Spinal Anatomy…and Scoliosis! Written by Emma Yuguchi Your spine is extremely complex and in fact – pretty remarkable! Throughout my scoliosis journey, I was intrigued at the amazing complexity of the spine. Although scoliosis can sometimes be confusing, it was fascinating to learn a little bit more about the backbone of my body. I remember Read more about Spinal Anatomy…and Scoliosis![…]
The Unknowns: Controllables vs Uncontrollables Written by Annie Kramer At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with severe idiopathic scoliosis. Walking into a new school as a 6th grader had its challenges, especially with the additional challenge of my worsening spine. Before I knew it my doctors put me in a full-time hard shell Read more about The Unknowns: Controllables vs Uncontrollables[…]
A Long Journey from Anxiety to Gratitude Written by Marja Heinonen My daughter, Kaisa, was seven when she was diagnosed with scoliosis. She wore scoliosis braces for nine years, from seven to 16. I could have hardly imagined that the foremost emotions seventeen years later would be gratitude and pride. But those are the feelings Read more about A Long Journey from Anxiety to Gratitude[…]
Growing Up in a Brace By Kaisa Virolainen I was 7 years old when I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2004. My scoliosis was juvenile (referring to childhood) and idiopathic (referring to unknown origin), and because I was so young, a brace was a more suitable option than a surgery. I would wear a brace, Read more about Growing Up in a Brace[…]
Let Them Play Sports! Addressing the Topic of Sports and Scoliosis The discovery of scoliosis or other spine structural changes often leads to a myriad of follow-up questions. Among them, discussion around the role of sports participation. Bottom line – let them continue to play sports! Let’s dig in a bit deeper. Today’s blog post Read more about Let Them Play Sports! Addressing the Topic of Sports and Scoliosis[…]
Mehta Casting Written by Pediatric RN, Sarah Tollison What is Mehta casting? Mehta casting is a series of casts that are changed every 2-3 months that gently straighten a child’s spine. The cast is made out of either plaster of paris or fiberglass and is shaped around their torso. There is a hole for their Read more about Mehta Casting[…]
Creating a Welcoming Environment for Your Scoliosis Patients When patients first enter our O&P offices, they are frequently already overwhelmed. Many have just found out about their scoliosis. Others have been being observed for years, but were just told that their curves have worsened. Emotions are high as they enter our office for their initial Read more about Creating a Welcoming Environment for Your Scoliosis Patients[…]
What Do We Know About What Causes Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis? HINT: It’s not caused by your child’s posture, backpack-carrying habits, or body mechanics Every so often, during my physical therapy evaluation with a family who has just discovered their teen has scoliosis, I will be asked the following set of questions: “Is it their posture Read more about What Causes Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?[…]
National Scoliosis Center Uses iButton to Track Brace Wear Time in Patients Successful scoliosis treatment for teens and children who select bracing to help them avoid surgery primarily depends on two factors – competency of the medical care team and brace wearing compliance by the patient. One of the biggest challenges for parents and the Read more about National Scoliosis Center Uses iButton to Track Brace Wear Time in Patients[…]
We’re In This Together: Creating A Support Network For Girls With Scoliosis Abby is 12 years old and was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2018. Shortly after, she was fit with her scoliosis brace at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Portland. She and her mom, Christine, began looking to connect with fellow bracers around Abby’s age. Read more about We’re In This Together[…]
Advice for Parents of BracersHaving had scoliosis herself, Aika’s mom shares her perspective and advice for parents of scoliosis bracers. Watch below!
What Is Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercise All About? Author Kelly Grimes, Physiotherapist (Full disclosure: I am a physiotherapist who has PSSE training. This is my take on PSSE.) Here is your brief lowdown on specific exercise for scoliosis and spine structural variations. If you’re an individual with scoliosis, kyphosis, or other spine structural variations, or a Read more about What Is Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercise All About?[…]
No Schroth Physiotherapist in Your Area? What Now? By Rosemary Marchese (Physiotherapist, Schroth and SEAS methods for Scoliosis) Schroth Physiotherapists can be found all around the world. However there is definitely more need in some areas. It might be frustrating if you find yourself with Scoliosis and in need of a Schroth physiotherapist and you Read more about No Schroth Physiotherapist in Your Area? What Now?[…]
Self Posture-Check! Screening Your Back for Scoliosis or Scoliosis Changes By Rosemary Marchese (Physiotherapist) A healthy posture is a great goal to aim for! You can have scoliosis and still make great improvements to your posture in many cases. Checking your back for scoliosis or scoliosis changes is best done by your treating doctor or physiotherapist Read more about Self Posture-Check! Screening Your Back for Scoliosis or Scoliosis Changes[…]
Taking Care Of Your Mental Health Growing up is tough. Growing up while wrapped in a giant scoliosis brace can be even tougher. We all know that bracing can be stressful, and we have research that supports this. Research has shown that bracing can lead to feelings of stress, anger, and shame, and bracers tend Read more about Taking Care Of Your Mental Health[…]
National Scoliosis Center Urges Parents to Check Children’s Spines Experts in spinal abnormalities at the National Scoliosis Center urge parents to be cognizant of changes in their children’s posture or complaints of lower back pain, as these may be indications of a spinal condition. Many of the signs and symptoms of spinal conditions are easily Read more about National Scoliosis Center Urges Parents to Check Children’s Spines[…]
Kylie’s Scoliosis Journey Hi! I’m Kylie. I live in Bossier City, Louisiana. I’m ten years old and I have scoliosis. I was first diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 7. At first, they just watched and waited to see what my back was going to do. It progressed a little between appointments but not too Read more about WCR Bracing, Schroth, and Curvy Girls – Kylie’s Journey[…]
The decision to move forward or not move forward with surgery is not one that should be taken lightly. Some cases are straight forward, while others, like Anastasia’s, are a little more complicated. Anastasia’s mom, Stacey, shares the dilemma they faced when their doctor did not recommend surgery for Anastasia’s 50° curve. While reliving this Read more about Surgery Is Not Always Recommended – Family Facing a Surgery Dilemma[…]
Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire Welcome to the Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire (BSSQ-Brace) These questions are about how you feel while wearing a brace. Please read this questionnaire carefully and answer truthfully. This questionnaire makes it easier for you to recognize any psychological stress caused by your brace. Your results will be shown on the next Read more about How Does Bracing Make You Feel?[…]
Brace Compliance from a Mom’s Perspective When my daughter was diagnosed with Scoliosis, it was hard for the whole family, including the parents. We were unfamiliar with what Scoliosis was. We were worried about the idea of our daughter getting the brace and the impact it would have. How would she feel? Will it hurt? Read more about Brace Compliance from a Mom’s Perspective[…]