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

A wise man once said, "when in doubt, do something, because doing something isn't doing nothing, which isn't doing something......it's just doing nothing."

Quote from the NSF website.

"The data collected by orthopedists shows that without any form of treatment, 4 out of 5 minor curvatures will not progress beyond 20 degrees. For this reason, orthopedists no longer treat such minor curvatures but they do recommend periodic observation, especially in growing children."

Kind of sucks to be part of that 20% of patients whom the orthos are willing to throw under the bus huh? Anyway, the advent of genetic testing indicates that 25% (not 20%) of patient's diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) are pre-disposed to developing a severe curvature (>40*).....Which isn't to say that the other 75* of geneticly low risk patients can't or won't still experience significant curve progression that often leads to moderate to severe impact on their quality of life in adulthood.

Adult Scoliosis: A health assessment analysis by SF-36
SPINE 2003; 28(6): 602-606

"adult scoliosis patients with spinal curves 10 degree or greater scored significantly lower in 7 out of 8 categories including physical functioning, general health, social functioning, and body pain when compared to the general population. In fact the researchers concluded "It is our conclusion that adult scoliosis is becoming a medical condition of significant impact, affecting the fastest growing segment of our society to a previously unrecognized degree."

38,000 spinal fusion surgeries (many of which with terrible long-term outcomes) are being performed and 30,000 children are being needlessly stuffed into braces (which often cause life long self esteem, depression, and other psychological disorders in addition to being generally ineffective) each year, because the conventional wisdom of yesterday has decided to take a 're-active' approach to treating rapidly progressing curvatures, rather than a 'pro-active' approach to stabilizing and reducing them BEFORE they become increasing, progressive curvatures.

Don't let a lifetime be defined by scoliosis. Be pro-active, be assertive, be informed, and when in doubt do something!!!

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

Does bracing for scoliosis work?  In a word, No.  Here is yet another study that demostrates that bracing does not change the natural course of scoliosis.  This article even compared the bracing outcomes vs what the genetic testing (scoliscore) predicts.  The outcomes are exactly the same, which means back bracing for scoliosis had no effect.

Here is the article.

J Ogilvie , L Nelson, R Chettier and K Ward

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

author email corresponding author email

from 6th International Conference on Conservative Management of Spinal Deformities
Lyon, France. 21-23 May 2009

Scoliosis 2009, 4(Suppl 2):O59doi:10.1186/1748-7161-4-S2-O59

The electronic version of this abstract is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/4/S2/O59

Published: 14 December 2009

© 2009 Ogilvie et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Background

Orthotic treatment of children with AIS is a generally accepted treatment option. Failure of bracing to halt curve progression has been reported in 20% or more of patients, and it is known that some curves in children with AIS will not progress even if untreated. Success and failure rates of brace treatment vary considerably.

Purpose

We reviewed the response to brace treatment in patients who were also analyzed with a DNA-based adolescent idiopathic scoliosis progression test (AIS-PT) and compared this with the natural history of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis without treatment. Our purpose was to document the influence of orthotic care on the outcome at skeletal maturity.

Methods

Medical records and x-rays were reviewed, and DNA was collected with a saliva sample in two cohorts of Caucasian female AIS patients. A risk of progression score was calculated using 53 genetic markers with utility for calculating the risk of AIS curve progression from < 25° to > 40° before skeletal maturity or > 50° at maturity (1-200). Group A (2442 females) had no brace treatment and their outcome at maturity or surgery was known. Group B (308 females) were brace compliant for more than one year and their curve severity at maturity or surgery was known.

Results

There was little statistical difference in the curves representing risk of progression versus curve severity when the two groups were compared.

Conclusion

In this retrospective study of US Caucasian females, there was no statistically significant difference in the natural history of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis when comparing bracing treatment and no bracing treatment. At best, there was only a modest brace effect. Prospective trials with genotype homogeneity are needed to validate current assumptions about the efficacy of orthotic types and treatment regimens when bracing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.