I can take the Spinecor brace with me wherever I go

I linked up with Dr. Casselman and the staff 10 years ago following an internet search looking for relief from progressively increasing pain from my scoliosis.

We believe that my scoliosis began after an injury about thirty years ago. Following the injury, there was no apparent long term problem. Over time, my back began to fatigue more easily, and lower back pain began. At the time I met Dr. Casselman, I was experiencing a nagging pain in my lower back that was beginning to affect my day-to-day activities. 

Dr. Casselman believed me to be a good candidate for the Spinecor brace. He took some measurements and fitted me with the appropriate size. From the first moment that I strapped it on, I knew it was a keeper. I felt immediate improvement. 

Now 10 years later, I wear the Spinecor brace from morning until night. When I put it on every morning I feel that same sense of relief that I felt the first time I put it on 10 years ago. Occasionally I will think that surely my strengthened core has taken me to a place where I no longer need it, but after a few hours, I look forward to the relief of putting it back on. It feels like a well worn glove. 

When I began using the Spincor brace, I asked Dr. Casselman if he had my condition, what else he would consider beyond the Spincor brace. He suggested that I look into physiotherapy, a treatment in which he is also skilled. As I am typically away from the Denver area three or four weeks a month for business, Dr. Casselman recommended an associate near where I was then working that is skilled in physiotherapy. I can also highly recommend physiotherapy, but I am not always in a place where I can find a physiotherapy professional. I can take the Spinecor brace with me wherever I go (and there is no metal in it, so it does not alarm when going through a metal detector at the airport).

If you're tired of the pain that comes with your scoliosis or hyperkyphosis, call for a free consultation and x-ray review to see if you qualify for our innovative bracing. (303) 683-5155

Or visit https://scoliosiscolorado.com/ to learn more.

Cathy Roesler Story

I’m 64 years old Registered Nurse and I also barrel race. I have had Scoliosis since age 13 with spinal fusion and Harrington rod at that time for a 50 degree double curve. I managed to get by for years with anti-inflammatories, magnet therapy, chiropractic care, and light therapy. However about 2012 I was experiencing more pain specifically in my lower curve that was beginning to affect my life activities. I googled for hours looking for what was being done for adult scoliosis pain. Thus, I ran across the Spinecor brace. But I live in Montana and the closest practitioner who handled the brace was in Denver, 500 miles away (Highlands Ranch Colorado). I called Dr Casselman and decided the concept of the Spinecor brace was my best try.

I have worn the Spinecor brace for 5 years now. My pain level varies on how tired I get but from an 8-9 before using the Spinecor bracing, to a 0-3 with! I also can go to special events now with little or no pain and leave the brace off. But my body is always ready for me to get back into the brace.

I am able to continue to work as an RN and to competitively barrel race. What a blessing the Spinecor brace has been! The results were almost immediate for relief!! I make a trip to Denver once or twice a year for follow up with Dr. Casselman. It has been worth every mile that I have to travel for the quality of life the Spinecor has given back to me. I would totally recommend the Spinecor bracing lifestyle.

Cathy Roesler

If you're tired of the pain that comes with your scoliosis or hyperkyphosis, call for a free consultation and x-ray review to see if you qualify for our innovative bracing. (303) 683-5155

Or visit https://scoliosiscolorado.com/ to learn more.

"...Spinecor Brace reduces my pain..."

I've had lifelong scoliosis and had a fusion at age 14 and Herrington rods at age 26. For 35 years I did great and had no problem doing whatever I wanted. About 10 yrs ago I started having lumbar pain after working all day. I felt like my curve was shifting a little. I knew I didn't want to go through surgery again, so I started looking at other options.

I tried physical therapy for a number of months without relief. I read about the Spinecor Brace online and made an apptointment with Dr. Casselman since he was the only provider in Colorado. I first saw him in 2013.

