Preteens and teens of today are the best and most resilient ever. Yes, I know that some may say they are spoiled, brazen, and needy. However, their very brazenness is what is bringing out their amazing creativity in embracing their scoliosis braces. We have learned from history and personal experience that the very character traits that we admire in people can also be misused negatively. For example, A quiet, soft person may find it hard to find a job because he or she cannot communicate openly. On the other hand, a teenager who is rambunctious in school grows up to become a leader in his or her community. After detailing the different aspects both emotionally and physically of fitting your Idiopathic Scoliosis child with clothing, we will discover the very creativity of certain youngsters who are fighting the tide and wearing their braces with pride.

A teenager’s life is daunting enough, without having to deal with wearing a scoliosis brace every day to school. Let’s divide the different stress points that your scoliosis wearing teen or preteen-er must contend with in school. Besides peer acceptance of the brace, the child is forced to deal with the discomfort of the brace, whether it is the sweating and itching in the summer or the mobility issues during sports and gym. The advantage of wearing the brace for the full day in school, will result in curtailing the progression of the curve  and thus avoiding a worse case scenario of possible surgery as a last resort.

Must a child with idiopathic scoliosis be forced to wear only baggy sweatshirts and sweatpants all the time? 

Here are some of the visible indications to look for on your child’s body when shopping for the correct scoliosis fit: uneven shoulders and rib cage, one leg shorter than the other, leaning to one side, head off center and one shoulder blade protruding more than the other. There are several aspects to consider when searching for appropriate clothing for your scoliosis child.

1) The undergarments, such as a medical tank top, to be worn underneath the brace to make it more comfortable

2) The clothing to be worn on top of the brace as part of your child’s wardrobe for everyday and special events

3) The children who attend schools that mandate uniforms

4) The general aspects of the brace itself; such as its rigidity and clumsiness under garments

Undergarments to Wear Under The Scoliosis Brace

To eliminate chafing, look for shirts that are seamless like tight fitting tank tops made of absorbent and breathable materials. The type of brace your child wears, will determine which cuts the shirts should have. For example, with the Rigo-Chêneau brace, you would need to buy a shirt that has an extra flap to protect the skin under the armpit, since the brace comes up high underneath the armpit. Certain companies trend toward seamless shirts which are more comfortable than those that have seams. Some of the companies are Tilly’s, Gap Modern Crew Tee and Under Armour.

Comfortable Pants for Scoliosis 

As far as pants go, although they can be worn with a brace,your child may be more comfortable with jeggings (jean leggings) which have a more comfortable elastic waist band. They have no snaps or buttons that tend to squeeze into the skin under the brace. To wear regular pants over the brace, you may have to purchase a larger size to accommodate the brace. For example, the Boston brace which comes over both hips, allows for regular pants to be worn. Bring your child with you to the store and make sure he or she sits down on a chair in the dressing room to check that the pants are not digging into the stomach. These last two points go for boys as well as girls, although girls are eight times as likely as boys to have scoliosis.

An amazing invention are high waisted jeans. One girl with scoliosis boasted that her discovery of high waisted jeans eliminated her fear of wearing jeans that made her curve show. She says these types of jeans actually flatter her posture.

Proper Tops to Wear For Scoliosis

Long button down shirts, tunics, loose sweaters, hoodies and loose tank tops, will not only cover the brace, but the shape of these garments will conceal the boxy shape of the Cheneau Gensingen brace. If there is any rib protrusion, it won’t show. Also a top with a cowl neck will hide the axillary piece of the Rigo-Chêneau brace. Layering of clothes will hide the outline of this type of brace.

Peplum tops are another way to go, especially for those children suffering with lumbar spinal curves. These tops will conceal your child’s spinal curve and add a fashionable dimension to them. (Peplums are short, gathered, and slightly flared with a strip of fabric attached at the waist of a blouse, jacket, skirt or dress.)

Although shoulder pads may be old fashioned, they have always been used to smooth out uneven shoulders. One shoulder pad on one side may do the trick just right. It is important to remember that comfort is just as important as appearance. Remind your child to bring their brace with them when shopping, and adjust it to the right settings for the clothes to fit properly.

