It is important to understand what Scoliosis actually is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. Also, it is more likely to occur in girls rather than in boys. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is genetics, hence the label "idiopathic scoliosis".  So what? Is there anything that you can do to mitigate the 'scoliosis' gene from expressing itself? Or, is there anything that you can do to mitigate scoliosis progression once the gene has expressed itself? YES. There are environmental triggers that could be avoided and there are also proactive measures you can take to stabilize or maintain your scoliosis in check.  One of them being exercise based scoliosis treatment. But, not just any scoliosis exercises...

Exercises such as Leg & Arm Extensions, back extension, and triceps raises are some of the exercises that are posted all over the internet that claim they can help with scoliosis. Not true.  These exercises do nothing for scoliosis.

With so much mixed information on the internet concerning scoliosis and exercises, it is no wonder many adults and children are weary about the benefits of exercise with scoliosis. Some will avoid exercise for the fear that it may exacerbate their scoliosis. While this may be true of some exercises, certain exercises, if done correctly can be helpful.

An exercise based scoliosis treatment that incorporates neuromuscular re-education is best.  Scoliosis treatment that does not incorporate any exercises to re-educate the brain (i.e. neuro-muscular re-education) or strengthen the spinal and core muscles will not work for long term correction. Note: A strong core is essential in a scoliosis maintenance treatment. Note 2: Posture is the window to your Spinal health. An exercise based scoliosis treatment program will help both your core and your posture.  So, if you have scoliosis...catch yourself as you sit.  How's your posture? Are you slouching? or leaning over to the side position?  If yes, these are signs that you would benefit from an exercise based scoliosis treatment incorporating neuromuscular re education, core strengthening and postural awareness exercises.

By Dr. Aatif Siddiqui

The search for the most effective “scoliosis treatment in New York City" area is often long, complex, and confusing when it really shouldn't be or at least doesn't have to be.  While the ultimate cause of idiopathic scoliosis is still technically unknown, it isn't like we don't know anything about scoliosis or scoliosis treatment in the New York City area.

For example, Scoliscore genetic testing now allows us to identify the "most" at risk children with scoliosis from a genetic pre-disposition stand point, which allows the scoliosis doctor to craft a treatment plan that solely focuses on how to reduce the environmental factors which often drive the scoliosis condition to the point of requiring scoliosis surgery.

Scoliosis treatment in New York City area has to evolve past the obsolete scoliosis brace treatment many traditional scoliosis specialists still continue to recommend to this very day, despite a mountain of research it showing it is ineffective.  Which is actually pretty self-evident when you think about it, since scoliosis brace treatment doesn't eliminate or reduce ANY of the environmental influence that help cause scoliosis.

Our "Mix, Fix, and Set" is a revolutionary new scoliosis treatment in New York City area and it can actually re-train the brain to learn how to hold the spine in a straighter position in as little as 4-6 months.  That's right, it only takes 120-180 days to re-educate the brain to automatically straighten the spine and reduce the scoliosis....Permanently.  I know it sounds too good to be true, but it all makes sense when you realize that scoliosis is really primarily a neurological problem with its primary AFFECTS on the spine in the form of a curvature.  That means scoliosis treatment in New York City needs to start in the brain, not the spine.

Our “Scoliosis Boot Camp” is specifically designed to provide patients scoliosis treatment in the New York City area with 5 and 10 days scoliosis treatment plans that can achieve rapid curve reductions and start patients back on the road to a scoliosis free life.  These high intensity, full day treatments are single best way to reverse the scoliosis curve progression and the curve with minimal disruption to daily schedules and least amount of lost time from school. 

Treat the CAUSE of scoliosis, not just the curve. 

 Please request a "scoliosis treatment in New York City" info kit here.

Scoliosis has been part of the recorded medical history for the last 3,500 years and our understanding of it is obviously much improved since then, but still poorly understood overall.  The newest research and understanding of the condition points to it being primarily a neuro-hormonal cause and the spinal curve (the scoliosis) is a reaction/ primary symptom.  
 
