Why is early detection and treatment of pediatric scoliosis so important? During growth spurts, scoliosis curves can progress rapidly making parents wish they had braced their child earlier. The “lets wait and see what happens” attitude is not recommended, a treatable adolescent scoliosis has the best outcome potential if immediate and regular attention is given. It is biologically easier to change the direction of a curve that is still growing than one that has stopped growing. The smaller the scoliosis curve the better the prognosis (predicted outcome of treatment).
The SpineCor brace is designed to allow for total freedom of movement. This is especially important for children: movement allows for proprioceptive input to the brain (the input from nerves in your joints telling the brain where a part of your body is at any given time). The SpineCor brace also allows for the strengthening of muscles through normal activity, rather than a weakening or atrophy of muscles due to lack of movement. We encourage children fitted with the SpineCor brace to participate in all activities while wearing the brace under clothing. And because it is virtually undetectable, children are more prone to wear it as directed. This increases compliance and results in greater changes.
Why Do I Need To Wear A Brace?
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The goal of bracing is to try and keep your curve from progressing. If the curve in your spine is more than 25 degrees and you still have a lot of growing to do, your scoliosis curvature could rapidly get worse.
Because bracing is designed to halt the progression of the curve, it’s generally not recommended for treating scoliosis in young people who are skeletally mature or almost mature. Once skeletal growth has reached a certain point, or if the curve has become too severe (typically more than 40-50 degrees), bracing is generally not as effective.
We will determine if bracing is the appropriate treatment for your spinal curve. If so we will decide if the SpineCor Brace is appropriate and the length of time the brace should be worn.
The SpineCor brace is a revolutionary new concept in the treatment of scoliosis. Past braces utilized rigid structures to physically apply pressure to the spine and force it back into a more normal position. The SpineCor brace is completely different in the fact that it is not rigid and does not force the spine to move.
The SpineCor concept is unique in the fact that the results are achieved not so much by the brace but by the interaction of the brace with the patients Corrective Movement. Researchers at the St. Justine Children’s hospital in Montreal Canada have developed Corrective Movements for all types of idiopathic scoliosis to “open up” or correct the curves. The patient is then braced in that corrective movement and held there 20 hours per day by the elastic bands that make up the brace. The real action in the brace is in the elastic bands. As the patient goes through the movements of the day, they stretch the elastic bands and the bands then resist and pull them back into the corrective movement. This stimulates the growth centers in the deformed vertebra and it stimulates the neuromuscular system and over time the gentle resistance of the brace and the reprogramming of the bodies neuromuscular pattern results in a relatively permanent stabilization or correction of the scoliosis in 89% of patients. These are phenomenal results!
The SpineCor brace targets the four key progression factors of idiopathic scoliosis:
- Neuromuscular dysfunction
- Growth Asymmetry
- Postural disorganization
- Spinal deformation
The old style rigid braces only target spinal deformation. Hence, when rigid braces are removed, there is a high likelihood that the spine will regress back to its original state. With the SpineCor brace the results are maintained out of the brace in 97% of patients. This far exceeds rigid scoliosis braces.
Unlike rigid braces where patients walk around like a robot, SpineCor allows patients to do virtually any physical activity they want, except swimming, in the brace. In fact exercise and activity are absolutely essential for the SpineCor brace to work. So the patient’s lifestyle is hardly affected with the SpineCor brace. This is a huge benefit of its use.
A look at the SpineCor Dynamic Elastic Brace:
The main component of the brace is the Pelvic Base. The pelvic base anchors the brace to the lower body and gives the elastic bands a place to lever their force from. The Pelvic Base is held in place by two other components, which are the thigh bands and the crotch bands, better termed the perineal bands. These prevent the pelvic base from riding up too far during movements. The next component is the Bolero, which is the component that wraps around the torso and provides an anchoring point above the pelvis. The last and most important parts of the brace are the corrective bands. The bands are attached between the Pelvic Base and the Bolero while the patient is in their corrective movement and they are sequenced in order from 1-4 to cause the body to be held in the corrective movement. Some of the bands will have high tension on them and others will have virtually no tension. But together they all work synergistically to bring about the slow but steady stabilization or correction of the scoliosis. These thin, light-weight components make the brace virtually un-noticeable under clothing. Thus, wearing it is easier, which raises compliance and brings results.
