- According to a study published in the medical journal Spine that looked at hospital expenses for more than 76,000 patients, the average cost of scoliosis surgery was almost $133,000 per patient.
- A doctor may advise waiting and observing in cases of mild scoliosis in children or teens, with a curve of less than 20-30 degrees. At least every six months, a doctor visit and X-rays are required. A doctor may recommend additional treatment if the curve develops more than five degrees.
- In severe situations in teenagers or adults (usually curves of 40-50 degrees), spinal fusion surgery may be required to straighten the spine and prevent or treat organ displacement, discomfort, or neurological problems. Scoliosis surgery is covered by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
- Scoliosis and treatment information is available from the National Institutes of Health.
- Some patients will require a cane, which normally costs $15-$80, or a walker, which can cost $200 or more, after surgery. A back brace or a corset may be required for some individuals, which can cost up to $200 or more.
- Some patients, particularly adults, require a few sessions of physical therapy after surgery, which cost between $50 and $350 per appointment.
- Shriners Hospitals for Children provides free scoliosis treatment to children and teenagers based solely on need, not on family money. Parents must apply for their child’s care.
- Uninsured/cash-paying patients can receive savings of up to 30% or more at hospitals and imaging centers. The Washington Hospital Healthcare System in California, for example, gives a 35% discount.
How much does a scoliosis brace cost?
Scoliosis brace treatment is introduced as a therapeutic option for a moderate degree of scoliosis. Traditional scoliosis bracing’s purpose is to simply stabilize a curvature that is growing; however, traditional bracing does not provide any long-term benefit or prospect of correction.
The Traditional Scoliosis Brace
Traditional scoliosis braces range in price from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the design. This does not include the expense of the doctor fitting the brace, x-rays taken within the brace, or other expenditures, which, according to studies, average roughly $10,836 each year. So a patient who needs orthopedic bracing will have to pay $5,000 or more up front, plus $10,000 per year they wear the scoliosis brace.
It’s also vital to think about the consequences of wearing a scoliosis brace, such as the time commitment and emotional impact. Traditional back bracing is often advised for 23 hours per day, and compliance has been demonstrated to be quite low. Wearing a typical scoliosis brace during formative middle school or high school years can cause psychological anguish that lasts a lifetime, leaving invisible scars.
Although CLEAR Scoliosis treatment does not require the use of a typical brace, a well-designed tailored corrective brace may be used in conjunction with CLEAR treatment to help slow or stop curve advancement.
Scoliosis Traction Chair
A Scoliosis Traction Chair should be purchased for usage at home by someone with a moderate degree of scoliosis, according to the CLEAR technique. This will set you back around $4,000. They will typically utilize this chair twice a day for 30 minutes each time, for a total of one hour each day as opposed to 23 hours in a brace. There’s also no danger of emotional distress. The chair is only used for a limited period of time, not in a public setting but in the quiet of your own house, and you can spend the time by watching television or playing video games.
If your scoliosis has been rectified to the point where the Scoliosis Traction Chair is no longer needed, you can sell it back to the firm and receive a refund of a portion of the purchase price. A scoliosis brace, on the other hand, cannot do this because each back brace is uniquely built and fitted for each particular patient. Because the chair requires far less time and there is no guilt or social isolation associated with using it, compliance is substantially higher than with an orthopedic brace.
CLEAR Clinic Treatment
A moderate case of scoliosis that comes from out of town to a CLEAR clinic may need two weeks of intensive therapy. This treatment plan may be used again in the future. The average cost of two weeks of treatment is $5,000. (Because the initial inspection costs more than subsequent visits, the expense is front-loaded.) Someone with a moderate incidence of scoliosis might spend $10,000 a year on CLEAR treatment, which is almost the same as the cost of a scoliosis brace. The Scoliosis Traction Chair will cost them a little less than a back brace.
The benefits of CLEAR treatment are as clear in this case as they are in a minor incidence of scoliosis. Instead of wanting for the curve to remain the same, you wish for it to improve. The monetary expenditures are comparable, but the emotional costs are significantly lower. Instead of being motivated by the worry that your curve will worsen if you don’t wear your back brace, you’re motivated by the hope that if you utilize the chair every day, your curvature will improve dramatically. If you do, and it works, you’ll be able to get some of the money you paid for the Scoliosis Traction Chair back.