Scoliosis bracing and scoliosis surgery are based on the old philosophy that scoliosis is soley a spine disease, not primarily a neuro-hormonal condition that causes a spine disease, so their methodology is based on a "treat the spine only" mentality and this is reflected in the poor results each methodoloy displays in long-term research studies.  Essentially, scoliosis brace treatment is worthless and scoliosis surgery may be worse than doing nothing at all in many cases.
 
Here is where our scoliosis treatment system/methodology comes into the mix.  We recognize that scoliosis is primarily a neuro-hormonal condition and the spinal curve is merely a symptom of the underlying disease, which is why our program/product and message is so refreashing and unique.....and hopefully appealing and accepted.

Patients/parents are entering the scoliosis treatment process at different points and at very different levels of experience with scoliosis treatment.  The biggest difference isn't education about scoliosis or financial restraints, but rather sense of urgency.
 
The current scoliosis treatment model uniformally follows the guidelines of curves 0-25* are observed only/ no treatment; curves 25*-40* are recommended for some sort of bracing; and curves 40* and larger are recommended for scoliosis surgery, which is not medically necessary and primarily indicated for cosmetic improvement of the spinal/toso deformity.  Keep in mind that some of the long-term scoliosis surgery studies indicate failure rates as high as 40% only 17 years post op.
 
So the mother who googles "scoliosis treatment" after learning her 12 year old daughter has a mild scoliosis curvature and the ortho doctor has told her it's not big deal and we will just re-evaluate it again in 6 months has a low sense of urgency, but enough concern to go out on the internet and do some checking around for her own piece of mind.  While the mother with a 14 year old daughter with a scoliosis spine of 45* and the orthopedic surgeon is pushing her hard (usually via guild or fear) to schedule her daughter for scoliosis surgery ASAP is coming into the scoliosis treatment process with a high sense of ugency and anxiety sense of urgency.  The mother's with daughters in scoliosis braces are generally already in the process, but at their wits end, because their kid refuses to wear the brace or it isn't working, so the are left with a sense of frustration and defeat, instead of a sense of urgency.

We understand the scoliosis treatment process is confusing and frustrating.  Many consider it out-dated and techologically obselete in many ways.  We agree that we need a better way and that is the goal of creating a scoliosis exercise based treatment approach that permanently re-trains the brain to learn how to hold the scoliosis spine in a straighter position automatically.  We know it sounds too good be true to many, but some times the good things are true.  We need a better way and we hope you agree that future scoliosis treatments must make the transition towards minimally invasive, exercises for scoliosis based approachs that target the neuro-hormonal causes of the scoliosis condition and not just the scoliosis curve.

My Motivation and About Me

By Maggie Victoria

I am writing this article, in the hope that you the reader will understand, my journey as a Mom of a scoliosis child, and I, a post scoliosis surgery patient. It is my hope that you will find insight, and knowledge in my journey and experience with my Life after scoliosis surgery, and now my daughters journey through her challenge to stabilize and treat her scoliosis against the norms, of the scoliosis treatment protocol, which is “wait and watch”, “scoliosis bracing”, progression and ultimately, the last choice scenario of scoliosis surgery.

Her diagnosis of scoliosis was a devastating blow to me. I realized then that I could not allow my experience to become hers and I would not allow her to sit and wait until she reached surgical levels. It is her diagnosis that has led me to become a passionate advocate of CLEAR scoliosis treatment methods, and non-surgical scoliosis treatment of her scoliosis during the normal surgical protocol of wait and watch. C.L.E.A.R. stands for "Chiropractic Leadership, Educational Advancement, & Research"

I came upon the CLEAR Institute through my research on the web and contacted them. What I found surprised me, delighted me, and excited me. These professionals are devoted to the non-surgical scoliosis treatment of our children and they are highly educated in scoliosis and its anomalies. They are quietly, revolutionizing, and bettering the health of the scoliosis child without surgery. With just one visit to a certified CLEAR doctor, I knew we were in the right place, and such a stark contrast to the experience we had at the scoliosis surgery clinic.  

I want to share my experience and my journey with you, the reader, in hopes, that you too, will seek the truth, about scoliosis treatments, about the controversy that is now surrounding scoliosis surgery i.e. its benefits vs. its long term outcomes and risks.

