Congratulations, it’s a girl! Congratulations, it’s a boy. Whichever sex your baby is, one thing you will notice is that it’s back is straight. Babies are born with flexible bones and we as parents should do all we can to keep their backs upright. Sleeping on a firm mattress only, without a pillow keeps the baby’s back in harmony with the rest of its body. As children grow into preteens some of them become more sloping in the shoulders. (This tends to happen more to girls than to boys.) Some of these children will develop a condition called scoliosis. Depending on the degree measurements, such a child may need to be fitted with a custom-made scoliosis brace to be worn for specific amounts of time.

Pediatric and adolescent scoliosis occurs when a child’s spine abnormally curves sideways or turns. Scoliosis can range from mild to severe. People with mild scoliosis may only need to be seen by their doctor on a regular basis to check on its progress and be instructed with home physical therapy. Some may have to go out to a physical therapy center. This is because a physical therapy facility will have many machines to take advantage of in addition to the attention of a physical therapist who deals with childhood scoliosis. Those with more severe cases of scoliosis may need bracing and today’s braces have become more comfortable to wear and are not a stigma as in the past. Today’s braces are decorated according to the child and adolescent’s age and liking.

Is There a Way to Maintain Good Posture as Our Children Mature and Can We Prevent Them From Becoming Slouching Adults?

It is so satisfying to watch a person walking straight with good posture. Guys who have spent time in the army and girls who are dancers are a pleasure to watch. But what about those kids who do not have good posture, are there preventive or therapeutic measures that can be implemented in such cases?

Well known mattress companies such as Posturepedic and others claim that their mattresses are good for your posture. Is this true? Can a mattress affect the straightness of your spine? When the mattress is too firm, it will pressure your spine and cause misalignment. If the bed is too soft, your body will be able to sink into the bed, causing bad posture while you sleep, which can cause of a deterioration of good posture.

Was Scoliosis Prevalent in Past Generations?

Fifty years ago, kids played much more physical games and activities than they do today. True, that in current times, there are plenty of opportunities for students both in and out of school to excel in some type of sport. However, this is a formal way of displaying their talents and desires to compete in different types of athletics and recreational exercises. Fifty years ago, kids organized their own outdoor games and events. Such activities did not involve expensive gear and equipment, that was left to the pros. Games such as stoop ball, only needed a stoop and a ball. All a game of punch ball needed some local space such as the street in front of the house and a ball. Marbles was another fun street activity for the younger set and was taken very seriously.

All these actions helped keep the kids in shape physically. Walking was a practical way to get around as not all families had cars and often parents did not even know where their child was headed. Those days are not coming back so parents must be diligent in making sure that their children’s posture remains straight. Scoliosis therapy has been around for generations. In the past surgery was prescribed for cases that today can be satisfactorily managed through bracing and physical therapy.

What Are the Ways to Prevent Bad Posture and Scoliosis?

This depends on the cause of the bad posture. Bad posture can be genetic and run-in families or there could be a misalignment of the spine that presents itself in early childhood before the child can develop bad posture habits. In such cases it is not preventable, but it is treatable. Other cases of bad posture can appear for reasons such as low self-esteem, shyness, uncomfortable feelings about body structure. Girls who develop early can actually feel weighed down and the bad posture is actually physically motivated.

What is posture?

Posture refers to two different ideas. The first one is called dynamic posture which refers to how a person holds his or herself while in motion. Examples of dynamic posture are bending over, running and walking. The second kind of posture is static posture referring to a person’s stance when he or she sits, stands, and sleeps. There are three natural curves to the spine, at the neck, mid back, and lower back.

Guidelines for Improving Posture

1) Try to always be aware of your posture. It could be while doing physical activities such as walking and running or stationary activities such as using the computer and washing dishes. This is especially true when sitting at our post COVID-19 work at-home workstations. Some have developed a posture condition called vulture neck which comes from sitting at a computer all day. Take breaks and try to get a chair that forces you into a good posture.