School Uniforms for Scoliosis 

Certain religious schools have a compulsory regulation of school uniforms. Even with uniforms, you can tell who is the fashion conscious student and who is not. What shall a scoliosis wearer do? The child has two choices, one is to wear a uniform a size larger. This adjustment will help the child hide her brace from other classmates. The second choice, is to admit and exalt the brace. I know a girl who was so matter of fact about her brace that she went so far as to tell her friends, “Go ahead and stand on my back, it will not even hurt a bit nor will I even feel it!” Hopefully, her friends did not take her up on her offer, and if they did, I hope the brace was able to take their weight. The brace became a lucky charm that her friends admired.This observation shows the confidence that this girl had in herself; that she was able to make the best of her situation and eventually her classmates became tired of giving her all that free attention.

Creative Outlets for Kids With Scoliosis

1)The Nordstrom Fashion Show – Several years ago, ten year old Sophie Pidgeon, and her Mom, Meghan, traveled nearly four hours from their home, in Charlotte, Vermont, to Natick for a spring fashion show at Nordstrom. This was no ordinary fashion show, since all of the fifty models were scoliosis brace wearers.

All the girls shared one common goal, to be able to express their unique personalities and fashion flair while at the same time not divulging the braces under their clothing. Medical regulations call for privacy between patients, so this was Sophie’s first opportunity to mingle with other scoliosis brace wearers, since she received her brace. She will have to wear her brace for eighteen hours a day until she is sixteen years old. At Nordstrom, a stylist helped Sophie pick out clothes that she liked and that complimented her brace.

2) Curvy Girls – Although scoliosis centers must keep the confidentiality of their patients, Leah hit upon an idea and told the people at her scoliosis center of her plan. Leah’s initiative was forming a group with other girls suffering in isolation with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. The people at her scoliosis center offered to hand out flyers to patients similar to her. She began getting calls from scoliosis girls and her first meeting consisted of just four members. They each brought down some shirts to show each other and explain to each other how to disguise their individual braces. These innovative girls talked about how to tell other kids about their condition, as well as how to express their frustrations to their physical therapists and doctors.The group, Curvy Girls, grew by leaps and bounds over time. Leah calls, Curvy Girls, “our emotional brace”. “We need to help our girls feel better about themselves from the inside out”.

Leah first began wearing her scoliosis brace when she was in her first year of middle school. She attended an adult group meeting for scoliosis sufferers but did not feel comfortable there. That is when she came up with the idea to have a group for kids like her. The most important aspect of the group is to support each other so they do not feel alone with their issue.

3) Hope’s Closet – Dahlia Ronen’s, and her daughter, Hope Schneider could not find any comfortable undershirts on the market that were easy enough for Hope to wear under her scoliosis brace. Hope could not be comfortable because she would get sores under her armpits, since the undershirts were not cut in the right way for her brace. After numerous attempts at buying the right shirts and hundreds of dollars spent, Hope turned to her mother and asked why no one has yet designed a cute and comfortable undershirt for Scoliosis brace wearers like herself. Hope’s Closet, was born in 2012, as a unique brand specifically geared to Scoliosis brace wearers. Both fashion and function are the trademark advantages of Hope’s Closet brand of products. Kids who wear the Hope’s Embrace undershirts are meeting their brace compliance hours more readily. Curvy Girls has given their full hearted endorsement to the trademark, Hope Embrace tank tops, in addition to also receiving endorsements from well known doctors, orthodists, physical therapists and even research groups.

Look how amazing Scoliosis kids are. Look how they have inspired countless teens and preteens from all over. Other kids in addition to Leah and Hope are doing their utmost to include isolated children who would otherwise be lonely and alone in their school and their communities to gain confidence and ultimately give back to those in need of support in their physical and emotional battles to win their fight against Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Hannah is a fourteen-year-old girl who is more active in sports than most girls her age. She takes part in a variety of sports, but her favorite sport is lacrosse. The combination of multiple sports, like football, ice hockey, and basketball is what drew Hannah to it. But, what she appreciates most are the friends she plays with. Running, jumping, skipping, and passing are just a handful of adjectives that describe lacrosse.