I hope it will provoke questions, and thought and further research, so you the parent, will make the best decision possible, without pressure, or haste fort the benefit of your child and your child’s health. Scoliosis treatment with the CLEAR Institute methods does no harm and creates no pain.  Unlike scoliosis surgery, which is life altering and permanent. Once your scoliosis spine is surgically fused, you are forever, now limited going forward in your ability to take advantage of the new, promising treatments and research advances that will be available. I am not willing to close that door for my daughter.

Be well, and best Wishes.

~Maggie

Life after Scoliosis Surgery

Please note, the following content is not to degrade or bash the scoliosis surgeon who has devoted their life to the surgical treatment of our community. It is rather, to raise awareness, of the options that we now have available to us for non-surgical scoliosis intervention. I think this next decade, has exciting times ahead for us, as we journey through, to find the better way.

There are millions of individuals diagnosed with scoliosis world-wide.  Many of these children will undergo invasive and life altering spinal fusion scoliosis surgery. Most often the parents and the families are told that scoliosis fusion scoliosis surgery is the only way to treat the scoliosis patient once the curve progresses above a pre-determined threshold. I have spoken and dialoged with many scoliosis surgical patients, who were told that without  scoliosis surgery they would be dead, as their heart and lungs would be crushed. Upon challenging this very ideal, I am met with great resistance, and this notion just is not true. Research indicates that the disease of scoliosis is not life threatening. In fact, many insurance companies are beginning to review these scoliosis surgeries, for the benefits vs. the costs of the scoliosis surgery itself. If you are told that there is no choice, and surgery is a must, and must be done immediately, please pause, please ask questions, and please do not rush to scoliosis fusion surgery.

There has been vast progress in the non-invasive, non-surgical approach to scoliosis treatment. There are options available that have shown to stabilize, decrease, or reverse the scoliosis while keeping the mind, body and spirit, intact and whole. Currently, there are somewhere in the range of about 800,000 people in America with scoliosis.

We continue to rely on antiquated treatment methods, that do very little to address the root cause of the curve. Standard treatment protocol for the scoliosis patients is “wait and watch”, “scoliosis brace” and scoliosis surgery. This leaves parents and children very few options, but scoliosis fusion surgery as the scoliosis curve progresses and rotates.

The Pre-conceived Notions about Scoliosis and Its Treatment

Doctors, the scoliosis community and even the published media continually indoctrinate those newly diagnosed that nothing but surgical correction of scoliosis, can address the condition of scoliosis. What is not conveyed to each new patient is that generally scoliosis bracing does not hold the spine stable, and does nothing to reverse the scoliosis, and the wait and watch protocol, is largely a ticking time bomb that ultimately can lead to scoliosis surgery, for those who are sure to progress without non-surgical scoliosis intervention.

Scoliosis surgery, is brute force lateral curve correction, with spinal fusion, and metal instrumentation introduced to the body that will have long term outcomes that are not favorable and can lead to patients becoming permanently disabled, living with severe debilitating chronic pain at a time in their lives when they least expect it.

Scoliosis surgeries are not to be taken lightly. These scoliosis surgeries are complex, and they are not without risk of short and long term complications. When complications arise, long term, there is no standard treatment protocol to address the complications and no one individual will have the same issues as the next. Complications, of premature wear above and below the instrumentation and fusion levels can occur, degenerative disc disease (DDD), stenosis (narrowing that causes pinching of the nerves or spinal cord), facet joint arthropathy (joint disease), bone spur formation, osteoarthritis, spondylitis, spondylolesthesis, loss of correction, flat back syndrome, instrumentation failure and surgical failure etc.

The patient, with failed scoliosis surgery syndrome, quickly gets caught up, in a vicious circle of medical professionals, they are largely dismissed, some are even referred to psychiatrists for emotional issues, that are diagnosed as a result of the so called treatment team not being able to identify why this patient is failing to thrive. Most of these scoliosis patients end up finding peace, support, and guidance on online forums, and groups for folks that suffer just as they are. They are further victimized by the health care system as they are tossed from surgeon to surgeon and prescribed inadequate treatments that are meant to pacify rather than fix the root cause. These patients do not have the courage and have a voice until they find out through online forums that they are one of many others suffering just the same. The only answer for these patients is more surgery, surgery that is far more complex and dangerous then the first scoliosis surgery. To add further insult to injury most of these patients have to fight to get any government disability income what so ever. Many of them are turned down several times, and end up needing a lawyer to fight for what is rightfully theirs. The question in my mind, is who is accountable for these failed surgeries, who is accountable for the generations of people who are now in failure, who have lost their abilities, their quality of lives, their ability to earn an income that far exceeds what any individual would receive on SSI disability benefits. We have lost generations of productive contributing adults who are now living in chronic pain.