2) Watch your weight. When someone is overweight the stomach muscles weaken which affects the spine and causes pain in the lower back. Folks end up having back surgery unnecessarily when they could have lost weight instead.

3) Workout regularly. Exercises such as yoga which have slow movements keep a person focused on their body’s movements. Core muscles such as the back, pelvis and stomach get strengthened by exercising.

4) Folks, especially women, must wear comfortable shoes. Sport shoe companies such Sketchers and New Balance have models that resemble shoes that can be worn to work for men. Women should stick to low-heeled shoes and stay away from the high ones. Any woman will tell you what happens when she wears high heels. The back falls forward and causes hunched posture. The heeled shoes slip off and the woman must use her foot muscles to hold on to the shoes for dear life putting all concentration on keeping on the shoes and none of the concentration on being mindful of her posture and how the spine is aligned.

5) Wherever you are, in the office, kitchen or laundry room, it is imperative to have posture protectors. Some of these are rubber foam area rugs near the sink in the kitchen and office chair floor protectors to make sure that the chair stays firmly in one spot. Otherwise, you will end up moving backwards and hunching over to get to the computer. The kind of office chair you purchase makes a huge difference in your posture sagging or aligning straight.

What About Scoliosis in Children?

Idiopathic scoliosis is the common form of this condition in children and teens. Taking the lead as parents by practicing good posture is an effective way to show our children how to stand and walk correctly. Criticizing your child’s posture will do little to improve it and will cause resentment. There is a valid reason why your child’s posture is not optimal, and it would be prudent to make an appointment with a respected scoliosis specialist to solve this mystery. A professional who makes the diagnosis will be respected by your child and he or she will not take it as personal criticism.

Final Words

Perfect posture is something we should all strive for. It takes both mental exercise and physical exercise to achieve this goal. When walking, it is important to swing your hands at your sides while holding your tummy in. Those old-fashioned exercises of walking with a book on your head are right in theory. But no one walks with a book on their head daily. In fact, this type of “protective style of movement can cause back pain to intensify. Instead, by walking in a more relaxed way, back pain can subside. One should never forcefully keep their back straight at work while sitting since this is akin to fist clenching. Fist clenching for eight hours a day will cause a sore wrist. The same with the back. You might be striving for perfect posture, but it will be accompanied by back pain.

Each of us can find our own daily regimen of keeping our posture in order. It does not have to be an expensive gym membership but simpler home and office exercises. Talking time off at your desk to sit up straight and push your arms and shoulders back holding for five to ten seconds as many times as possible is one exercise that can be done often without even leaving the chair. Instead of bending to reach for something deep in the kitchen cabinet, crouch instead and keep your back straight. Continuous slouching can be bad for your health since it can be harder to breathe and digest food. Perfect posture means different things to different people, and no one knows for sure if anyone has attained that objective, but even getting close is a great achievement.

As new parents of a healthy infant you want to do all that is possible to keep your baby healthy and growing properly. When a new baby comes into this world normal, is discharged on time with a hearty weight number and seems to be thriving, you want to keep it that way. Making sure your baby is fed, bathed, cuddled and taken at regular intervals for its checkups and shots are some of the ways to keep that adorable bouncer flourishing. If you look at some preteens that you knew as infants you will be surprised to see their postures compromised. Some of them will suffer badly enough that they will have to be fitted with a type of spinal brace for scoliosis. The question that immediately comes to mind is, are there any preventive measures that can be taken to avoid spinal and back problems in your baby’s future?

Since the Back To Sleep campaign of the 1990’s babies are being put to sleep on their backs to avoid any suffocation while asleep. This is actually a good position to keep the baby’s spine aligned properly but there is a danger of flat head syndrome also known as plagiocephaly.

In order to prevent the issue of a flat head, experts not only advise but mandate that the baby must be kept in alternating positions during the day. For parents this means holding the baby or placing the baby on its stomach while awake for what has become known as, “tummy time”.

