"I have scoliosis and wore a back brace for over 5 years.
My first experience with Scoliosis was one night when my mom and grandma asked to look at my back. They had me bend down and decided to have a doctor look at my back, because my Aunt Jennifer had scoliosis. Hers was 60 degress at diagnosis. She had a full spinal fusion from tailbone to pelvis. I had an initial x-ray and was diagnosed with 17 and 20 degree curves. We were told to wait and see if it got worse.
Then I was put in a Boston Brace on August 4th of 2003. My curves slowly worsened, reaching up to 38 degrees at which point surgery was discussed. My grandmother's cousin sent us an article about a local PT who was working with a new therapy method used in Spain and Germany.
At a Christmas party that year, my parents met a physical therapist who was excited about the same method of physical therapy. I was then asked to be her test subject in her training in this therapy. While training, I met Dr. Manuel Rigo of Barcelona, Spain. He suggested to us that we switch to the Cheneau brace, a brace used in Spain and Germany. I did, and we saw a slight decrease in my curves and the halting of curve progression. The physical therapy was empowering and really helped me. And, I firmly believe that the Cheneau brace saved me from surgery. Last summer I was taken off the full time wearing of my brace. Then in December I stopped wearing one at all.
That day was without a doubt the greatest in a long time."
My first experience with Scoliosis was one night when my mom and grandma asked to look at my back. They had me bend down and decided to have a doctor look at my back, because my Aunt Jennifer had scoliosis. Hers was 60 degress at diagnosis. She had a full spinal fusion from tailbone to pelvis. I had an initial x-ray and was diagnosed with 17 and 20 degree curves. We were told to wait and see if it got worse.
Then I was put in a Boston Brace on August 4th of 2003. My curves slowly worsened, reaching up to 38 degrees at which point surgery was discussed. My grandmother's cousin sent us an article about a local PT who was working with a new therapy method used in Spain and Germany.
At a Christmas party that year, my parents met a physical therapist who was excited about the same method of physical therapy. I was then asked to be her test subject in her training in this therapy. While training, I met Dr. Manuel Rigo of Barcelona, Spain. He suggested to us that we switch to the Cheneau brace, a brace used in Spain and Germany. I did, and we saw a slight decrease in my curves and the halting of curve progression. The physical therapy was empowering and really helped me. And, I firmly believe that the Cheneau brace saved me from surgery. Last summer I was taken off the full time wearing of my brace. Then in December I stopped wearing one at all.
That day was without a doubt the greatest in a long time."
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