We must begin to question, why scoliosis surgeries are on the rise in America and why it is being promoted as the only treatment that must be performed to address the lateral curve of the scoliosis patients. We must become skeptics in our own healthcare as these surgeries are presented as “life and death” scenarios that must be performed immediately once the patient advances to perceived surgical levels. We must also begin to question the very elements that are used to determine the severity of the scoliosis Cobb angle. We know that the measurement of the Cobb angle only addresses the scoliosis curvature from a two dimensional perspective and this is flawed from the onset as scoliosis is more than two dimensional. We must begin to question, to research to find a better way.

The medical community as an entity must better service its scoliosis community of patients by making parents aware of these non-surgical treatments developed by the CLEAR Institute for the sake and the well-being of the patient.

We are being told after all this time, that the only way to improve, to relieve (non-existent symptoms of pain) is to open the body up, chip away at bone from hips and ribs for harvest to the spinal vertebrae, to take the mobile, flexible spine and to fuse it to a solid, immobile structure that will become rigid, and instrument the spine, with large and invasive pieces of metal. The body, and its natural mechanics now permanently altered and the long term outcomes unknown.

We must begin to change mindset, to think progressively, and put aside the traditional treatment modalities to advance and to a better way of non-surgical, non-invasive treatment approaches for long term health benefits.

We as a community and as a parent must do our research, stay mindful of the advances in non-surgical scoliosis treatments and challenge the status quo for the best of our children.

Dr. Brian T Dovorany provides scoliosis rehabilitation in Wisconsin and offers a 2 week scoliosis boot camp which can significantly reduce a scoliosis curvature when measured on x-ray using the Cobb’s method. The program aids as a jump start to successfully reducing and stabilizing scoliosis long term in both children and adults. The boot camp program is not painful or exhausting and most patients find it much less physically demanding than they had thought it would be. Unlike traditional exercises for scoliosis treatments, like Schroth, this program doesn’t require the tremendous effort from the patient nor the precision of getting every movement or position perfect. This innovative approach recruits muscle memory through challenging the body’s postural righting reflexes which control spinal alignment. Since we cannot consciously create scoliosis through movement or positioning it is highly unlikely that you can permanently correct scoliosis using this principle.

Through tremendous amounts of trial and error Dr Dovorany has developed a mechanism in which we can cause scoliosis in a person that doesn’t have the condition and therefore using this principle we can apply this mechanism to correct scoliosis. Since the body responds in time and in need to its environment by challenging the postural reflexes correctly we can cause the body to adapt to this increased demand and significantly reduce an existing spinal curvature and in some instances eliminate the scoliosis all together.

Scoliosis Rehabilitation in Wisconsin has helped hundreds of children and adults successfully reduce and stabilize their scoliosis without labor intensive home care which often takes hours out of your day for a few degrees of change but rather significantly reducing scoliosis by as much as 80% in as little as 20 minutes twice a day.

If this sounds too good to be true than just take a look at our results page or ask to contact other patients who have received Scoliosis Rehabilitation in Wisconsin by Dr Dovorany to find out how they were able to succeed at beating their scoliosis condition. Better than braces, safer than surgery and certainly less work with greater rewards than the Schroth program right here in Wisconsin.

The question of “how to treat scoliosis” has been asked over and over again for the past 3,500 years of recorded medical history and the controversy the “how to treat scoliosis” question still rages on to this day. 