Ask most moms of babies one to three months old how successful their tummy time experience has been and unfortunately the majority of these moms don’t enjoy watching their babies suffer while trying to bob their heads up and down. Frequently the infant will just fall asleep on its stomach and as long as the mom is watching, the baby is allowed to sleep on its stomach. Moms will typically remark that the best naps their baby experiences is on its tummy. But back sleeping has unequivocally saved lives so there is no getting around it and if it would not be for the possibility of plagiocephaly, back sleeping would be great for the spine as well, as long as the mattress is firm. So, what other ideas can parents have to prevent flat head syndrome and still keep the spine in order?

As we are all aware the bones of an infant are flexible. This is a miraculous occurrence since otherwise it would be hard for the baby to come down the birth canal alive. The negative side of flexible bones is that parents must be careful not to jeopardize the spine causing curvature by using certain baby devices that can threaten the stability of the back.

With so many different baby gadgets around it can be hard for a parent to choose which ones to purchase and there are always new ones coming on the market. I was fascinated by a stroller which has been around for a while called the Doona which transforms from a car seat to a carriage with the flick of a switch. When the baby is sleeping in the car seat it is transported in the car seat and this transforms to a carriage without waking up the sleeping infant. Would a contraption like this be good or bad for the baby’s spine?

There are two systems that are developed first during the embryonic stage of infant development, the nervous system, and the spine. As the nervous system takes shape there are many different movements that the baby needs to move through. This continues even after the baby is born and no mom or dad would want to place their infant in a gadget that would hinder these developments. Let’s go through some current baby devices and see how they affect the flexible spine of the infant.

1) Rock N Play – This baby holder has been recalled because of fatalities during usage. Some parents may still have one in their home and even if used with supervision while not causing death will cause plagiocephaly and spinal trouble since when the baby is strapped in it lies in a position which is hard on the baby’s flexible spine.

2) Baby Carriers – There are two main types of baby carriers on the market, front or back holding. A proper carrier will have good back support and keep the baby’s knees above its hips . This position lets the thigh support the knee so there is less tension on the hips themselves. The preferred carrier that accomplishes this is the back carrier and if you would look at the baby on the back of its mom you would notice the feet are in an M position which is consistent with proper spinal comfort. The no-no would be a frontal carrier which is not only detrimental to the mother causing her to slump her shoulders but also keeps the baby’s legs dangling midair. Compare the back holder where the baby’s legs hold on to the mom and you will see that the baby is in a much better position for its spine.

3) Baby Jumpers & Seats –These will work fine as long as the baby is old enough for them, not necessarily what is written on the box as age appropriate. The time that a baby would be ready for a jumper or bouncer would only be when he or she is capable of sitting on their own. This means the back is strong enough to bear the weight of sitting on its own. Otherwise, these devices can cause stress on the joints and can possibly cause a delay in the baby learning to sit properly on its own accord. Be careful. Just because your baby’s back looks straight and strong enough to sit does not mean they are ready to go into a jumper, bouncer or Bumbo Floor Seat. Better to be conservative and wait till the baby actually sits up on its own.

To better understand what is meant by the baby being at the sitting stage let’s investigate what goes on in the infant’s spine development post birth. There are four main stages of spinal development in a person.

1) When the infant is born the spine constitutes forty percent of the total length of its body. Although this is the same ratio as an adult’s it will grow fifty percent more in length the very first year alone. The shape of the spine at birth is like the letter C. By three months the baby begins to raise its head and the curve reverses (called lordosis). At approximately six months the baby will sit and sometimes stand. This position is labeled, lumbar or lordotic. Sitting by itself takes a toll on the baby. At such a young age they are already using their spine, head, and core all while trying to balance simultaneously. Therefore, it is wise to wait to use jumpers and Bumbo Floor Seats until the baby can completely sit on its own.

2) From one year to five years the spine will continue to grow, reaching about 20.4 inches. Having a healthy history of spinal development will make it so much easier for the toddler to crawl, walk, and run easily and naturally. Falling is natural when first learning to walk but with a solid foundation of the back, the child should soon learn to balance correctly and fall less frequently.

