Custom Scoliosis Bracing Available at Scoliosis 3DC®
Recently, one of our star patients and her family revisited us from Ontario, Canada. This time it was our patient’s younger sister who required scoliosis bracing. The girls’ mom had been vigilant about watching her youngest daughter’s spine for signs of scoliosis too and lo and behold her sister has it too.
It’s important to be aware that scoliosis is a potentially heritable condition. When one child in the family is diagnosed, parents should monitor all siblings with remaining growth. The mom of these girls knew this and she wasn’t taking any chances because when her oldest daughter was diagnosed it was unexpected and severe. That diagnosis came as a complete surprise. Her scoliosis was diagnosed at a Cobb angle of 47 degrees as a result of an x-ray for pneumonia.
When mom began to have suspicions, she knew it meant her youngest daughter would need an x-ray. When she asked their family doctor for an x-ray to confirm scoliosis, he refused to order it and dismissed her concerns. Mom was persistent though. She approached a second doctor who also expressed doubts, but Mom was persistent and he eventually relented. Moms usually have pretty good instincts so as it turned out she was right. The x-ray showed scoliosis and the second doctor eventually conceded that he didn’t know much about the early indications of scoliosis.
Mom and Dad sent us the x-ray. We scheduled a session with Dr. Moramarco and he recommended a Chêneau type brace just like her sister had but this sister would only need to wear her brace as a nighttime brace. For a second time, the family made the long drive from Canada to Massachusetts. After going through the bracing experience with their first daughter, they knew the value of having their second child fit with the right scoliosis brace by a caring team. They had complete trust in the care we provide and we are blessed to have such loyal patients.
After the final brace fit, the girls’ dad and I were talking. He looked at me and said, “You know, you don’t emphasize the customization component of your brace enough on your website.” (He was referring to our policy of three consecutive brace fittings for patients who come from afar to see us). He went on to use the word “relentless” to describe our team’s commitment to making the brace fit perfectly and comfortably. We do that because we want every braced patient to be as comfortable, and as corrected, as possible. Comfort and correction are essential. We probably don’t have to tell you that If a brace is intolerable kids won’t wear it. This is why we use the material we use in the manufacturing process. Our patients, and their parents, tell us it’s far better than other rigid materials they’ve experienced when wearing other braces. Parents, and their kids who wear a scoliosis brace, need to know that for most patients with moderate scoliosis, a few hours a day of scoliosis bracing just isn’t enough. To improve compliance, we focus on comfort.
A more comfortable scoliosis brace
Why are the braces provided at Scoliosis 3DC® more comfortable, than many of the braces of the same concept used today? To start, each brace is designed according to the patient’s exact curve pattern and size. A 3D scan of the torso helps achieve accurate measurements so much so that actual measurements are no longer needed. Our brace is light mostly in part to the material used in production. Our US-manufactured braces are made with a modified polyethylene material – sturdy, yet moldable. It makes a difference and patients tell us they prefer it. Braces are more easily adjusted for improved comfort. As a child grows we can adjust the brace easily (up to a certain point – when a new brace may be required so the child has the benefit of optimal correction effect).
Another benefit of a well-designed Chêneau style braces is that they do not compress the chest. That’s an important distinction, especially for girls with a developing chest.
Bracing at Scoliosis 3DC means that the braces we offer differ from other more traditional braces for scoliosis in that others only aim to stop scoliosis (1). Our braces try to take advantage of the growth process to improve Cobb angle, spinal balance, stability, and posture. In general, it’s patients with some growth potential and spinal flexibility who have the best opportunity of attaining some degree of curve correction.
Some people wonder how we manage scoliosis bracing for kids from all over the U.S., Canada, and other places like South America. We do this by following patients closely via photos through email. We use Zoom, when necessary, for quick meetings and visualizations/clarifications, if needed. Before a patient/family leaves our office, patients/parents receive detailed instructions about follow-ups and at what intervals. For young patients, parents are urged to keep track of their child’s growth and to update us regularly. We keep careful records of this so nothing is overlooked!
Managing scoliosis bracing is an active process that we take very seriously. When we get an email indicating a child is suddenly uncomfortable, it usually indicates that the brace may need adjusting due to growth (increase in height or girth). Fortunately, with specific feedback from the patient, we are either able to provide instructions for an easy fix or have the family send the brace via overnight post when we can usually make an adjustment that resolves the issue.
In the opening of this post, we mentioned that the oldest sister of the patient in this post was one of our star patients. We say this because “Big Sis” was committed to her Schroth exercises and reported wearing her scoliosis brace for 21plus hours per day. When the family first visited us in 2014 she had a Cobb angle of 62º. As we mentioned she’d been diagnosed at 47º, but by the time they arrived in Boston – 26 days later – she had progressed by 15º. We call her a star because as a result of her hard work her last x-ray showed that her curve measured 30º – a significant decrease in her scoliosis, especially for a severe curve! She is currently deemed fully grown and has weaned from her brace. Reducing a 62º curve is no small feat and she deserves all the credit for doing the hard work.
While not all kids can expect the same results as our star patient and her sister (she’s stable with improved posture), as a group, kids with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with curves that aren’t in the surgery zone are experiencing very good results! For patients with curves of 30º and under, some have even achieved improvements to Cobb angles of <10º –no longer considered scoliosis. We urge parents to act as soon as possible after a diagnosis.
Our mission unknowingly began when Dr. Marc discovered his daughter had scoliosis. It didn’t take long to conclude that kids and families deserved better treatment options than existed back in 2001 and unfortunately are still the mainstream standard today. Doctors have been slow to recognize that conservative options for scoliosis can be effective but they need to be implemented sooner!
Dr. Marc recognized that this needs to be delivered in the context of a positive, caring environment. He and his team work to provide families in a setting where each patient can be relaxed and learn how they can strive to attain their optimal potential for scoliosis improvement, self-sufficiency, and true hope. Scoliosis improvement is possible with the right non-surgical alternatives delivered by healthcare practitioners who care.
The value of choosing the best scoliosis brace, brace customization, and having a compassionate team at your service can’t be underestimated. Every day, our team strives to make your/your child’s scoliosis experience as easy as possible.We know it can be an emotional time and we are here to offer support in any/every way we can. We do this throughout the process by providing education, teaching the most up-to-date non-surgical scoliosis management methods, taking the time to provide the best brace fit–for effect and comfort, and always, being as available as possible for you to lean on if and when that is needed.
(1)Fayssoux RS, Cho RH, Herman MJ. A History of Bracing for Idiopathic Scoliosis in North America. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 2010;468(3):654-664.
Updated February 1, 2025.