The very nature of the scoliosis condition is a topic of great debate, which only fuels the “how to treat scoliosis” argument even further due to the uncertainty about what even causes idiopathic scoliosis.  Generally, there are several different schools of thought; for most of scoliosis medical history doctors and quasi-researchers have assumed that idiopathic scoliosis was caused solely by an abnormal spinal bone growth that caused one part of the spinal bones to grow faster on one side than another.  While it is without a doubt that Dr. Stokes’ 1996 publication of “the vicious cycle of scoliosis progression” outlines a mechanism in which asymmetrical loading on the scoliosis spine will cause the bones to grow in a slightly wedge deformity, it also clearly demonstrates this process is a secondary adaptation to the scoliosis spine and not the cause of idiopathic scoliosis.  Unfortunately, most scoliosis brace treatment is still to this day based off this false notion of being able to fix scoliosis through this “guided growth” attempt at “how to treat scoliosis” and is plagued by low compliance and high scoliosis treatment failure rates.  Essentially, scoliosis brace treatment attempts to treat the bone wedging symptom of idiopathic scoliosis, instead of treating the scoliosis condition itself.

The most current researchers almost unanimously agree that idiopathic scoliosis stems from a yet to be determined neurological feedback system that fails to coordinate the scoliosis spine in terms of neurological alignment to gravity when weight bearing and possibly the symmetrical growth of the nervous system (the spinal cord in particular) in relation to spinal bone growth.  Dr. Porter (a noted scoliosis researcher) supported the uncoupled neuro-osseous growth concept of idiopathic scoliosis being a physical manifestation of the mal-adaption of the growing immature spine to the tether created by the short spinal cord. This evidence for this was the finding that the conus medullaris (the end of the spinal cord) position is NOT significantly different from that of a normal spine.

Dr. Chu re-examined the Roth-Porter theory via an MRI study (comparing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients with severe curvatures vs normal subjects) in 2007. They found the vertebral column in the idiopathic scoliosis population was significantly longer, yet the there was no detectable change in spinal cord length. They speculated that the initiation and progression of Idiopathic scoliosis result from vertebral column over-growth through a mal-adaptation of the spine to the subclinical tether of a relatively short spinal cord.  This would suggest that the rapid curve progression seen in idiopathic scoliosis would be a twisting type reaction to too much stretching on the spinal cord as the scoliosis spine bone attempt to grow vertically.

Thus, all attempts in “how to treat scoliosis” in the future must be based on stimulating or re-training the neurological spinal feedback mechanisms and reducing the bio-mechanical stress on the spinal cord in the idiopathic scoliosis patient prior to the onset of the adolescent growth spurt (approximately age 12 in females). 

The early stage scoliosis intervention program was specifically designed to address these key concepts in the most updated understanding of the scoliosis condition and provide parents and patients the greatest opportunity for success in answering the “how to treat scoliosis” question.

Please click here to receive a FREE SCOLIOSIS TREATMENT INFORMATION KIT.

            It is agreed that very little is known about the cause and cure of the scoliosis patient.  Obviously, there is no cure for the disease, or no one would have it.  However, an effective system of treatment for the reduction and stabilization of scoliosis has emerged on the scene.  The fight against scoliosis is being lead by the doctors of the CLEAR(Chiropractic Leadership Educational Advancement & Research)  Institute, who have developed a system of neuro-muscular rehabilitation, chiropractic adjustments, and vibration therapies that essentially “reverse engineer” the condition. This treatment provides a viable alternative to the traditional bracing and surgical treatment choices.

Clear-Institutes highly advanced protocol consists of three primary functions in its ability to reverse engineer scoliotic spines; the first being what’s referred to as the MIX component, the second component termed FIX, and lastly a SET component designed to secure the changes taking place. The MIX component is designed specifically to cause a relaxation of the scoliotic spine by using bio-mechanical and bio-chemical reactions created from cyclical motion, heat, pressure, and specific vibrational frequencies. The MIX component is critical because the amount of reduction of a spinal curvature is in most cases directly proportional to the curves flexibility. The MIX component is designed to enhance the flexibility of the spinal curvature.

The FIX component involves a very sophisticated analysis of the patients spinal biomechanics using both static and dynamic x-rays. The global spine is then broken down into 6 primary functional units using vector analysis which is commonly used in the engineering field. CLEAR doctors are trained extensively in this process and are able to consistently create a spinal adjusting sequence to match the patient’s biomechanical needs. Spinal adjusting is a combination of techniques using instrumentation, drop mechanisms, and hand contact force. A critical part of adjusting protocols which differs from the general chiropractic profession is that P-A thoracic spine adjusting is contraindicated in the scoliotic patient and is never performed by CLEAR doctors.