3) From the age of five until ten the spine grows another four inches. This is the time to be on the lookout for any unnatural curvature of the spine or unevenness of the back.

4) From the age of puberty until eighteen the spine will usually grow another eight inches in boys and six inches for girls.

Spondylolisthesis is when there is too much stress on the lower back and when one of the vertebrates slips. Baby carriers that cause too much stress to the spine by weighing the baby down are a factor in the development of this preventable condition.

Final Words

When parents bring their baby home from the hospital they try and expect that all will go smoothly. They can’t help but be anxious to begin using all kinds of the latest baby accessories including car seats, Bumbo Floor Seat, baby carriers, swings, and jumpers. However, parents should be aware that their baby’s spine can be put into a perilous position with certain gadgets and if used too early before sitting properly. Always remember that any carrier that you use should be designed similarly to how you would hold the baby yourself. Never allow his or her legs to just dangle unaided rather they should be able to rest on your body or a footrest.

Sometimes scoliosis can develop regardless of any preventatives be it because of hereditary or other medical factors. At least as responsible parents of infants please make sure that you are not doing anything to aggravate this issue. As your child grows up, if you do notice a curvature even before your doctor, please have your child checked out at your local respected scoliosis center. Your child may only need to do some exercises to strengthen and straighten his or her spine or if needed be fitted with a comfortable brace for a limited amount of time.

Science can often be dry and cold, and many discoveries and inventions have come along only because of the human intervention factor. Childhood scoliosis braces have been around for ages and ages, however, some of the more advanced and more comfortable braces have come into fruition truly because of some sensitive individuals and their patients, one of which was the daughter of the inventor himself. Let’s take a look at the history of scoliosis bracing and we will clue you in on some surprising ways that more advanced and comfortable braces have been developed. There is nothing like actual personal experience even among the most experienced doctors and ortho specialists and we will soon see exactly what that means.

In fact, unfortunately even the most successful, devoted, and experienced medical professionals cannot beat actual experience with illness or other medical issues that have happened to themselves or close members of their family. For example, I know a devoted and beloved doctor who recently suffered from grave complications from a kidney transplant. These types of snags happen to only one in one hundred kidney transplant patients. This doctor who is thankfully improving has gained monumental knowledge in the field of kidney disease that he could have never learned in school.

Some of our heroes in the development of bracing for idiopathic scoliosis are Walter Blount, Bill Miller, John Hall Ralph Hooper, Jr. among other innovators in this field. This article will touch on the developers and the braces that they fabricated while trying to give the human side to bracing history. We also want to stress the importance of orthotists as opposed to doctors in the invention of the most effective scoliosis braces. Even if these professionals do not have an MD after their name, nevertheless they are the ones who actually have the right feeling and experience to make the correct brace for each person.

Dr. Walter Blout, Dr. Albert Schmidt & The Milwaukee Brace

One of the first children’s scoliosis clinics in America to open was at Boston’s Children’s Hospital in 1890. The jacket/brace was made from plaster, rigid metal and included a neck ring. This was later called a version of the Milwaukee Brace. At that time in history, if someone wanted a non-surgical cure for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis this was the most common choice until the 1970’s. The child had to be fitted with a girdle, rigid metal rod and neck ring. This brace is still used today in certain instances for lumbar lordosis. It keeps the pelvis in a back tilting position using a pelvic corset made from leather. The rest of the brace is attached at an angle to a ring around the patient’s neck in which the throat mold is placed right under the chin and keeps the head in a certain position. It is quite a complicated appropriation.

G. Dean MacEwen & The Wilmington Brace

It wasn’t until 1969 that a better option was introduced. It’s so strange that nothing better was invented before 1969 to improve on the cumbersome Milwaukee Brace. Only because of a determined patient, a new brace called the Wilmington Brace was created. MacEwen was the chief of services at the Alfred I. Dupont Institute when he recommended the standard Milwaukee Brace in 1969 to a female patient. Low and behold, she refused this cumbersome contraception as well and only would agree to wear a brace that was undetectable even though, MacEwen tried offering her an alternative cast she was not buying.

