. Do your research, reach out, and never trust implicitly have the courage to question, to educate, and seek out non-surgical treatment. To me, these seem like common sense but when dealing with our children and diagnosis of disease it can be overwhelming.

This is my experience this is my story, and now my daughter`s journey which will not be the same as mine. Hers will be one where her body is unaltered, and we manage her condition as we would anything else. That is the greatest gift I can give her. Some day she has promised me, she will be an M.D. and she will foster change for the good of all.

Understand that there is resistance to change within the scoliosis community but we all want a better way to treat and to me, anything that will leave the body unaltered with such a severe and complicated surgery is a good day, for all of us in the scoliosis community.

We cannot control the genetic pre-disposition “cards” that our children are handed but we certainly can control and manage their health care and guard it as their best asset.

The mistakes of the past, will not repeat itself in her generation.