Is a back brace good for scoliosis?
Without surgery, a scoliosis curve seldom improves. However, studies have shown that using a back brace as directed can typically stop scoliosis from progressing. As a result, wearing a brace can be an efficient strategy to keep the Cobb angle of a scoliosis curve moderate and controlled.
Scoliosis curves that are 50 degrees when a teenager reaches skeletal maturity (around the ages of 14 or 15 for girls and 16 or 17 for boys) will continue to grow into adulthood.
These curves are likely to progress to a severe deformity that may necessitate surgery. As a result, the purpose of bracing is to avoid significant surgery by either slowing or preventing curve advancement from reaching 40 or 50 degrees at the time of skeletal maturity.
Why do doctors prescribe back braces for scoliosis patients?
For children with idiopathic scoliosis, wearing a brace is frequently the first step. Doctors prescribe a brace in the hopes of preventing the bend from worsening and avoiding spinal fusion surgery.
How Does Bracing Work?
A child must still be growing in order for bracing to work. Orthopedists will evaluate to see if a youngster is too far along in growth and development before prescribing a brace. They might measure a child’s height, inquire about a girl’s periods, or take X-rays of the hip, hand, and wrist bones to do so.
Braces aren’t always effective on all curves. If the curve is too large, bracing will not help (usually more than 40 degrees). If the curvature is too tiny, a brace may not be required (less than 20 degrees).
Based on the type of scoliosis, severity, and location on the spine, the orthopedic specialist will examine the child and propose a brace.
Because each child’s physique and curves are different, a brace must be custom-made for them. Your health-care practitioner will refer your child to an orthotist for fitting. Some hospitals have on-staff orthotics specialists who can fabricate braces in a single day. A brace may take a few weeks to make in other circumstances.
Wilmington Brace and Boston Brace
The modest curvature in the ribs and lower spine are treated with these jacket-style braces. Both have a proven track record of performance and scientific evidence to back them up.
These braces can be worn beneath your clothes. They are constructed of lightweight hard plastic and cover the torso from hips to armpits. They’re custom-made for a child’s body, with specific contouring and cushioning to correct the spine’s alignment in the brace.
- The Wilmington brace is a front-closing brace that is custom-molded to fit each child. An orthotist creates a brace based on a plaster mold of the child’s torso.
- The back of the Boston brace shuts. It comes in a variety of sizes and may be personalized with pads and cut-outs.
The number of hours a child must wear a brace per day varies, but it is normally between 12 and 23 hours.
Rigo-Cheneau Brace
The Rigo-Cheneau brace is a bespoke plastic brace that is occasionally used in conjunction with physical therapy using the Schroth method. It contains open regions that let the child’s body to expand during exercise and breathing.
Charleston Bending Brace
This brace should only be worn at night. It’s a solid piece of plastic that holds the back in place, similar to daytime jacket-style braces. It’s shaped to “overcorrect” the curve by keeping the spine bowed to one side, rather than keeping the individual straight. Charleston braces are typically used to treat C-shaped curvature in the lower back.
Milwaukee Brace
This was the first form of scoliosis brace invented. Milwaukee braces are worn 1220 hours a day by children, just as jacket-style braces. It’s a solid piece of plastic that wraps around the child’s hips and waist and has vertical bars in the front and back that connect to a ring around the child’s neck. This brace is no longer utilized since it is difficult to wear.
How Long Do Kids Wear a Brace?
Bracing is most effective when a youngster is still growing and the curve is not too severe. When a youngster stops growing, bracing comes to an end. This could take several years. The length of time that children wear scoliosis braces is determined by their curve and when they stop growing.
What Problems Can Happen?
Braces are made to fit snugly against the body, which can cause skin irritation due to heat or friction. It is critical to protect the skin:
- Under the brace, make sure your youngster is wearing a thin, tight-fitting, sweat-wicking shirt.