In the early spring, just before coronacation, Hannah had experienced mild back pain, with which her mother treated with Motrin. However, the pain did not go away and made it hard for Hannah to fall asleep, especially when trying to get into a good sleeping position. Her mother explained to her the next day that she might be up for a visit from Aunt Flow. 

After a few days of nothing helping, Hannah was scheduled to visit her family pediatrician. Hannah’s doctor took a good look at her back and tried pinpointing the specific spot of pain. As he was doing that, the doctor noticed that she had a slight abnormal sideways curve, just at the center of the spine. Hannah’s pediatrician explained that she had a quite common condition referred to as scoliosis of the spine. After a lengthy discussion about how to help her manage the pain coming from scoliosis, the appointment was finished. As they left the exam room, the doctor requested for her to be seen in six months to see if the scoliosis got better or worse. 

During the car ride back to her home in Passaic, NJ, Hannah’s mother told her about how scoliosis was in fact quite common in the family. Though her mom did not have it, two out of four aunts did, along with her maternal grandmother. When Hannah heard that she was not suffering alone, it helped her cope emotionally with the news of the most recent diagnosis. What she was most concerned with was how she would perform in her very first lacrosse game after coronacation. Would her scoliosis flare up and cause her to have to sit out something which was so dear to her?

As Hannah would develop, her scoliosis would become more pronounced. Worst of all, was the fact that her tops had begun to fit differently. It was not due to an increase in body weight, but  because of the increase in the degree of the curvature of the spine that made her shoulders uneven. After a few teleconference calls with the doctor, she was recommended to go to a local scoliosis specialist where she was suited with a WCR brace. Hannah is currently being monitored by a scoliosis specialist and receives schroth therapy at least once a week. The doctors are confident that these therapies will stop the progression and improve her spinal curvature.

What should a parent do when they hear that their child has scoliosis?

The first thing parents want to do is find a doctor who specializes in scoliosis fast. When you are dealing with idiopathic scoliosis, progression can already have happened, and you want to begin treating it as soon as possible. As in Hannah’s story, you might hear from the pediatrician to come back in six months. The problem with that is that progression of the curvature of the spine might have already occurred or is in the process of just starting to happen. Waiting six months will only make things worse. As a parent, all you need to do is get a referral from your primary physician and schedule an appointment at a local scoliosis specialist. There, they may suggest therapy or some scoliosis exercises. At this point, you are on top of the scoliosis and you are under proper guidance and care. You may be surprised to hear that your child’s scoliosis is rather mild and it should not interfere with their daily life. But the best thing of all is that you got it checked out by a specialist and you are on top of the situation. The last thing you would want is for precious time to go by when you could be fixing the problem.

Mild Cases can be taken care of with a non-invasive approach

Ever since the first scoliosis surgery was presented at a meeting in June 1960, at Hot Springs, Virginia, not much has really changed when treating scoliosis invasively. Today, with the advancement in medicine over the past ten years, doctors have developed non-invasive therapies that not only stop the progression of scoliosis but can correct the spinal curvature as well. The key is to treat mild cases of scoliosis with brace therapy that can fix the problem daily until the patient has finished growing. Many patients have avoided scoliosis surgery through early intervention therapies. 

Can scoliosis be cured? No, it cannot

Many have asked “Can scoliosis be cured?”. The answer is flat out “No”. Scoliosis is a chronic condition which a child is born with or develops as they get older. The objective of a parent is to prevent the progression and correct the curvature of the spine before the child fully develops. Once the bone makeup is complete, the window of correction closes, and surgery begins to come into consideration. Even with the most advanced scoliosis therapies, no one is saying that the scoliosis will go away. What scoliosis therapists look to accomplish is that one can live a normal life with no pain, no back deformity, and still have scoliosis. In fact, three million scoliosis cases are diagnosed each year, and many will go about their daily lives with no treatment at all. Any type of therapies, both invasive and noninvasive will help individuals better manage their scoliosis.