The SET component is a combination of fixing and setting the spine. It involves traction coupled with de-rotation and vibration. The primary weapon utilized to accomplish this unique combination of therapies is the scoliosis traction chair or “STC”. The STC provides the scoliotic patient an opportunity to workout in a decompression environment. The STC has the ability to create global spine traction, de-rotation using a specific ratchet system with strapping, and vibration based muscle reeducation similar to the very publicized whole body vibration fitness craze. The SET component continues with specific spinal isometric exercises in addition to gait and proprioception re-training.

            Due to the coupled motion (lateral bending and rotation) of spinal movement patterns, scoliosis creates a twisting of the spine around its own axis.  Much like twisting a rubber band from the top and bottom, the middle of the rubber band is susceptible to buckling into a curved and rotated position which is the beginning appearance of the spinal curvature.

            The twisted and bent position of the spine creates a tremendous amount of torque which then further drives the existing spinal curvature into more twisting and bending and results in further buckling (increase in the spinal curvature).  This becomes a self feeding loop which is often referred to as the “crankshaft phenomenon”.  Often at this point the spinal deformity starts becoming outwardly apparent in the form of a torso translation or a rib hump.

            A large scale, medically peer reviewed study clearly shows that curvatures under 30 degrees (measured with the Cobb angle method) in early spinal development (Risser’s sign of 0-1) will see their spinal curvature progress 68% of the time. (1)  Since the majority of spinal curvatures under 30 degrees are diagnosed in pre-adolescents, a progression of the spinal curvature can be expected over 2/3 of the time!

            The current medical standard for the treatment of scoliosis does not recommend any treatment for spinal curvatures until they progress to a lofty 25 degrees Cobb’s angle.  At that point, spinal bracing is recommended which has not been showed to effect the progression of the curvature until it reaches a measurement above 30 degrees Cobb’s angle. (2)  While there have been no research attempts to introduce the concept of highly invasive surgery into the early intervention of scoliosis, one study shows a worse outcome for patients whom had the surgery at a younger age than patients whom were older at the time of the surgery. (3)  Spine Cor has attempted to introduce bracing into the realm of early scoliosis intervention with little to no success. (4)  Despite early scoliosis intervention in terms of patient age and size of curvature, both bracing and surgery have shown poor results.It is apparent that a non-surgical, non-bracing early scoliosis intervention for the treatment of spinal curvatures and idiopathic adolescent scoliosis is long over-due. 

            What CLEAR trained doctors are finding out is that curvatures under 30 degrees when treated using their protocols respond even better than curves over 30 degrees. In most cases of curvatures under the 30 degree mark, full correction to under 10 degrees is not only obtainable, but fairly common. Spinal curvatures reduced to below 10 degrees are no longer considered a scoliosis by most authorities meaning it would be defined as a cure. The bio-mechanical reasoning for this response is most likely due to a lack of “coildown phenomenon” being present in curves at this smaller level. Radiographic review of smaller curves, under 30 degrees, demonstrate much less visible spinous process rotation at this level indicating less torque, and therefore more flexibility.The higher the degree of flexibility of the curve the greater amount of correction is possible.

CLEAR recommends that chiropractors refer any curvatures detected to a properly trained doctor that can apply these protocols in either an expanded treatment schedule over the course of several months or if a certified doctor is not within driving distance for the patient an “Intensive Care” program can be administered which generally is done in one week with smaller curves under 30 degrees. CLEAR doctors will then work with the referring chiropractor and coordinate treatment plans together to better serve the patient.

There are several ways to identify smaller curvatures including visual posture analysis demonstrating a tipped shoulder, high hip, or even translation of the skull or pelvis,

 scoliometers can detect even relatively small curvatures.  The most reliable and definitive test would be to take a full spine standing x-ray. Other factors to consider when suspecting a possible curvature are forward head posture or sway back type postures.