- When wearing a brace, some redness is to be expected, but contact your doctor if:
Braces can also cause a few other temporary difficulties. Some children, for example, may find it difficult to breathe deeply while wearing the brace. Alternatively, the brace may feel uncomfortably tight after eating. However, the most serious issue with scoliosis braces is that some children refuse to wear them.
What If My Child Won’t Wear It?
The majority of children tolerate their braces well. When children are having difficulties, though, an understanding parent can make a significant difference.
Simply by being a supporter and cheerleader for your child, you may make the day-to-day reality of wearing a brace easier.
Encourage your child to come to you when things are difficult, and assure them that you will just listen. Come up with solutions and rewards with your youngster to get him or her to wear the brace. Creating a weekly timetable or calendar for brace wear can help families stay organized and on track.
Your kid’s care team is a valuable resource for both you and your child. They are aware that some children have difficulty wearing a brace at times and can provide you advice and suggestions on how to deal with the situation.
What Else Should I Know?
When your child’s bracing treatment is completed, what can you expect? The majority of children adjust well to life without braces. If they suffer back pain, they may require physical therapy to strengthen their muscles. Apart from that, children can resume their daily activities.
What types of braces are best for scoliosis?
The Boston brace is the most widely prescribed scoliosis brace today. The Boston brace is a form of thoracic-lumbar-sacral orthosis that many people are familiar with (TLSO). There are other sorts of Boston brace models, such as the CTLSO (TLSO with a neck extension) for a high thoracic curve, but they are less popular.
Typically, a Boston brace is manufactured from one of several prefabricated mold alternatives. Corrective pads and trim lines (cutouts) are strategically added to the brace by following a blueprint specific to the patient’s scoliosis curve after the orthotist (person who makes the brace) selects the mold that best matches the patient’s size and curve type.
The Boston brace works by delivering corrective pressure to the convex (outer) side of the curve while carving away corresponding areas of relief on the concave (inner) side, allowing the spine to migrate in that direction.
Because the brace opens in the back, the patient may require assistance in putting it on and taking it off.
Wilmington Brace
The Wilmington brace is another popular TLSO. The Wilmington brace, unlike the Boston brace, is custom-fitted using a cast of the patient lying down and facing up. Before the brace is finished, correction forces tailored to the patient’s spinal curve are added to the cast.
This brace is characterized as a full contact TLSO because it does not have any gaps or open regions and fits on the body like a snug garment.
Milwaukee Brace
The Milwaukee brace is an older and larger version of the original cervico-thoracic-lumbar-sacral orthosis (CTLSO), which was designed in the 1940s. The Milwaukee brace is rarely used nowadays due to the effectiveness and relative convenience of today’s more contemporary braces. It is, however, nevertheless occasionally utilized for curvature in the thoracic or cervical spine.
Both the Wilmington and Boston braces are theoretically effective full-time bracing alternatives for scoliosis curves at T8 (mid-back or bottom of shoulder blade) or lower. A clinic’s experience with either the Boston or Wilmington braces, but not both, may influence which full-time brace is ordered.
Is scoliosis a disability?
Although the Social Security Administration does not consider scoliosis to be a disability, the medical condition can cause severe enough symptoms to qualify you for benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has developed a medical handbook called the Blue Book, which details the medical disorders and symptoms that qualify applicants for financial aid.
If you have one of the following symptoms, you may be eligible for disability benefits under Section 1.04 of the Blue Book, which specifies abnormalities of the spine.
- Compression of the nerve roots, which limits spinal motion and causes severe discomfort.
You may potentially be eligible for Social Security disability benefits if you can show that scoliosis has harmed your capacity to work and if the SSA has determined that the medical condition is a musculoskeletal disorder.
Several medical illnesses that are classified as musculoskeletal disorders are listed in the Blue Book. You must demonstrate that your symptoms match the severity of symptoms indicated in the Blue Book section devoted to musculoskeletal disorders like inflammatory arthritis.
Does scoliosis go away?
When I provide a scoliosis diagnosis, one of the most common questions I get is if it’s treatable or if it can go away on its own. Scoliosis is a chronic and persistent disease that will not go away or improve without therapy. Although it may be tough to hear, I want to emphasize that, despite these drawbacks, it is most definitely treatable.