I would say that the Spinecor Brace reduces my pain because it's a dynamic brace that keeps my posture at an optimal level. It allows me to maintain a more upright stance. It gives me stamina and endurance by reducing the affects of gravity when I become fatigued. So I especially wear it when doing housework and yard work. I always wear it on long car trips because it prevents me from slouching.

Dr. Casselman has always been positive and very encouraging on the use of the Spinecor Brace. And I do have to admit that I find it gives me good support and I feel better with it on.

Anne - Colorado

If you're tired of the pain that comes with your scoliosis or hyperkyphosis, call for a free consultation and x-ray review to see if you qualify for our innovative bracing. (303) 683-5155

Or visit https://scoliosiscolorado.com/ to learn more.

Carmel’s Story

We were at church and I was sat in front of my mom, I was 14 and that’s when my mom noticed my uneven shoulders for the first time. I can still remember this day as my world turned upside down. I was unaware of just how bad my posture was, and it upset me that my mum found my back so disturbing. When we visited the doctor for the first time, I heard the news of my Scoliosis.Once I’d had an x-ray on my back, I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Dextrose Scoliosis. I forgot the extent of the degree but it progressed to 40°. My doctor told me that surgery wasn’t an option at that time and gave me exercises that would alleviate the pain.

Years passed when I enrolled and graduated university with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. It was during my practice as a volunteer nurse that I felt the pressure and pain in my back. After every shift I would go directly to bed and rest until I felt some kind of relief.

There were times that I wished I could have just one pain-free day, but that never happened. Every time I experienced harsh pain, my insecurities hit me, sometimes making me think that I should never have a relationship because of my anxieties over their judgements of my body. I was worried I’d never have a family of my own because of this, and saw myself as someone unworthy of male attention because of my deformity. Fortunately, thanks to God and my prayers, he saw my suffering and blessed me with a loving partner who accepted my imperfections and loves me unconditionally.

After 9 years with my partner, we finally tied the knot. My back pains were still hurting me daily, but it was bearable. When we had our first child I underwent a caesarean, all the severe back pains I went through during pregnancy was worth it. After the birth of my son, my back pains increased and didn’t calm down at all, to the extent that when I coughed or sneezed it gave me excruciating pain. My husband had to help pull me out of bed each morning. Unluckily, I am allergic to pain relief tablets, specifically NSAID, so I was unable to dull the pain with medication. The only effective relief was back massage, which could alleviate the pain to a manageable level; something my husband has been doing ever since.

During the birth of my second child, a girl, the pain was becoming more and more intense. I tried not to let my husband know about the extent of the pain, and often cried alone so I was sheltering him from the trauma of what I was going through.

It was in January 2017, I’d just returned from a vacation when my colleagues introduced me to SpineCor. I was curious about it and researched it extensively online. It was whilst I was reading some of the reviews and patient stories that I instantly felt hope. I knew that this brace treatment could help me live a more comfortable and pain free life.

I contacted my orthopaedic doctor, Dr. Masood Ur Rehman, at Rumailah Hospital, Doha Qatar, and he referred me for SpineCor. I was very thrilled to tell my husband about SpineCor and he was super supportive throughout, hoping that this would be the answer to our prayers. The next day, I was eager to meet Dr. Shaheen who our doctor instructed me to see and consult with my concerns. He was extremely accommodating and soft spoken, and I felt at ease with her. She discussed the advantages, disadvantages and benefits of using SpineCor. She went over my medical history and took all of my measurements for the brace.

The day I received my SpineCor brace was the day I had long been waiting for. When it was fitted on my body, I told myself ‘goodbye pain, and hello to my pain-free life’. It’s been over a year wearing my brace now, and I can proudly say that I am pain free and living my life to the fullest.

For almost 30 years of my life I’d been living with horrific pain, but now because of SpineCor, I am pain free. I will be forever thankful to SpineCor, for making my life enjoyable again and pain free.

Zoe’s Story

Diagnosed with Scoliosis at 14 but it was suspected at 11, I wore the Milwaukee brace for two years (under Sheffield Children’s Hospital), and I was discharged at the age of 16. Not wearing the brace felt a bit weird initially, but I got used to life without it again.