The brutal misconception of scoliosis surgery and it is cost

In severe cases such as congenital scoliosis and neuromuscular scoliosis, very often doctors have no choice other than surgery. This is the correct procedure, to help the child’s bones and organs develop properly. However, in a case of mild idiopathic scoliosis, when surgery is elected, it is often done as a quick fix. Western medicine has made great strides in cultivating the most sophisticated medical treatments, but often they are more inclined to operate if it can help the patient. Take an eighteen-year-old college freshman who had a flareup due to scoliosis and they wish to get back to their sports program as soon as possible. Chances are that they will elect scoliosis surgery over therapy. In most cases scoliosis surgery will fix only the lateral curve not the rotational curve.

A 2019 case study,in The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons states that physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE’s) are just as effective as surgery. The challenge is to educate our “quick fix” mentality about a non-invasive approach to treating scoliosis. More often than not, one scoliosis surgery can lead to the next and does not always correct the problem depending on its severity. According to the ISASS, from 2006 through 2009, the average cost of a scoliosis surgery was $140,286. Ten years later, with the cost of healthcare on the rise, one can only speculate how much is the cost of a scoliosis surgery.

Emotional aspects of adolescents managing scoliosis

Besides for the complexity of having a child diagnosed with scoliosis, there is an emotional aspect as well. There are emotional issues of girls and boys who deal with scoliosis on a daily basis, like when going to a pool party, as they will be reluctant to take off their tee shirt to avoid the embarrassment of their peers seeing a shoulder deformity. It is important for parents and teachers to be sensitive to the emotional needs of a child as they go through this period of their life. Even with the Rigo-Cheneau brace, there is always a concern as to what their friends may think, when they find out that they are wearing a brace. If your teenager is having some difficulty or even getting upset with having to wear a brace for 23 hours a day, sit them down and explain the long-term benefits. Hear them out and listen to their concerns and fears. You will be surprised by what just plain-old listening can accomplish.

Final Words

Having a child diagnosed with scoliosis can be quite challenging. Should you treat or should you not? These are all great questions. But it would be in you and your child’s best interest if you are under the guidance of a scoliosis specialist. All it takes is an appointment. No ones telling you to treat, but it is recommended to be seen. The objective is to catch the scoliosis before the child fully develops. Once we are at the point of no return, the treatment options become less. What you want is clarity and the best for your child in managing their scoliosis. No, it won’t go away, but they will be able to go on with their life without anyone knowing that they have scoliosis, and this is really important to a teenage girl and boy.

Are you taking your child or teen for physical therapy for their idiopathic scoliosis, or is your child or teen going through brace therapy and along with these methods, he or she is experiencing back pain? Are there any effective pain management treatments out there to help your child or teen get through their therapies more easily and pleasantly?

Children with moderate idiopathic scoliosis (curves between 25 to 45 degrees) are generally treated with typical brace therapy. As the child grows, the brace will keep the spine in a straight position. Sometimes along with this therapy, the child or teen will experience pain which is sometimes due to the tenseness to the back muscles caused by wearing the brace.

Sometimes the curvature of the spine can stretch or squish the nerves causing irritation. Joints can become strained, causing them to become inflamed and worn. Muscles become tired and there is a lack of brain to body communication. The brain does not realize that the body’s posture is not aligned properly. The child’s brain fails to instruct the muscles to repair the curve causing crooked back growth and pain.

Medication for Scoliosis

The most common pain relievers are called NSAIDS, which are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. These are used only for pain relief and not to cure the curvature of the spine.

They must be used in conjunction with other therapies such as bracing and/ or physical therapy. There is an enzyme that is produced by the body that causes inflammation but is helping the body heal from the therapy. At the same time there can be a lot of pain that goes with it. NSAID drugs block the enzymes and reduce the chemical, prostaglandin, throughout the body.

Some examples of these drugs are, Aspirin, Motrin, and Advil, which can be purchased over the counter. Then, there is a class of prescription drugs such as but not limited to Celebrex, Zorvolex, Indocin, Naproxen, Oxaprozin and Piroxicam. These can only be taken for a limited amount of time since there are side effects. The disadvantage of using these types of drugs is that they reduce prostaglandin, which protects the stomach from the damaging effects of acid and can cause stomach ulcers.

Another group of drugs are called tricyclicantidepressants. These have a direct impact on both pain and mood. Some examples of this group are, Diazepam and Amitriptyline. These drugs can be addictive long term, so they are not prescribed in most pain management clinics.