Before we get into the treatment options available to people who have been diagnosed with scoliosis, let’s take a look at the problem itself.
What Makes Scoliosis Scoliosis?
Scoliosis is the most common cause of spinal deformity in school-aged children in the United States, and most people have heard of it. While most people are aware that it affects the spine, not everyone is aware of the traits that distinguish it as real scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that is unnatural. The upper, middle, and lower backs all have three natural and healthy curvatures. The spine’s strength and flexibility are provided by these curves working together.
As the spine bends to the side and alters the biomechanics of the entire spine, a person with scoliosis loses these healthy curves.
Two condition features must be present for an aberrant spinal curvature to be officially diagnosed: a certain degree of curvature and rotation.
One of the fascinating aspects about scoliosis is how much it may vary from patient to patient.
A person’s abnormal curvature must be 10 degrees or greater to acquire an official diagnosis of scoliosis. This is measured using an X-ray and entails measuring the curvature of the vertebrae that are the most inclined. The Cobb angle of a patient is the degree to which the spine deviates from a straight alignment.
The first step toward a scoliosis diagnosis is to reach a curve of 10 degrees or more.
- Mild scoliosis is defined as a Cobb angle of more than 10 degrees but less than 25 degrees.
The aberrant curvature must also correspond with rotation, in addition to a Cobb angle measurement of 10+ degrees.
Scoliosis is a three-dimensional disorder due to the rotation that happens in conjunction with an aberrant spinal curvature, which is why any effective treatment plan must address it as such.
As a result, real scoliosis is a lateral (side to side) and rotational (twisting) spinal abnormality.
For the sake of this study, we shall concentrate on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), which is the most frequent type of the illness.
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and Progression
The most difficult aspect of treating scoliosis is trying to stay ahead of the disease’s tendency to progress (get worse over time). Because growth is the most well-known trigger for advancement, AIS is the most frequent form of the disease.
Adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 are most typically diagnosed, and they are at the peak of their growth and development. Puberty, which is marked by rapid and unpredictable development spurts, causes significant changes in the spine in terms of growth and stress.
While monitoring is an important part of our therapy strategy, both in terms of watching progressive patterns and how the spine responds to treatment, there is another prevalent therapeutic approach in which monitoring is the primary treatment component.
Watching and Waiting
When a person is diagnosed with scoliosis, they must make an essential decision: which treatment method to pursue. This is most certainly the most crucial scoliosis-related decision they’ll make, as it will assist shape the patient’s experience with the condition throughout treatment and decide treatment outcomes.
While the strategy we use at the Center is known as ‘functional,’ there is another popular treatment approach that has been around for a long time and is known as the ‘conventional’ approach.
The traditional approach’s fundamental flaw, in my opinion, is its passivity. When someone is diagnosed with scoliosis, treatment should begin as soon as possible; otherwise, significant treatment time is wasted while the scoliosis progresses unabated.
If a person is diagnosed with a mild or moderate condition at the time of diagnosis, they will most likely be told to return in 3, 6, or 12 months (depending on age and severity) for a follow-up X-ray to see if their condition has progressed; this approach is best described as ‘watching and waiting.’
Essentially, while a patient’s disease is in a milder stage, they are advised to simply observe it, and if/when it worsens, a Boston brace may be prescribed as an active method of treatment.
Despite being the most often used traditional brace in the United States for treating scoliosis, I believe it highlights a major problem in the traditional method as a whole. The Boston brace isn’t meant to ‘fix’ scoliosis on a structural level; rather, it’s meant to halt or delay progression.
The Boston brace just addresses one component of scoliosis (progression) rather than the underlying structural source of the problem. Furthermore, the Boston brace must be worn constantly (18-24 hours each day), is inconvenient, and compliance is a major concern.
If a patient followed the traditional treatment approach recommendations, they would have watched their condition worsen until it required surgery, at which point they would have been told, “Well, since your condition has progressed from mild to moderate, it’s likely it will continue to progress, so let’s try to stop it with a Boston brace.”
If the Boston brace fails to stop advancement, the patient has not yet had any active treatment that focuses on making a structural change, and as a result, the patient is frequently referred for spinal-fusion surgery because their curvature has now reached surgical level.
