We appreciate the occasional comments from people who stumble across our little blog and we hope that in some small way something here is helpful.
Some updates...
Schroth method - both girls are still doing their exercises...mostly...! We have appointments every few months to check in and they get re-inspired to do them regularly. Both girls are keeping steady with their curves it seems, both show improvements in lung capacity which can be negatively impacted by scoliosis, and both have improvements in various smaller areas (the uneven hips are more even, the smaller curve in the upper back is less pronounced, etc). Very encouraging!Pain - back pain for Dancer Girl remains drastically reduced from her pre-brace, pre-Schroth days. It does pop up now & then but she is also pushing herself as a dancer so that is probably to be expected. Cello Girl rarely complains of back pain.
Dance - both girls continue to dance. A lot. It seems that the only real issues, particularly for Dancer Girl, are with any "acro" types of movements. Their Schroth specialist (who is also a dancer) has told both girls to avoid that style as much as possible - hyperextensions of the lower back, particularly if they are repetitive or last for extended periods of time, put too much stress on their biggest curves.
Both girls are en pointe now and show no particular difficulty with it related to their scoliosis. Sometimes there are some movements in modern dance or African jazz that put strain on Dancer Girl's lower back, but she is learning to anticipate those moments and adjust accordingly.Brace - Dancer Girl remains brace-free and is not expected to need it again as she has officially stopped growing. Because her curve is at 28 degrees though, we will keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get worse as she gets older.
Cello Girl had a growth spurt but her curve seems to be holding steady. Her recent x-ray showed a slight improvement actually, although it is within the margin of error. Still, even if it's an error, it's in the right direction! So, no brace for her either!
Thank you for the update. I have been referencing your blog since my daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2015 (20/20 degree curves at diagnosis, currently progressed to 32/36 degree curves while brace 18-20 hrs/day for 15 months. She too is a dancer and it has been inspirational for her to read all your wonderful ballet information and the fashion info was very helpful for starting middle school! Keep encouraging and educating us.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you find the site useful as you go down this road. Be sure to check out the other sites we have listed on our blog - they were all helpful to us and inspired us to create our own. We have found this community in general to be very supportive and encouraging. I am so glad to hear your daughter is still dancing - it's a wonderful way for her to express herself and it is great for strengthening those core muscles too!
DeleteWe are starting this journey with my almost 13 year old dancer daughter. Regarding the Scroth method, did you consider a different brace or alternative brace wearing hours in conjunction with the Boston Brace. For instance, Scoliosis3DC talks about an alternative to the Boston Brace called the Gensingen Brace. Any information you can share will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't discover Schroth until Dancer Girl had been wearing her Boston Brace for over a year and was actually almost done with it. So we didn't consider other braces because the Boston is what the doctor ordered. Yes, 3DC often uses a different one but they will work with whatever you have when you come to them. If you decide to pursue Schroth I would just suggest that you find a place that is officially certified not just "using Schroth techniques". I don't know where you are located, but the one in the Boston area that we use would be able to point you to one in your area if possible. He is one of the world's leading experts in this and has trained many of the current certified practitioners himself.
DeleteThank you for your quick response - really appreciate it. We live in Los Angeles so the Boston area is not close for us. I will call him and see what he recommends. Did you see improvement in the curvature with the Schroth method or just stabilization?
ReplyDeleteWe have seen some improvement in the curvatures, mostly stabilization though, but also strengthening in general of specific back muscles to provide support and decrease the likelihood of further progression down the road. In addition to a patient specific exercise program, they teach specific lifestyle changes as far as how to sit, stand, reach, carry heavy objects, etc. to reduce strain on the curve now and in the long run. We have seen improvement in lung capacity and a significant reduction in back pain - that alone is worth the investment for us as Dancer Girl was really struggling daily with pain. I do know that this clinic has seen significant improvements in curvatures with other patients. It will depend a lot on when someone starts the program (have you stopped growing or not) and how dedicated they are to following through with it day to day. Getting teenagers to grasp the longterm vision can be tricky and some will be better at it than others. :) I would go ahead and call them to see if there is a good place they know of in the LA area. Can't hurt to check it out! Good luck!
DeleteThis blog post is really very useful and knowledgeable. My family doctor told me about Scoliosis is a disorder where the spine becomes bent in the left to right sides of the body as opposed to the front and back parts. But science is really advance enough to cure this.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you find the blog helpful! Yes, there are more & more options and types of treatment available now and a better understanding of scoliosis than in the past. We are so thankful for everyone involved in treating our girls for scoliosis.
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