Scoliosis Massage

Patterns of body compensation in scoliosis therapy can cause muscle spasms which can be helped by massage therapy. A report published by the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, concurred on the positive effects of a massage twice a week for eight weeks. Both sleeping and general mobility of the scoliosis patient improved over the course of this treatment regimen. There are several recommended types of massage techniques that can be helpful for scoliosis patients.

1) Cranial Sacral Therapy – decreases stress and releases the tension in joints and muscles which improves elasticity and decreases stiffness.

2) Swedish Massage – is a light-handed type of relaxing massage which strengthens the immune system.

3) Deep Tissue Massage – intense pressure to loosen tight muscles and bolster blood circulation.

Yoga for Scoliosis

Elise Browning Miller is a well-known yoga teacher who works with scoliosis patients specifically. Elise herself had a severe Cobb curve of forty-nine degrees which is often treated with surgery. She reduced her curve to thirty-two degrees through her yoga practice. Yoga could be quite helpful in children and teens if they would have the patience for it. Yoga is a slow-moving vehicle for exercise and although adults find it relaxing and comforting, it may be too slow paced for the child and teen age groups.

Spinal Injections for Scoliosis

There are two types of injections to alleviate the pain of scoliosis in the nerves and joints.

1) Steroids are injected to serve as short term relief for acute pain. (Steroids include drugs used to relieve swelling and inflammation, such as prednisone and cortisone). These injections do seem to be helpful for patients, however, for people with scoliosis, which is a long-term condition, the relief eventually will wear off. When a person has a repeat of injections, the positive effect seems to lessen over time. Injections are used moderately by medical practitioners, since nerve damage, although infrequent, can be a possible side effect.

2) Spinal Cord Stimulation is the treatment where electrical wires are placed along the back. A small stimulator box is attached to the wires which are buried beneath the skin and are stimulated by remote control.

Acupressure and Acupuncture for Scoliosis

Acupressure and acupuncture are similar in the meaning and practical relief that they both give. The way the pressure points are assessed and selected are identical, only the tools that are used are different. An acupressurist uses her fingertips and hands and the acupuncturist uses special extremely thin needles for her craft.

Acupressure – The term pressure is deluding since this treatment mostly uses an exceptionally light touch. The correct location of the pressure point is more important than the amount of pressure. An acupressure practitioner will adjust the level of pressure depending on the person’s needs and preferences. For example, some people with tight muscles want strong pressure and others prefer light pressure. The benefits of this treatment have nothing to do with the amount of pressure, but with the accuracy of the practitioner’s finding the correct points.

Acupressure tries to balance the body’s energy. The body’s internal organs are connected to the external organs (muscles, flesh, and bones). Electric point finders can accurately locate the right pressure points. Energy and blood are closely related in Chinese medicine. When the practitioner feels a pulse under her finger, she will release the pressure. Increased blood flow to the surface causes the location to pulse. The indicator of effectiveness is the increase in the pulse which confirms that positive energy is now flowing.

There are different ways for the acupressurist to find twelve major energy channels. She can use mental indicators called tools to determine where to press. Some of these tools are, looking at the patient, checking his or her pulse, inspecting the tongue and questioning the patient. One of the responses that the practitioner is looking for is relaxation, so she will often start by using her hands with a massage called, Tui Na. This massage at the start of treatment prepares the body and increases the effectiveness of the accupressure.

Acupuncture – Dr. Teresa Shen is an acupuncturist in California, who specializes in relieving scoliosis related pain. She explains that a person gets used to putting up with so much pain that the relief they feel is so enormous both, physically and emotionally, when that pain is abated.

While undergoing Dr. Shen’s acupuncture treatment, her patients become so relaxed that they sometimes fall asleep during their treatment. This is far cry from what one would think would be the result of being poked with needles! As with acupressure, acupuncture opens the blocks all along the patient’s spine which increases the blood flow throughout the body. With the body’s metabolism regulated, the body finally can heal properly.

For thousands of years, thin, solid, metallic acupuncture needles were used penetrate the skin of the pain management patient. Pain management of idiopathic scoliosis using acupuncture is successful, however, from research studies it does not seem to necessarily help cure the curve itself.