Fortunately, I’m glad to have developed another proactive technique throughout the years: the functional approach.
The Functional Treatment Approach
The functional approach, sometimes known as the “conservative” or “alternative” approach, approaches scoliosis in a fundamentally different way.
We don’t want our patients to have to deal with the potentially dangerous side effects of invasive drugs, injections, or spinal fusion surgery. We take a proactive approach, beginning therapy as soon as feasible because I understand the nature of the ailment, and practically every condition will worsen if left untreated.
Scoliosis must be treated on a structural level first and foremost in order to be effectively treated. Why sit and wait as a progressive ailment, which is nearly likely to get worse, evolves, just to be told, “Now your condition is serious and requires spinal-fusion surgery,” seems nonsensical to me.
Our primary goal at the Center is to be proactive as well as preventative. First, we construct a treatment strategy by combining numerous scoliosis-specific disciplines such as chiropractic adjustments, therapy, rehabilitation, and proper bracing. All of this is done to have a structural impact on the patient’s scoliosis, preventing the need for surgery by never allowing the curvature to reach surgical levels.
Monitoring is an important element of our treatment since it directs our efforts to reduce the patient’s aberrant curvature on a structural level. We’re interested in seeing how the spine responds to treatment and growth. We adjust our treatment plan and assign different disciplines in response to our observations and X-ray results, based on the particular demands of our patient and their condition.
I understand scoliosis and have dedicated my life to offering people a better treatment choice than the usual one. Spinal fusion is an invasive procedure that reduces mobility, carries a high risk of complications and adverse effects, and lacks long-term data.
When patients inquire if their scoliosis will go away, fix itself, or get better, I have to tell them that it will almost likely improve with active treatment, but that without active treatment, or treatment that leads to surgery, their scoliosis experience and life will be dramatically altered.
Conclusion
So, does scoliosis ever get better on its own? In the vast majority of cases, especially those that progress to the moderate and severe stages, a person’s scoliosis is unlikely to resolve on its own.
“What can I do to keep my scoliosis from becoming worse?” becomes the most pertinent question. The answer is to address the condition’s genuine progressive nature by participating in active treatment that also tackles the condition’s underlying structural nature. You can work toward reducing curvature, supporting and stabilizing the spine, and preventing the need for spinal fusion surgery by doing so.
The longer a problem is allowed to persist and get more serious, the more likely the person will acquire more severe symptoms like lung impairment, discomfort, and movement issues.
The consequences of spinal fusion surgery are permanent, and they are not always favorable. Why not attempt a more natural and functional approach to scoliosis treatment that has the potential to lessen or eliminate scoliosis-related complications?
Can you fix scoliosis without surgery?
Fortunately, most cases of scoliosis do not require treatment, and only a small percentage of cases require surgery. Your doctor may propose surgery if your child’s spinal curvature grows to more than 40-50 degrees, depending on region, or if the curve is progressing rapidly.
If your child’s development curve is less than 40-50 degrees when they reach adulthood, it should not cause serious difficulties or deteriorate. As a result, surgery is rarely suggested. If your kid’s scoliosis requires surgery, there are a variety of modern surgical procedures that can reduce the curve as much as possible while keeping your child safe.
Learn more about scoliosis treatments
The Children’s Health Andrews Institute Spine Center’s highly educated pediatric spine experts use sophisticated treatment technologies and techniques to treat all children with spinal abnormalities including scoliosis. Learn more about our scoliosis and spine treatment options.
How can I fix scoliosis naturally?
Exercise, medical observation, scoliosis-specific physical therapy, and chiropractic treatment from a chiropractic scoliosis specialist are often enough to manage mild scoliosis. Yoga or pilates are also recommended for certain persons with scoliosis in order to reduce pain and develop flexibility.
Bracing is commonly used to prevent the spine from bending further in moderate scoliosis. Your doctor may propose greater medical surveillance or other treatment approaches depending on the curvature of your spine.