At first, MacEwen thought that the girl’s request was quite unreasonable but with no alternative to save the child, he together with some other innovative colleagues created this removable brace. It fits like a jacket but has a front closure. It’s custom-made by using a plaster mold of the patient’s torso.

Bill Miller, John E. Hall and the Boston Brace

When a brave teenager who was a patient of John E. Hall and orthotist Bill Miller refused to wear a Milwaukee type brace; they were forced to design a less restrictive and more comfortable brace especially for this valiant teen. The Boston Brace is still used in a more modern model until today.

Bill Miller who was born in 1927 and died in 1992 founded Boston Brace in 1970. He was grabbed from his own successful orthotist business in Indiana to come to the Children’s Hospital in Boston where he created the Boston Brace. Bill jumped at the chance to develop new techniques in bracing because the Boston hospital was a branch of Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital of which Hall was anxious to be a part of.

Dr. Hall and orthotist Bill Miller were the perfect combination to conceive the Boston Brace System for the purpose of treating scoliosis. The module that they designed was a thoracolumbar-pelvic innovation that came in different sizes and could be configured according to each person’s curvature and age. This idea might seem rudimentary today but, in those days, it was no less than revolutionary. The pressure areas would be specific to each person’s unique curvature.

Today there are a variety of Boston Braces that cater to each individual scoliosis sufferer.

The Boston Brace Original is still considered the main system for scoliosis with specific types custom-made for thoracic, lumbar or a combination of both problems. The standard brace comes with a back opening which gives optimal results consistently.

The Boston Brace Night Shift has gained popularity since it is worn exclusively while sleeping. This brace applies direct, oppositional forces to straighten the curves.

The Boston Brace Kyphosis Brace is used when there is an outward sway called, kyphosis when viewing the spine sideways or for lordosis which means an inward sway.

The Boston Brace RC is a custom-made asymmetrical brace with a front opening. It incorporates the style closely of the Rigo-Cheneau brace.

The Boston Brace 3D is the most up to date brace of all of Boston Orthotics bracing devices and ensures maximum curve correction. It is manufactured by utilizing a digital laser scanning system which measures the patient precisely. There are several other models used for other problems in babies or for people with low muscle tone which can be researched as well.

The Rigo-Chêneau Brace method is the gold standard throughout the world for the successful handling of idiopathic scoliosis thereby avoiding serious surgery.

C. Ralph Hooper, Jr. & The Charleston Bending Brace

Similarly, to Hall and Miller’s motivation for the invention of the Boston Brace, Ralph Hooper’s took a personal turn in l980 when his ten-year-old daughter, Jessica, was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Since her evaluation determined that she suffered from a right thoracic scoliosis she was not a candidate for the Boston Brace, and she would have to be fitted with the dreaded Milwaukee Brace. Jessica said something like, “No I will not wear that monstrosity on my neck.” Her father could not disagree since he had seen firsthand the damage that the Milwaukee Brace was having emotionally and socially to children suffering from scoliosis and having no alternative but that ring around the neck.

Jessica started out with a 30-degree thoracic curve, wore the new brace for two years with her curve reduced to a perfect zero. The Charleston Bending Brace can both conform to the child’s body and bend at the same time. Dr. Hooper admitted that the invention of this innovative brace was the highlight of his career. He made the Charleston Bending Brace especially for his daughter, Jessica and the results were amazing.

The way the Charleston Bending Brace works is that it is molded to fit the specific patient’s body while bending toward the curve while the patient is sleeping. That was the beginning of this innovation but with time patients were able to wear the brace for up to 23 hours a day.