Conclusion

Children and teens who experience pain with scoliosis have a two-pronged problem. Could it be the tension of the brace wearing or going through vigorous physical therapy sessions that is causing the pain? Holding muscle tension requires energy. Holding the back stiff during therapy or brace wearing could be the cause of acute back pain.

Often people will complain about chronic back pain and when checked by the doctor (including an MRI), there is no physical cause found. These people, when participating in relaxation techniques often have a decrease in their pain. Check if your child or teen is unhappy with their brace or therapy. According to Marion Rosen, there is a relationship between bodily tension and how we view ourselves psychologically. Chronic muscle tension is the body’s language to express feelings that are not necessarily conscious. The liberating of body tension leads to self-acceptance. By your child or teen verbalizing and accepting their brace or therapy, their back pain may eventually abate.

If not, make sure to check with your scoliosis therapy center to see if adjustments need to be made to the brace or to the physical therapy. Always trust your child that the pain is real. Never tell them that it is all in the head. That is for the consultant that you choose to evaluate, be it a yoga instructor, an acupressurist or another specialist who will help your child. The parent’s job is always to support and encourage their child at all costs. This will ensure a self-confident and happy child even with their temporary burden of scoliosis.

For the average person falling asleep should typically take between 10 to 20 minutes. However, patients with scoliosis will twist and turn until they can manage to find a comfortable position. Often, they fall asleep from mere exhaustion, and they don’t get the proper sleep like the average person. This is especially challenging when you’re dealing with children and adolescents with scoliosis, that need their sleep to grow properly. Kids not getting enough sleep may result in them facing academic problems, behavioral problems, higher levels of anxiety, and mood related problems. If we can only get boys and girls with scoliosis to sleep a bit better, it may prove to be a real game changer in their daily lives. In this article, we will discuss some ideas to help patients with scoliosis sleep better.

Why do people with scoliosis have a hard time sleeping?

Most human beings will spend 10 to 20 minutes to find the optimal position until they can finally fall asleep. Throughout the rest of the night, they may twist and turn, but in general they are getting a good night’s rest. Some will sleep on their side while others may sleep on their back. Each will go about to find the most comfortable position to rest their bones and muscles for the next day. Patients with scoliosis tend to have a hard time falling asleep due to their abnormal curve of the spine. The spine functions as a support for the body’s structural makeup, and if the spinal curvature is greater than 50 degrees, it can greatly impact their sleeping habits. Proper positioning is key to getting into a deep slumber. Frequently, these individuals simply cannot get into a position which they are comfortable with, making it highly challenging to fall asleep.      

Poor sleeping positions won’t make your condition worse, but it may make your scoliosis symptoms worse. This may include uneven shoulders and/or hips, bump in the lower back, numbness, weakness, or pain in the legs, trouble walking, trouble standing up straight, tired feeling, shortness of breath, and loss of height. As scoliosis symptoms in children worsen so will their quality of life. The objective of every scoliosis parent is to relieve the symptoms and allow the child to live as normal of a life as possible. The right sleeping position can greatly impact painful flare ups for scoliosis patients.

Melatonin deficiencies in those with scoliosis

In a medical journal published in December 2007, titled “Melatonin the “light of night” in human biology and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis”, it talks about melatonin deficiencies in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The human body naturally produces the hormone melatonin, in the pineal gland located behind the third cerebral ventricle in the brain midline. When the body is getting ready to retire for the night, the pineal gland will give off the perfect amount of melatonin, making it easier for us to fall asleep. Though there are no definitive results of melatonin deficiencies in humans with scoliosis, there is proof to this in a study done with pinealectomized chickens. Dr. Masafumi Machida, found that the chickens developed scoliosis when there was a decrease in melatonin production. In a study done with 10 adolescents, 5 with progressive curves and 5 with a normal spinal curvature, the melatonin deficiency seemed to be the same, not proving the hypothesis correct, that patients with AIS have melatonin deficiencies.

Should I give a melatonin supplement to my child with scoliosis before bed?