Surgery becomes the most suggested treatment option if the spine reaches a particular advanced curvature and the person with scoliosis reaches a certain age. Scoliosis surgery can take numerous forms and is dependent on a number of factors, including:
- whether or whether the growing of your spine has badly harmed other sections of your body
Can a chiropractor fix scoliosis?
Surgery is the only known way to correct scoliosis, and it’s usually reserved for people with curves of 50 degrees or more. All other scoliosis treatment options, including chiropractic, aim to keep the curve from worsening and/or manage your symptoms so you can live a better life.
Chiropractic treatment is holistic in nature, which means it considers the entire body as a whole. Its goal is to allow the body to recover itself by restoring normal spinal and joint alignment. A scoliosis chiropractor can create a non-invasive, drug-free scoliosis treatment plan that addresses a variety of symptoms.
While chiropractors are unable to totally straighten your spine, studies have shown that patients with scoliosis have a significant improvement in spine curvature, discomfort, and disability rating.
A chiropractor can enhance flexibility and range of motion while also relieving pain by using a mix of spinal adjustments and flexion distraction to “stretch out” thinner areas in your discs.
When you can move more freely and effortlessly, it’s easier to execute the exercises your orthopedic doctor recommends for strengthening the muscles that support your spine.
How long do you wear a scoliosis brace?
When it comes to bracing for scoliosis, there are two categories of patients: those who are skeletally immature, such as youngsters, and those who are skeletally developed, such as adults. The length of time a patient must wear a brace is determined by their ailment, age, and the bracing’s therapeutic aim.
Because bracing can be used to treat scoliosis in both adults and children, there are some important distinctions in the treatment goals, as well as between standard and corrective bracing. Let’s take a look at how to prescribe bracing for people who are skeletally immature.
Bracing for Children with Scoliosis
When we discuss bracing skeletally immature patients, we’re referring to youngsters who fall into one of three categories: infantile, juvenile, or adolescent.
Infant and Juvenile Bracing
We usually try bracing in infants and children until the curve is decreased enough to remove the brace. For example, we’ll employ full-time bracing to minimize the curve, then try to wean them off the brace until they reach the adolescent stage, which has the highest risk of advancement.
Let’s say a six-year-old has scoliosis and is treated with full-time bracing for a year to 18 months. That course of treatment would be followed until the curve was decreased and stabilized. After that, we might take them out of the brace until they’re 11 or 12 years old, and then we’ll see how their curve changes during a growth spurt.
If the progression coincides with a growth spurt, we’ll put them back in a full-time brace that they’ll wear until they attain skeletal maturity during adolescence.
Our goal in infantile and juvenile instances is to get them to the adolescent stage.
Adolescent Bracing
If a teenager comes to our office for therapy and needs bracing, they’ll typically wear it until they’re skeletally mature; we don’t want to wean them off too soon because of the high risk of advancement.
In most cases of teenage scoliosis, the brace will be worn all of the time. We realize there’s a major difference between bracing to ‘keep’ the curvature and bracing to’reduce’ the curve and make the spine straighter, which is why we recommend full-time wearing.
I like to use the idea of wearing braces on your teeth as an illustration. Nobody expects part-time brace wearers to achieve the same results as full-time brace wearers. Wearing braces full-time with regular tightenings and adjustments results in straight teeth.
Wearing a full-time brace for 18 to 23 hours a day is referred to as full-time bracing. The patient’s five-hour time range varies, with the average wearing time falling around in the middle at roughly 21 hours each day.
Adolescents will wear their brace for the recommended amount of time until they reach adulthood, at which point they will be gradually weaned off of it over a period of time.
There are two techniques we might take when it comes to employing bracing for adults.
Bracing for Adults with Scoliosis
When it comes to bracing in adults, we have two therapeutic goals: pain relief and curve reduction.
Adults would wear the brace part-time, for 4 to 6 hours per day, if the goal is to minimize scoliosis-related pain. If an adult patient’s spine still has some flexibility after treatment, we can treat them like an adolescent, which means wearing the brace all the time.
Depending on the amount of the patient’s curve and the rigidity of their spine, this could require wearing the brace for 6 to 18 months before switching to a standard supportive brace or opting out of bracing entirely.