1.  Lonstein & Carlson, The prediction of curve progression in untreated scoliosis during growth, J Bone Surg Am 1984 Sep;66(7):1061-71

2.   The etiology of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

           Am J Orthop 2002 Jul;31 (7) :387-95

Ahn et al, New Hampshire Spine Institute

3.    Brace treatment during pubertal growth spurt in girls
with idiopathic scoliosis (IS): A prospective trial
                                                                    comparing two different concepts                                                                    

Pediatr Rehabil 2005 Jul-Sep;8(3):199-206 (ISSN: 363-8491)
Weiss HR; Weiss GM

4.   Hawes M., University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. Pediatr Rehabil. 2006   

Well over 500,000 kids are diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis each year and the same sense of fear, panic, and uncertainty runs straight through the minds of each and every one of their parents minds shortly thereafter.  This is partly due to the mysterious nature of the condition, but also the highly invasive and socially awkward manner scoliosis treatment as developed over the years.  Spinal brace treatment’s effectiveness is highly questionable at best, and every parent can remember at least one young girl in high school whom suffered through high school wearing a scoliosis brace.  The really unlucky kids developed very a severe scoliosis spine and wound up having scoliosis surgery, with may have seemed successful at the time, but are more than likely feeling  the negative long-term complications associated with radical multiple level spinal fusion now. 

As with most things in life,  often the first moves and decisions made during the early stages of any serious situation can set the tone and pave the way for future scoliosis treatment success; so I have created a short list of the things parents should consider during the early stages of scoliosis treatment that will reduce the risk of further curve progression, provide their child with the best opportunity to reverse the scoliosis spine if possible, and provide them with the “peace of mind” that they are doing absolutely everything possible to help their child be successful in scoliosis  treatment.

• Early stage scoliosis intervention™ is the only pro-active scoliosis treatment option that allows scoliosis patients to engage in an active rehabilitation program the targets the re-training of the brains automatic postural control centers.

• Scoliscore™ genetic testing can determine your child’s genetic pre-disposition for severe curve progression.  This test provides invaluable information that will aide and assists in virtually every scoliosis treatment decision parents make over the course of the next 2-4 years. 
• Chose a scoliosis treatment philosophy and stick with it.  A wise man once said, “The only ones who get hurt on roller coasters are the ones who jump off before the ride stops”.  Idiopathic scoliosis is a chronic progressive condition and there will be good and bad days while the patient is undergoing any given scoliosis treatment program.  “Jumping ship” too early is an all too common after a single negative re-evaluation report.

Please click here to receive a FREE SCOLIOSIS TREATMENT INFORMATION KIT.

The term “Idiopathic” means “unknown cause” and when applied to scoliosis it can cause sheer terror in the hearts of parents, anxiety in the minds of teenagers, and bewilderment in the thought process of treating doctors.  For literally centuries, the standard of scoliosis treatment has been scoliosis brace treatment and scoliosis surgery, which are only concerned about treating the spinal curvature itself, but not the underlying cause of the idiopathic scoliosis condition.

The most current research and theories on idiopathic scoliosis are focusing the concept of the scoliosis condition being primarily a neurological condition with its primary effects on the spine.  That would mean the crooked spine seen on the x-ray is really a symptom of the underlying neurological condition and not the condition itself.  Metaphorically it could be described as watching the wind through a window.  You can’t actually see the wind, but you can see the effects of the wind (direction, hard it’s blowing, ect) on the trees, grass, flags, ect. and determine a lot of accurate information about what’s going on out there.  The same can be said in regards to the viewing the scoliosis spine on and x-ray and determining a lot of accurate information about the neurological effects of scoliosis.

It’s not surprising that traditional approaches to scoliosis treatment have been skewed to only treat what they can see (since that is human nature) and it is equally not surprising that much of the history of scoliosis treatment (scoliosis brace treatment and scoliosis surgery) is based on this “over-simplified” understanding as well.  Fortunately, the winds are change are once again blowing and new concepts of neurological re-training the automatic postural control centers in the brain as a primary form of scoliosis treatment are starting to emerge. 

While most people take normal spinal posture (automatic neurological orientation to gravity) for granted, this is the core dysfunction the idiopathic scoliosis patient faces.  These automatic postural control centers are located in the hind brain in the same areas many of the other automatic body functions are controlled (heart rate, breathing, digestion, ect) and are not voluntarily controlled.  This means any attempts to stimulate these automatic postural control centers cannot come from voluntary movement patterns that require intentional effort.  The only way to re-train these automatic postural control centers is to create a “re-active” rehabilitation effect that sends correct feed back into the hind brain, which in turn sends out a correct response to the spinal muscles resulting in a 3-D auto-correction of the scoliosis spine.