Let’s assume the study is correct, that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis causes melatonin deficiencies, the perfect solution would be to increase their melatonin levels via a supplement. However, giving your child melatonin can impact your child’s hormone levels and lead to negative side effects as they get older. According to the Mayo Clinic, melatonin is safe for short-term use only. As per a child with scoliosis symptoms, you don’t want it to become a regular supplement for them. In addition, though melatonin supplements may possibly be safe for short-term use, it is still not approved for use in children by the FDA.

Creating a cozy environment for sleeping

There are some things which you can do with absolutely no side effects to make it easier for your child to fall asleep. Parents can work on making the child’s room the most peaceful environment possible. You don’t have to break the bank by redecorating. We are talking about simple things like a themed bedding set with your child’s favorite colors or a sound machine with soothing ocean waves. Even older children tend to get very attached to blankets and these are proven to be very therapeutic. Whatever calms a child with scoliosis down, can make the sleeping environment a bit more peaceful.

Back to sleep will give you the proper support for scoliosis

Did you ever hear of the campaign introduced in 1994 called  “Back to Sleep”? It was a campaign introduced to get babies to start sleeping on their backs and not their stomachs. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) said that putting a baby “Back to Sleep” would reduce the risk for SIDS. As per scoliosis patients, sleeping on their stomachs is not dangerous but it will worsen scoliosis symptoms. Sleeping on your stomach is very bad. It causes the middle and lower sections of the spine to contract which can twist your neck and cause tremendous amounts of pain and discomfort. Therefore, it’s recommended for all children with scoliosis to train them to go “Back to Sleep”. The curved spine will get the much-needed support it needs during the night’s rest. 

Sleeping on your side with scoliosis

Though it’s not as bad as sleeping on your stomach, sleeping on your side can cause discomfort to your neck, shoulders, and pelvis. It’s difficult for people, especially children to change their sleeping habits, and parents need to encourage spine supportive sleeping. It’s challenging to live with scoliosis but the last thing you want is to make the symptoms worse by sleeping 8+ hours in a position which can cause painful flare ups during the day. It’s for this reason that scoliosis specialists recommend sleeping on your back.

Try and train yourself to sleeping on your back

Work on changing your sleeping position by using some tricks and perhaps even getting a bit creative. Supporting your body with pillows on all sides might do the trick. This will give you the sensation of having side support as if you were sleeping on your side. There are a variety of different shape pillows like “J” and “C”. Patients with scoliosis need to find a pillow which gives the curved area on the spine extra support to relieve any extra added pressure. Lumber rolls can help support your spine in its natural position. This will provide additional curvature in the neck which is very much needed for scoliosis patients.

Sleeping with a scoliosis brace

Scoliosis therapists will typically want patients to wear a brace for 21 hours in a day. That means those who wear the Rigo-Chêneau Brace will have to sleep with it. What’s good about this brace is that boys and girls who wear it will get used to it after a week or so. Each scoliosis brace is custom fit and is designed to provide optimal comfort throughout the day and night. Some adolescents will fight their parents about wearing the WCR brace to sleep but parents must convince them at all cost to wear it according to the scoliosis therapist guidelines.

Choosing a mattress for scoliosis

Selecting the right type of mattress for patients with scoliosis is key to how they will sleep. There are about a thousand different mattresses on the market each claiming to be the best for scoliosis. It’s important that the mattress supports the spine. Memory foam is not recommended, as it allows the body to sink in which contracts the spine, not allowing it to get the proper support it needs. Whatever mattress you choose it must provide support to the area of the spine which needs it most. Depending on where the scoliosis exists will determine where the mattress support is needed most. Patients with scoliosis at the lumbar region will need proper mattress support in the lower area of the back. Patients with scoliosis at the thoracic region will need proper mattress support in the upper area of the back. For those with scoliosis, a firm mattress is typically better than a soft one.

Final Words

Sleeping can be very difficult for patients with scoliosis and parents need to try to improve the sleep conditions as much as possible. Whether it’s a specific pillow or mattress, it might just make the difference in getting a good night’s rest. Always provide support to the area of the spine where the scoliosis exists. It’s painful and we need to be understanding of our children with scoliosis. It may interfere with their looks and sleeping habits, but we have to be thankful that it can be fixed. Stay strong and sleep well.