Throughout my 20s I found that I needed extra treatment for aches and pains, which I sought from various disciplines; physiotherapy and chiropractic sessions until my mid thirties.

In my 30s I had occasional bad spells, like lower back pain. One bout of pain was significant enough for my Doctor to refer me back to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. I saw my previous consultant again, Mr Douglas, he recognised some of his correspondence on my notes. Looking at a new X-ray of my spine, he confirmed that the pain I was experiencing was due to degeneration of my lower discs, but thought that nothing could be done for my lower back pain, other than pain killers. I didn’t accept this and due to my persistence he referred me to the physiotherapy department to see if they could help. They introduced me to Pilates, after 12 months l felt great; in much better health, and my pain was reduced considerably without the use of pain medication.

Other than that episode of lower back pain, my main area of discomfort was usually mid-thoracic, around the area at the sharpest part of my curve. I have nicknamed thatmuscle my ‘scoliosis muscle’.

By maintaining Pilates and swimming, I kept the pain at bay for the next few years. During this time I was not receiving any additional treatment as my favourite Chiropractor had moved to Wales and I had not found anyone else that I had got on with the same.

Six months after giving birth, my ‘scoliosis muscle’had flared up again and was far more severe and frequent than ever before. I tried all my old tricks, I even drove to Wales to have treatment with my old Chiropractor, but that didn’t work. I upped my swimming sessions, had more physio, I had one to one Pilates, and I even tried osteopathy. Again, I was referred to Sheffield by my Doctor because I was struggling with so much pain on a daily basis, and nothing was working.

After offering me surgery and me refusing, I was monitored and eventually sought a second opinion. This took me to Nottingham Queens Medical Hospital, under the care of Mr Boszczyk. He was part of a much younger team, who monitored me for a year with X-rays and an MRI scan. They felt no operation was necessary, but they could offer me Osteopathy within the clinic to see if that would ease the pain.

After 6 weeks of treatment with the Mr Winton (the resident Osteopath) it did start to make a difference, both with manipulation that he administered, but also new exercises at home. It had a positive impact, but it was short lived. Within months of the treatment stopping, I had the same level and frequency of pain as I did before.

Whilst researching Scoliosis treatments online, I came across the SpineCor brace and read as many articles and case studies as I could. I spoke to Tim Cook at length, as well as my Pilates teacher, before deciding to go ahead and try it. It was like it was made for me, I couldn’t believe that it hadn’t been mentioned before.

Fortunately my mother offered to fund the SpineCor brace for me, and after further discussions we decided to give it a go, with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I already had my X-rays and copies of my MRI scan, they were useful during the consultation process. My SpineCor brace fitting went well, it’s very unusual to wear to start with but I was soon wearing it for up to 12 hours per day. The discomfort is greater as the day goes on and I found it did pinch my skin across my left hip, which is where all the Velcro straps meet, but now that I only wear it when I need to, it’s much more manageable.

I found the first month wearing the brace a little disappointing; I didn’t feel much pain relief initially and became a little despondent with it. However, I stuck with it and at my next appointment (2 – 3 months later) I was relieved to let the consultants know that I had experienced some pain relief whilst wearing my brace.

My overall opinion is that it has been a life saver for me, I don’t mind the discomfort in the slightest, and it far out ways the pain I was suffering before. Now that I am over 12 months into this project and the Clinicians are happy with the results of the initial few months, I wear my brace when I choose. I end up wearing the brace from 4.00pm until 10pm every work day, equating to approx 6 hours each work day.

At the weekends, if it is a day at home, I always start off in my brace because I am usually doing housework. But if I’m out then I don’t wear it, but may put it on when I come home. If I’m on holiday, I take it with me just in case I feel I need it, but I find I rarely have to wear it now, I have had spells where I have not had to wear it for up to 14 days in a row, with very little pain. As soon as I return home to daily life and chores, I can feel my ‘scoliosis muscle’fire up again and out comes the brace; my saviour, thank goodness!