Final Words

We have touched upon several bracing options for children suffering from scoliosis. There are other variations as well which should be presented as options to parents. What I have learned is that there is no such thing as the word no in inventing. So many revelations have been introduced by determined pioneers in all different fields. The common factor is a will to succeed. In the little bit of history, we introduced to you we showed you two ideas. Number one, “if there’s a will, there’s a way”. There is no better encouragement than a child who has a will of their own. It’s very hard to refuse a child when you know deep down in your heart that they are absolutely right. This was especially true in the case of Jessica, Ralph Hooper’s own daughter. How could he possibly refuse the one person he loves the most in the whole world?

The second idea is that it’s often the orthotist, not the doctor who is the expert on scoliosis bracing. Keep this in mind when researching the different options. A doctor can recommend the which brace and the orthotist will explain why that specific one.

There are many white papers that discuss the effectiveness of various therapies for treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) but few are brought down to a comprehensive level for parents. Years of research are done along with the aggregation of highly credible data from prominent medical journals. But what does n = 56 + 63 + 102 + 34 + 80 mean to a mother looking for treatment options for her daughter’s scoliosis? 

The objective of the content below is to extract the main information from a white paper titled “The Effectiveness of Different Concepts of Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” done by the Journal of Clinical Medicine and make it comprehensive to any parent whose child is suffering from scoliosis. The white paper was published by the Journal of Clinical Medicine on May 15, 2021, making it very relevant to patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Basic Definitions To Makes Sense Of Study On Scoliosis Bracing Therapy

Prior to delving into the actual study and findings, it’s important to define certain terms that will be used in the white paper. Most of the words that will be used are related to the spinal skeletal maturity of the pelvic area of the patient. Readers should be cognizant that the spine rests directly on top of the sacrum bone which is supported by the pelvis.

Ossification: This is the abnormal bone formation generally referring to soft tissues becoming calcified and hardened. Often soft tissue can become hardened through the conversion into calcium which is referred to as “calcified”. For laymen such as us it means a soft area by the bone becoming hard.

Iliac Apophysis: When this term is being used it’s referring to an inflammation around the tendon areas situated near the front of the pelvis. The inflammation could be caused by injury but in our case it’s the irregular growth of the child that causes it. For us layman such as us it means inflammation of the tendons in the front pelvic area. 

The Risser Staging System: Dr. Joseph C. Risser (1892 – 1982) was someone who was monumental in treating scoliosis. Risser recognized that the abnormal bone formation and tendon inflammation of the pelvic area (ossification of the iliac apophysis) had very much to do with the patient’s spinal skeletal maturity. In 1958 his many years of research was recognized and clinicians had begun to refer to the gradual maturity of the pelvic bone structure as the Risser sign. The Risser staging system in the United States measures four stages (1 – 4) while the Risser staging system in France measures five stages (1 – 5). These measurements play an important role in how to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and are referred to in different sample sizes in the white paper conducted by the Journal of Clinical Medicine. 

The Tanner Staging System: Dr. James Tanner was a British pediatrician who in 1969 established a staging system for girls as they progressed through puberty. This staging system can be also referred to as Sexual Maturity Rating  or better known as SMR. The Tanner grade is measured in five stages (1 – 5) and shows various stages of development in boys and girls. As per treating scoliosis the Tanner grade can make a difference in how doctors and therapists treat AIS (adolescent idiopathic scoliosis).

Why Was The Study On Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Done?

To get a glimpse into what is the objective of the study, we first need to understand the inspiration for the aggregation of such detailed research on scoliosis bracing. Any parent whose child has scoliosis understands the challenging lifestyle that the condition brings with it. Besides the pain increasing with further progression of scoliosis of the spine, there are negative social elements as well. Scoliosis patients tend to find it hard to fit into the proper clothing due to having uneven shoulders and will often cover up to show less flesh during the hot summer months. This can negatively impact their social life which can in turn be detrimental to friendships and establishing more meaningful relationships. 

