Scoliosis

ORAL PRESENTATION 

Open Access

Introduction

Scoliosis and spinal deformities offer little hope for rehabilitation in the adult population. Pain and viscerasomatic dysfunction are frequently encountered, and conventional medical care uses rigid bracing, medication and surgery in the most serious cases. The treatment of adult scoliosis with The Spina:or" Dynamic Corrective Brace deserves more attention. It offers a great variety of combinations to improve spinal alignment and posture, and depending on the curve type, its severity and rigidity. The main therapeutic goal is to reduce pain and the strain on the neuromusculoskeletal system. The brace acts as a dynamic support against compressive loading on the inter -vertebral joints, while creating a corrective movement in the spine which produces neuromuscular integration.

Methods

Seventy three adult scoliosis patients, 63 females and 10 males (ages between 18 and 93 years), with Cobb angles of 15° to 93 ' and curves of all types and many different etiologies, were fitted with a SpineCor Brace.

Results

Of the 65 who have actively been wearing the SpineCors Brace between 10 to 154 hrs/week, 29 have seen complete resolution of their symptoms while in the brace, 14 of which originally had a Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) of 5/ 10 and over. Although the brace had little effect on the curve itself, especially in older patients, and while there

has been 1 reported case of aggravation in leg radiculopathy, we found an overall 60% improvement in the pain status of these patients who have been actively wearing their brace.

Discussion

These results suggest that the SpineCo? Dynamic Corrective Brace is a promising conservative method for the treatment of scoliosis
in the adult population, as it improves the pain status and wellbeing of patients_

Scoliosis

ORAL PRESENTATION 

Open Access

Objective

The main objective of this study was to explore the issues of treating adult scoliosis and pain by conservative means. We present two case studies of different types of adult scoliosis successfully managed with the SpineCor brace.  

Background

Management of pain in adult scoliosis represents a significant clinical challenge. Both adolescent scoliosis in the adult (ASA) and degenerative de-novo scoliosis (DDS) can cause significant pain. Over recent years, the SpineCor brace has been used by practitioners in the treatment of painful adult scoliosis. To date, SpineCor has been used dinically in adult treatment in hundreds of cases, and the empirical results seem positive.

Methods and results

Patient A, a 26 year old female with painful ASA, had pain prior to SpineCor treatment that averaged 7/10 (10 being the worst). Using the SpineCor brace daily for 8 to 12 hours for 3 months, she had a gradual improvement of her pain to an average of 1-2/10. The initial x-ray showed a 32° right thoracic scoliosis. In the SpineCor brace 1 month after fitting, the x-rays showed an improvement of 8° to 24°. tier pain relief (1-2/10) and spinal correction have been maintained for over 2 years by using the SpineCor brace part-time. Patient B, a 47 year old female with a DDS, had pain prior to treatment that averaged 8/10. In the SpineCor brace, she had an immediate relief of her pain to 3/10. The initial x-ray showed a 40° degenerative

lumbar scoliosis curve. In the SpineCor brace, x-rays showed an improvement of 7° to 33° in her curve. Her pain relief (0-3/10) and spinal correction have been maintained for over 2 years by using the SpineCor brace daily. Also of note is the improved left lateral shift showing "spinal off loading". 

Outcome

Both patients achieved significant pain reduction over a 2 year period, demonstrating that in these cases, the SpineCor brace has been an effective treatment for pain related to ASA and DDS.

Conclusion

Prospective research in a large population is required to determine the overall effectiveness of the SpineCor brace, but early results seem positive.

Marcotte Scoliosis 2010, 5(Suppl 1):047 http:/www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/5/s1/047

ORAL PRESENTATION 

Open Access

Introduction

Adult patients with scoliosis are offered little hope for rehabilitation and pain relief by health care professionals. Long term use of AINS and pain medication has proven harmful; rigid bracing is only rarely used due to its often disappointing results; surgery is only reserved for the most serious cases and mainly to preserve vital functions. Conservative management has also had poor outcome often due to long-term patient compliance.

 Long-term treatment of Adult Scoliosis with The SpineCor Pain Relief Back Brace deserves more attention. SpineCor offers a wide variety of combinations to improve posture. Its primary therapeutic goal is the relief of pain while reducing the mechanical strain on the neuromusculoskeletal system, which would only with time, aggravate of the condition. The brace acts as a dynamic support to offload the spinal joints, therefore protecting the misaligned spine from the compressive forces of gravity, while the resistive elastic bands reinforce the core musculature to an overall better postural alignment.

Methods

A preliminary long-term study was made on 30 adult scoliosis patients, 26 females and 4 males, aged between 18 and 69. All suffered enough chronic back pain to seek treatment and were fitted with a SpineCor Pain Relief Back Brace according to the SpineCor* Protocol. The data over an 18 to 28 months time frame was collected while the patients were actively wearing their brace anywhere from 10 to 130 hours/week. 

Results

The overall improvement in the perception of pain by the adult scoliotic patients was 77%, and appeared to remain
stable with time (78%, 83% and 76% on 

subsequent visits). Half of them reported having complete resolution of their symptoms. 

Although the brace had no significant effect on reducing the pathological curvature of the spine, as would be expected in mature skeletons, it was subjectively noticed both by the evaluator and the patient themselves that they had a better overall postural alignment while they were wearing their brace.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the SpineCor Pain relief Back Brace is a promising conservative method for the long-term management of scoliosis in the adult population as it significantly reduces their pain status and improves their wellbeing

Published: 10 September 2010

doi: 10.1186;/1748 716 5-S1-047
Cite this article as: Marcotte: SpineCor in the treatment of adult
scoliosis. Scoliosis 2010 5 (Suppl 1):047