Henrietta’s Story

My SpineCor brace, without a doubt, changed my life. I had three curves in my spine which is unusual, and ranged between 28°and 42°. I wore a SpineCor brace for nearly two years due to a considerable amount of back pain. My doctor was brutally honest with me about the pain and discomfort I would experience from the brace, but reassured me that it would ease over time. When I had it fitted the tears were on tap and it felt as if I had to learn how to walk again as my body was being held in such a peculiar way. But over the two years that I wore it, I grew to prefer wearing it over not wearing it, and I learnt a few tricks which made life a lot easier.

I called my brace ‘Sheila’, I know it sounds weird, but it helps a lot and means you can talk about it in public with no one having any idea what you are on about. This is useful when an urgent strap adjustment is needed in the middle of H&M.

Don’t be embarrassed about walking round the house in just your brace, especially in summer time, when it’s boiling hot outside. I used to try and wear lighter clothes on top of my brace as the extra layers were sometimes unbearable in the heat. I just made sure I had a fan when I needed it at home during the day or night. It kept me cool and made wearing my brace in the summer easier.

When I first got my brace I tried to see it as a positive to go shopping for new clothes that would be baggier and more comfortable over my brace. It also helped with picking new clothes that could essentially hide the brace from the public.

Don’t worry about the time it takes to put it on or how to do it; after a few weeks, you will be able to do it with your eyes closed, I even managed to put mine on in seven seconds, (I timed it!)

It is always better to tell people about it rather than being embarrassed and keeping it a secret; my friends were brilliant, and my teachers excused me from carrying the heavy textbooks to every lesson, which helped enormously. Obviously this is down to everyone’s preference, but as you get used to the brace and the benefits from wearing it you become less embarrassed and start to feel more confident whilst wearing it.

I always kept active whilst wearing my brace. The more that you do in the brace, the more you get out of it. I continued doing my ballet, Spanish dancing and running, and this helped the muscles in my back strengthen even more.

Nevertheless, wearing my SpineCor brace has significantly helped me. It has stopped the progression of my curves, it eases my back pain considerably, and someone even pointed out my commendable posture. Furthermore, it has made me a much stronger person inside and out, I have become more patient, positive and understanding of other people’s problems.

If someone asked me if I would wear the brace every day for another two years, I would probably politely decline, but it was certainly not something I regret and I owe a lot to my wonderful doctors and the SpineCor team for helping me manage my curves and pain over the last two years.

Siobhan’s Story

I was 14 when I was diagnosed with scoliosis and was given a choice of wearing a Milwaukee brace or taking part in a trial that entailed using a traction attached to my bed. Being a teenager, I opted for what I thought would be the easier option; the traction, I thought that at least no one would see me using it and it was the better of the two options.

I was supposed to use the traction every night, strapping myself in around the waist and under my chin; weights at either end of the bed, pulling in opposing directions with the aim of ‘straightening’ me out. The first night was horrific. The pulling effect on my chin gave me toothache and I found it very difficult to lie flat all night. In addition, the pulley at the top end kept slipping, causing me to be yanked upwards suddenly. All in all, it was not a good experience. I kept the traction for about three years, but I hardly ever used it properly. I was just delighted not to be wearing a brace! Naturally, in my case at least, the trial was not a success and I ended up having a Harrington Rod inserted just before my 21st birthday.

My right-sided thoracic curve was pretty bad by this time and after the initial surgery, I had to have two further operations to straighten out my ribs, which had become ‘humped’. The effect was good and I was discharged after a couple of years without any advice as to what might happen in the future, I thought I was cured and that was the end of it. I sailed through my twenties and most of my thirties without any problems at all and it was only after my second pregnancy at 38 that I began to notice quite serious changes. My left-sided lumbar curve, which had always been much less serious than the thoracic one, had become much worse. I had a lot of lower back pain and one hip was higher than the other, as well as the whole pelvis seeming to shift to one side. I went to my GP who offered me painkillers and suggested I might need further surgery in the future. Having two young children, I was very keen to improve my quality of life, but wanted to avoid surgery at all costs.

