Everything You Need to Know About Scoliosis Bracing
Around 9 million people in the U.S. are affected by scoliosis which is defined by the medical community as an abnormal curvature of the spine. There are three causes of this medical condition: congenital, meaning that babies are born with it; neuromuscular, meaning that some other type of muscular condition causes it; or idiopathic, meaning that it happens for unknown reasons. Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form diagnosed in child patients and one of the most common treatment methods is scoliosis bracing. Here’s what you need to know.
The symptoms
Scoliosis that might call for scoliosis bracing Stuart is usually diagnosed by a visual examination by a knowledgeable medical provider and aided by scans or Xrays taken by diagnostic devices. Typically, patients also report symptoms that accompany an eventual diagnosis. Those symptoms include back pain, uneven shoulders, off-center head, and/or hips, and instances where the whole body leans to or favors one side over the other. Patients who report any of these symptoms will be examined for signs of scoliosis.
Can it be cured?
In patients that are still growing, treatment can undo the inevitable curved growth of the spine caused by scoliosis. Treatment for these patients often includes a brace that is fitted for the midsection of the body and created to stop the curvature of the spine from continuing. The success rate of bracing is pretty good with about 80 percent of young patients experiencing an arrest of the spinal curvature.
The process
Scoliosis braces are made for the individual. All cases of scoliosis are unique and each case different from the other. The brace is a prosthetic made for a patient by an experienced prosthetist. The brace is also rechecked at regular intervals to ensure that it continues aiding the patient and improving their spinal health.
Living with Scoliosis
For patients who are past their growth phases and beyond the point in their lives where bracing can help, living with scoliosis might be their only choice. There are a variety of surgeries that can be undertaken to improve an adult’s spinal curvature. You can also do your part to prevent the worsening of curvature by avoiding heavy purses or bags carried on one side of the body.
