SCOLIOSIS 3DC-Schroth Method Exercise

A parent recently called in a panic. A few months ago, she had called to inquire about our program for mild curves in anticipation of her thirteen-year-old daughter’s pending follow-up x-rays. During the recent phone call, she was frantic. She had just been informed of the follow-up x-ray results. One year after the initial diagnosis, her daughter’s “mild scoliosis” had progressed to a 51º right-thoracic curve. The mother was shocked to hear this news. She immediately requested the records from the prior year’s x-rays and learned the initial curve magnitude had been 23º. Unfortunately, the family had never been informed of the specific Cobb angle the previous year. The pediatrician had simply told them their daughter had a mild curve and they should “follow it.” (In fairness, the pediatrician may not have known the specific curve degree, since radiology reports sometimes simply state “mild” or “moderate”).

Technically, 23º is a mild curve. Mild curves measure from 10º to 25º, moderate from 25º to 50º, and severe 50º and up. Since this girl’s curve was at the upper range of mild, the family may have liked to know the exact measurement of her scoliotic curve. According to Lonstein and Carlson, 1984, 61% of twelve-year-old girls (at initial diagnosis) with 20-25º curves progress. This statistic is nothing to dismiss. Logically, it is during the “mild” phase of scoliosis that it is ideal to be proactive. The traditional medical community takes the “watch and wait” approach for mild scoliosis. In my opinion, that is a mistake. The European, proactive approach, offers families and patients another option – a choice other than what one prominent doctor equates with “do nothing.” Learning the Schroth method allows patients and families to understand the three-dimensional aspect of scoliosis and provides the opportunity to try and control the progression of scoliosis – conservatively (and without a brace in the case of mild scoliosis).

When you receive a diagnosis of scoliosis: Ask questions and get numbers

The scenario mentioned above raises some important warnings for parents of adolescents diagnosed with “mild” curves. Be sure to acquire specific information from your doctor and radiologist. Ask for specific numbers regarding Cobb angle and rotation. Inquire about Risser sign and bone age. Record all the information you attain regarding your child’s scoliosis. This information will allow you to have a baseline for the future and facilitate prudent decision making. Only you know what is in the best interest of your child, your family.

This girl is now a patient. She comes regularly to learn the Schroth method. In truth, I would have preferred to instruct her at 23º rather than 51º. She now wears a hard brace twenty hours daily. Her correction in the brace is fifty percent, so the outlook is good. However, learning the Schroth Method at 23º may have allowed her to avoid the necessity of the brace, spared her mother the frustration of knowing they lost a year, and may have halted the scoliosis at a more manageable degree.

Don’t let this scene play out in your family. Learning the body mechanics modifications for scoliosis according to German Scoliologic ‘Best Practice’ and Schroth is not an absolute guarantee scoliosis won’t progress, nothing is, including “observation”, bracing or surgery. Yet, it is my firm belief that families and adolescents should have a choice other than ‘wait and see’ when it comes to managing scoliosis. That is the very reason I established Scoliosis 3DC. Once I learned firsthand of the many benefits of Schroth, it became one of my life’s missions to reach out and educate scoliosis families and raise awareness about effective conservative treatments.

Tags: effective conservative treatments for scoliosis, mild scoliosis, moderate scoliosis, scoliosis progression, severe scoliosis, the Schroth method, watch and wait