I was referred to the pain clinic at my local hospital, but the only advice I received there was to rest frequently between activities, not easy with a job and two young children. I began to research scoliosis on the Internet, not sure what I was hoping to find. When I found information about SpineCor, it seemed to make a lot of sense. I knew I was too old to hope for a correction of my scoliosis, but I wanted to do everything I could to prevent it becoming any worse, or at least slow its deterioration. I was also hoping for reduction in pain.

After my initial consultation, I was fitted with my brace. When I was strapped into it for the first time, I thought that there was no way I would be able to tolerate it. All the way home on the train I felt very uncomfortable and couldn’t wait to get home so that I could remove it. However, the next day, I decided I had to give it a chance so I put it on and went off to work. By the end of the week, I was almost unaware that I was wearing it. From the first day, my back pain disappeared completely. I have not had to take a single painkiller for back pain in the three years I have been wearing my SpineCor brace.

In addition, my hips stay largely where they should, so I feel less like The Leaning Tower of Pisa! The only downside for me is that, especially during very hot weather, the brace limits my choice of clothing; however, this small problem is far outweighed by the benefits. I wear my brace for between 12 – 14 hours per day without a second thought. If I leave it off for a couple of hours, I do tend to start leaning again so, I think I will not be able to reduce my hours. This does not mean, however, that I never allow myself a little brace ‘holiday’ now and again. If I want to wear a sleeveless dress for an evening out, I just take my brace off, secure in the knowledge that I can regain the benefits the next day.

It’s such a shame that I only happened to stumble on this treatment by chance. My GP and physiotherapist had not heard of it and were not encouraging when I mentioned giving it a try. I hope that this attitude is changing, and that more people are able to gain the benefits that I currently am. I am fifty years old now and feel far more optimistic about my future. I do everything I want to: play badminton, swim, do all my own housework, and all without a twinge. I only wish I had heard of SpineCor years ago.

Zoe H’s Story

I was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis aged 16. I had missed the critical period for successful adolescent treatment and was told that nothing other than monitoring my condition could be done. I had two curves, a lumbar curve measuring 49° and a thoracic curve of 36°. My curves caused very few problems as I lived a healthy and active life, but things were set to change.

I began to develop problems associated with poor posture as a result of my scoliosis whilst in my twenties. I experienced pain and spasms in my back, neck and shoulders, and my other joints were starting to take the strain of my body being out of alignment. Regular physiotherapy and Pilates enabled me to keep going as best as I could, but as time passed my problems worsened. Aged 29, I developed a rare condition affecting the nerves in my left arm. A tricky problem to deal with when you’re left handed!

I saw multiple consultants, none of whom could agree on the cause of my problems, and I underwent many inconclusive investigations. No one could say whether the problems I was having in my arm were a direct effect of my scoliosis or not, and I was given differing and conflicting treatment advice. I was keen to avoid any surgery if possible, particularly after experiencing problems with a diagnostic procedure that left me with a punctured lung. I was fearful and cautious about the unknown success of any procedure.

The therapists who were treating me felt that even if my scoliosis was not the direct cause of my arm problems, it was definitely an aggravating factor. I was rapidly losing the function in my arm and hand, and my ability to carry out my day to day activities was severely restricted. My muscles were constantly in spasm, I had restricted range of movement and weakness was setting in. I also had sensory disturbances and problems with my circulation which made completing tasks difficult and miserable.

I was confused and distressed and at the point of considering leaving my job, (a career I had studied hard for) having had substantial periods of absence from work as a result of my symptoms. I was unable to drive and the active life I was used to was slipping away, this was taking its toll on me physically and mentally. Exhausted, frustrated, desperate and at the point of despair, I turned to adult bracing and contacted SpineCor with the support of my physiotherapist. We already knew that correcting my posture and spinal alignment relieved some of my symptoms significantly, I was relying on sports tape (which aggravated and blistered my skin) to align myself and I was taking analgesia to get me through the day. We thought if we could find a way to manage my posture in a more effective manner then there may be a chance of some of my symptoms being reduced. After a period of extensive research, the SpineCor Adult Pain Relief Back Brace seemed to be the solution we were seeking.