What if there was a non-invasive solution to treat and correct adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? That’s where scoliosis bracing comes into conversation. Ever since the origination of the creation of the Lyons Brace in 1948, doctors and therapists have been trying to develop a non-invasive approach for treating scoliosis. But the question always remained if bracing therapy is effective enough to alter an adolescent’s lifestyle by having them wear a brace full time. Though brace creators like Dr. Jacques Cheneau of France, and Dr. Emanuel Rigo of Barcelona, Spain have tried to make a light, fitted, and more comfortable brace, still no one said wearing an orthopedic device is easy. In addition, most brace therapies require the brace to be worn around the clock.

This is why the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in conjunction with the University Medical Center Utrecht, both residing in The Netherlands, grouped a research team to investigate how effective scoliosis brace therapy is. The findings would help justify brace therapy for treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. 

What Were The Findings In The Study?

To give the findings credibility, a variety of scoliosis braces were chosen for the study most of which were rigid and were worn full time. There was one brace called the SpineCor Soft Brace, which was soft but was still worn full time. The Charleston and Providence braces were the only night time braces worn in the study group. Researchers wanted to get a bird’s eye view from general bracing therapy for scoliosis and were not biased towards any particular brace. 

When an orthotist wants to determine if the brace therapy regimen was successful they will look at the progression of the spinal curvature. In general, the ideal treatment plan for scoliosis would result in a normal Cobb angle of 10° or lower. In the study, success was defined as ≤5° curve progression during the follow-up visit after brace therapy. Therefore, if a patient started out at a 20° scoliosis curve and treatment brought it down to 15°, the study would call that a success. 

The study population varied between 23 to 843 patients in which multiple bracing devices were used in each study. Every patient kept to the specific brace given to them throughout the treatment period. The Boston brace, which was used in three studies in a total of 169 patients, saw an average of a 67% success rate (53% – 83%). In another four studies, the Rigo-Chêneau brace was used and saw a success rate of 80% and was most effective in lumbar curves. The Progressive Action Short Brace (PASB) was used in two separate studies of 69 and 163 patients and saw a success rate between 65.6% and 100%. Similarly, the Lyon brace was used in 69 patients and reported a success rate of 99%. 

Conclusion

The commonality between all of the brace therapy treatments for patients was that it was indeed an effective method of treatment for scoliosis. The rigid braces were more effective then the soft brace, and as you guessed it, full time wearing was more effective than part time wearing. Other important findings included brace therapy for scoliosis in Risser stages 0 – 2 and 0 – 3 of bone maturity appeared to be most effective. As the staging for skeletal maturity increases the effectiveness for scoliosis bracing therapy decreases. This is why it’s important that patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis get seen sooner rather than later in order that bracing therapy remains on the table as an option for treatment.

Another interesting finding in one of the studies was that when comparing the TLSO brace (thoraco-lumbo-sacral orthosis) to the Rigo-Chêneau brace, no patients of the Rigo-Chêneau brace required scoliosis surgery as opposed to 34% of TLSO brace patients required scoliosis surgery. This is one of the only findings that  sided with one brace over the others in the comparative analysis. From there it appears that the Rigo-Chêneau brace is a highly effective method of bracing therapy for treating scoliosis and to avoid surgery.  

Final Words

 Whether or not you decide to seek brace therapy for your child is a conversation that should be between you, your pediatrician, and your child. Choosing to treat scoliosis with a brace will mean your child adhering to the prescribed treatment regimen for it to be most effective. After reviewing the study on The Effectiveness of Different Concepts of Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, it is clear that a full time treatment regimen is more efficient for treating scoliosis. With bracing therapy comes wearing the brace all throughout the day with short breaks for bathing. Though it’s tough to get used to at first, most adolescents will get used to it within a couple of weeks. Perhaps treatment will be complete within a twelve month period or sooner based on the time it takes to correct the spinal curvature. With all the discomfort that a patients endures during this period, it is they who are the true heroes. No surgery and normal spinal curvature, and that’s a win win for all. If your child has scoliosis, do a little research into bracing therapy and see if it’s right for them. As per this type of scoliosis therapy, a little discomfort can be truly a life changer. Good Luck!