While this seems rather complicated and difficult to do, it really isn’t all that tough once you understand how the system works.  When the brain automatically orients the spine to gravity it essentially is trying to “line up” the major center masses of the torso (head, torso, pelvic) in 3 dimension space.  This is done through a series of reflexes called “the righting reflexes” which send feedback from the eyes, inner ears, cervical spine, torso, pelvis, and feet.  While it remains unclear exactly which of the feedback mechanisms is not reporting or mis-reporting information to the brain, it clearly is having a dramatic affect on the scoliosis spine position while the patient is vertically relating to gravity (sitting or standing). 

The neuro-muscular re-training system developed specifically for scoliosis by the CLEAR Institute creates the exact stimulus that triggers the auto-correction response from the automatic postural control centers in the brain and will actually “re-train the brain” to “learn” how to hold the scoliosis spine in a new and straighter position if utilized on a daily basis for an extended period of time (4-6 months).  This non-invasive, exercise based approach is the first to target the exact automatic postural control areas through a “re-training” effect and address the underlying root cause of idiopathic scoliosis.

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One of the most common mis-understandings people seem to have about idiopathic scoliosis and scoliosis treatment is that scoliosis is a chronic, progressive condition, but it isn’t necessary unstable and doesn’t come from having weak muscles.  In fact, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the spine itself (other than being crooked), which is probably why scoliosis brace treatment and scoliosis surgery yield such poor short and long-term results, respectively, in most cases.  Whist, that being said, there are activities that scoliosis patients should avoid.  Some of these suggestions are rooted in research supported conclusion, but many haven’t been studied yet, and most are in reality just common sense.  

 “What position should I sleep in?” is a very common question  I get from scoliosis patients and generally speaking the only sleeping position scoliosis patients really need to avoid is “stomach sleeping”.   Sleeping on one’s stomach has multiple negative aspects (including lower and mid back pain), but more importantly for scoliosis patients it forces the normal spine position out of the side view dimension and into the abnormal scoliosis curve.  The take away message is don’t sleep on your stomach; especially if you have scoliosis

There seems to be enough circumstantial evidence/research to conclude that activities that cause a “flattening” or hyper-extension of the mid back may cause progression in scoliosis curves.  This type of motion is often referred to as a “back bend” and it seems to be related to the frequency (# of times) the patient is engaging in the bending, and not how much they bend each time.  Scoliosis patients in gymnastics and ballet classes should be particularly careful, because of the amount of back bends each requires for practice and competition.

A scoliosis spine already causes an abnormal loading of the spine and poor postural habits only serve to increase the abnormal bio-mechanical stress on an already compromised spine.  This is often increased greatly when the patient engages in slumped postures (seated or standing) during computer use, texting, and video game playing.  While no studies have actually been conducted to link these activities to scoliosis progression, it just seems like common sense to me.

Much like the slumped posture creates abnormal loading of the scoliosis spine; Over-loaded backpacks may lead to curve progression in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis as well.  Most schools will readily provide an extra set of text books, so the student can keep a set at home and at school eliminating the need for transferring the books.  The total weight of the patient’s backpack should not exceed 10% of their body weight as a general rule of thumb.

Sticking with the abnormal loading of the scoliosis spine theme, uneven spinal loading with a back pack (carrying a back pack over one shoulder, instead of both shoulders) causes abnormal loading of the spinal curvature and could cause curve progression.  Again, there is no research to indicate this is a major concern in scoliosis, but I doubt any research has been done on the subject either…..and once again, it just kind of makes sense.

The wide spread advent of huge backyard trampolines has been a blessing for many young and teenage children, but it’s a curse for adolescents with scoliosis.  The compressive nature of the patient’s body weight multiplied by the number of times they bounce up and down in short period of time may lead to a rapid advancement of the spine curvature referred to as “postural collapse”.  Bottom line:  Back yard trampolines may be fun, but it isn’t worth the risk for scoliosis patients.

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