Getting a referral to the service wasn’t easy but with my GP’s backing I was accepted for assessment and deemed to be a suitable candidate. I began with the treatment and was amazed with the results. My posture improved instantly and within a few days the range of movement I had in my arm increased.

I found that I had the freedom to use my limbs in a way that had not previously been possible. My pain levels had reduced and the chronic muscle spasms I had endured for years in my back and shoulder were under control. As the months have passed, I now have a better body image because I look so much straighter and I have noticed that previously weak muscles are strengthening and my body shape is changing. Others have also commented on the improvements in my posture and confidence. Decreasing the degree of my spinal curvature was not the goal of my treatment, but by wearing the brace I could correct the imbalances these curves were causing and achieve a significantly better alignment, relieving some of the strain on my muscles, nerves and joints.

Wearing the SpineCor brace is not all plain sailing and getting used to it takes perseverance. It took time to acclimatise to being wrapped tightly in elastic and Velcro, as did adjusting my body in its new alignment. Activities like climbing the stairs and walking felt different and strange at first, and I experienced various aches and pains in the early days.

Despite the brace being fairly discreet in its design, on occasions it was tricky to disguise under clothing and at first, I felt bulky and self conscious. I found it made my figure feel distorted and I realised I was more concerned with my appearance than I had previously thought! Most of my clothes fitted as normal but I found that I tend to buy things slightly larger to comfortably accommodate it now. Going to the bathroom took some practice, and I find it impossible to eat a large meal without slackening my brace off a bit. Summer brings the additional problems of overheating and the potential for some interesting tan lines. However, the benefits gained from wearing it, compared with not wearing it, are minor issues and easy to overcome over time, especially with the support of the clinical team.

Choosing to privately fund the treatment meant that there would be ongoing cost implications to consider, and obtaining NHS funding for a non-standard treatment was slow, difficult and stressful. It’s a challenging process which remains ongoing and has required a great degree of personal determination, perseverance and support from my medical team.

My SpineCor brace has become a part of me, I wear it all day, every day and I am far less self-conscious. I have a little brace ‘holiday’ now and then, to wear something nice or lie in the sun. My brace has been instrumental in enabling me to get my life back. I do still have some symptoms and have to make some adaptations, there are times when things are not so good, but in comparison to before, these times are manageable and greatly reduced. I have started to take up activities I love again, including horse riding, running, Pilates, dancing and driving. I work full time and rarely take pain killers. I haven’t used a piece of sports tape since the day my brace was issued and I feel that I have a brighter future.

I am so grateful to SpineCor for the improvement and independence that my brace has given back to me, I can’t thank the clinical and administrative team enough. They have been friendly and professional throughout, and have always treated me as an individual; acknowledging my personal circumstances, involving me actively in the treatment process and have been realistic about what could be achieved. I hope that as the years advance further, clinical research will mean that this brace becomes available to adults as a standard health service treatment. My only regret is that I didn’t contact SpineCor sooner!

To celebrate the successes I have achieved, I intend to challenge myself and run the London 10k this summer to support SAUK, with a little help from my SpineCor brace of course!

Olivia’s Story

I always wanted to be a dancer, so when I was 12 and my doctor told me that I had Scoliosis, I was heartbroken. I instantly thought the worst; I would have to give up my dreams of being a dancer and have an operation on my spine. Luckily, this is when I was introduced to SpineCor by Dr Mills & Dr Cole at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

I was reassured straight away that I could wear the brace and could carry on with all of my activities as normal, even dancing! The first night that I got my brace fitted I went to dance class. Walking into my class I felt so self conscious. So many thoughts were going through my head, like how will I be able to move in the brace, and will everyone stare at me and treat me differently? I soon realised that the brace let me move around freely, I could dance just as good in it as I could when I wasn’t wearing it, and it actually gave me extra support, especially with good posture which is a vital part of being a dancer.