The length of time people must wear braces is a difficult topic to answer because it varies from patient to patient. The adult’s age is a major deciding factor.
We are frequently able to wean young individuals off bracing altogether. If an elderly adult has rapidly advanced degenerative scoliosis, they may need to wear a brace for the rest of their lives, though probably not full-time. This may seem excessive, but an adult who has had spinal-fusion surgery to correct scoliosis will have a metal rod linked to their spine for the rest of their lives.
Because the treatment goal of corrective bracing is exactly what it sounds like: correction, this is the approach. The goal of corrective bracing is to minimize the curvature physically.
This brings us to the distinction between classic supportive bracing, which seeks to slow down advancement, and corrective bracing, which aims to modify the structure.
Traditional Bracing vs. Corrective Bracing
The purpose of corrective bracing is to create a structural change by physically lowering the curve. Traditional bracing is used to either decrease discomfort in adults or to stop progression; in corrective bracing, the goal is to achieve a structural change by physically reducing the curve. One ‘holds,’ while the other ‘corrects.’
Traditional bracing, in my opinion, is ineffective for adults. It doesn’t help with pain, and it doesn’t help with the curve. The brace immobilizes the spine by acting as a cast. Immobilization leads to frailty, which in turn leads to more issues.
Traditional braces, such as the Boston, Providence, or nightly brace, are used in juvenile patients to prevent the curvature from worsening.
The Boston and Providence braces are the two most popular traditional braces. Full-time Boston braces are squeezing braces that create immobilization; they’re not designed to minimize the curve, and they’re not even that good at stopping progression.
Another disadvantage of traditional bracing is that it is usually required to be worn for 18 to 23 hours per day. They also become increasingly uncomfortable to wear for children and adolescents as their curves continue to grow while the brace tries to retain the spine in place. This is where, especially with younger patients, tolerance and compliance can be a concern.
When it comes to nightly braces like the Charleston or Providence, they make the patient bend while squeezing and bending the spine, but they don’t deliver enough of a dose to truly modify the form of the spine.
Traditional bracing’s failure to change the curve of the spine is what leads to such high failure rates, as opposed to corrective bracing’s results.
Corrective Bracing
Most traditional braces, on the other hand, are rarely changed. A patient will be issued their brace and will not be given another until they have outgrown it or the treatment term has ended.
Returning to the orthodontic braces example, how effective would they be at correcting misaligned teeth if they were never tightened or adjusted, or only worn part-time? This is why I don’t understand the theory behind classical bracing.
A brace must be corrective, tailored, and regularly modified to adapt to the growing body of the person wearing it, especially when it comes to lowering the curve rather than simply maintaining it in place.
Another significant distinction between traditional and corrective bracing is that traditional bracing does not include the required changes to push the spine straighter with the same vigor. In traditional bracing, this phase is largely overlooked.
Part of our treatment approach with corrective bracing, such as our ScoliBrace, is to manage the brace by modifying it every few months to achieve the best level of curvature reduction possible.
The ScoliBrace is the culmination of bracing theory and practice that treats a patient’s scoliosis’ underlying structural condition. The difference between traditional and corrective bracing is that the former seeks to prevent a curvature from progressing while the latter can create a structural alteration by modifying the contour of the spine.
The length of time a patient must wear their brace is determined by several factors, including their age, ailment type, and treatment aim.
When bracing is used to relieve pain in adults, it is typically worn for 4 to 6 hours per day. If an adult has had our scoliosis-specific chiropractic therapy and has improved spine flexibility as a result, we can treat them like our adolescent patients and put them in a full-time corrective brace for 6 to 18 months.
The amount of time a kid or adolescent must wear a brace is determined by whether or not they have reached skeletal maturity. We’ll usually keep newborns and juveniles in a brace until their curvature has been decreased or they reach the teenage phase; whether or not they need to keep wearing it during puberty is determined by our observations of how growing affects their curvature. Adolescents will almost always wear their brace all of the time until they reach skeletal maturity.
In general, if the treatment goal of bracing is to provide support and pain relief, it should be worn for 4 to 6 hours per day; if the treatment goal is to reduce curvature, it should be worn whole time, which is roughly 20 to 23 hours per day.