People did stare when I was wearing the brace, and there were a lot of questions at first. It was embarrassing to be so different, but everyone reassured me and was extremely supportive, especially when I told them about Scoliosis and what SpineCor does to help me with it, and still be able to dance. They were amazed it gave me this freedom whilst also helping me with my curves.

The brace gave me some blisters and was a bit uncomfortable at first, but my body soon got used to wearing it and I barely even noticed when it was on after a few weeks. It was easy to wear under all of my clothes, meaning that no one at school knew I had a back brace on unless I told them.

My SpineCor back brace experience has been so positive. I know that at the beginning of my treatment I was anxious about what other people would think about me wearing a back brace, but I found that by acting confident when people asked questions and thinking positively about SpineCor, it made wearing the brace so much easier. SpineCor has allowed me to continue training as a dancer for up to 20 hours per week. While wearing the brace I have won many dance competitions including the English ballet championships twice, the English modern championships and Genee Dance Challenge, which I’m really proud of.

Towards May 2011 (a few months before my sixteenth birthday) I had pretty much stopped growing and was allowed to stop wearing the brace. I was extremely pleased with the results of my upper and lower spinal curves. Wearing the SpineCor brace hadn’t worsened my curves and it meant that I could avoid the surgery. Shortly after I stopped wearing my brace I got accepted into one of the top full time dance schools in the UK; The Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, I won the title of Young Dancer of the Year and I also made it through to the live semi finals of Sky 1’s ‘Got to Dance’ competition!

Stéfannie’s Story

Hello, my name is Stéfannie and I am 13. At the beginning of summer 2007 I was diagnosed with scoliosis. At first I didn’t know what it was but afterwards I heard that it was a deviation of the spine. When I heard that I had to go to Montreal to meet a health care specialist. It made me really sad, because I didn’t know what to expect. During the evaluation with my specialist, he told me that I needed to wear a SpineCor back brace. I was upset and disappointed as they said I would need to wear this brace for 2 years, and I might need surgery if the brace treatment didn’t work.

In the beginning, I wasn’t too afraid about the idea of surgery because it meant it would be finally sorted. The thing that scared me the most was that I had to wear the brace to go to school, deal with the people there, and the possibility that they might laugh. I thought about this a lot but decided that their opinions didn’t matter and I really needed to wear my SpineCor brace for the good of my health. Since then everything has been fine and I was worried over nothing, people have been very kind and understanding. I am now able to overcome my situation but couldn’t have done it without the help of my parents and the specialist who treated me with SpineCor.

Maddie’s Story

I wanted to thank SpineCor for the brace and treatment that I’ve had, it’s such an important part of my life. I am 11 years old and I have a SpineCor brace. I have had it for over a year now and I love it. It’s very comfortable and I feel uncomfortable when I’m not wearing it. My doctor suggested that I try some activities whilst wearing my brace, such as ballet. I was a little bit weary at first but now I love it. I want to dance in pointe shoes like some of my friends, but I have two or three years to go.

Scoliosis and SpineCor has introduced me to ballet and the world of dance. I’m really grateful to my doctor for suggesting it and to SpineCor for letting me feel comfortable and confident. Thank you to whoever designed and created the SpineCor brace, it has allowed me to mature and made me a better person.

Mégane’s Story

My daughter Mégane was treated with the SpineCor Dynamic Corrective Brace. She had excellent results, her curve went from a 32° curve to -1°. This was because she had an overcorrection. Her treatment has now come to an end, we as a family are very happy with the process and the results.

We thank Dr. Coillard and Dr. Rivard for so generously helping us and for never giving up on Mégane. Thank you as well to SpineCor. Mégane has had an excellent quality of life whilst wearing the brace, being able to continue her diving, and today she is cured of her scoliosis. We will be forever grateful to you.