February 13, 2017

Pectus Excavatum & Scoliosis

erika Scoliosis & Other Back Problems
Scoliosis (when it’s not idiopathic) can spring from a number of different conditions, with all kinds of factors potentially contributing to the development of a spinal curvature.
From osteoporosis to Rett syndrome, we’ve discussed many of these underlying conditions here on the Scoliosis SOS blog, and today we’d like to talk about pectus excavatum – another condition that can cause scoliosis to arise.
 

What is pectus excavatum? 

What is pectus excavatum
 
Pectus excavatum (PE) is a congenital chest wall deformity that arises due to the abnormal growth of several ribs and the sternum, giving the chest a caved-in appearance. The condition is more common among men than women; it can be present at birth, but sometimes it doesn’t develop until adolescence.
 
PE typically affects 4-5 ribs on each side of the sternum. The condition’s visibility varies from one case to the next, and there can sometimes be significant asymmetry between the two sides of the chest. 
 

Symptoms of pectus excavatum

PE sufferers may experience chest and back pain (this is usually of musculoskeletal origin). In mild cases of pectus excavatum, the patient’s heart and lung function may be completely normal, although their heart may become displaced and/or rotated. In more severe cases of PE, mitral valve prolapse (click-murmur syndrome) may be present, and the patient’s physical capability may be limited due to decreased lung capacity. 
 

What causes pectus excavatum?

The exact cause of this condition is unknown, although some cases of familial occurrence have been reported (suggesting that PE may be a genetic condition). Pectus excavatum is also a common symptom of Marfan syndrome, and many children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) develop PE due to the diaphragmatic breathing that commonly accompanies that disease.   
 

How is pectus excavatum diagnosed?

PE is can be diagnosed via a visual examination of the anterior chest wall. Chest X-rays are also useful in diagnosing the condition. If the patient suffers from PE, their X-ray scan will display an opacity in the right lung area. PE is differentiated from other disorders by eliminating other signs and symptoms.
 

Treating pectus excavatum

Mild cases of pectus excavatum may require no corrective procedures at all. In more severe cases, the patient may require surgery, in which case several tests will be performed (including a CT scan, pulmonary tests, and cardiology exams).
 
Exercise plays an important role in the treatment of pectus excavatum. Exercising can stop or slow the progression of the condition, as well as helping to improve the patient’s posture.
 

Pectus excavatum and scoliosis

Pectus excavatum sufferers are more likely than average to develop scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. This is especially true if PE has arisen as a result of Marfan syndrome or SMA, since both of these conditions can themselves lead to a curvature of the spine.
 
If you suffer from scoliosis or another spinal condition – whether as the result of PE or not – you’ll be happy to know that the Scoliosis SOS Clinic can help! Our ScolioGold programme is an exercise-based treatment regime that we use to help scoliosis sufferers combat their symptoms and achieve a higher quality of life.
 
If you would like more information regarding ScolioGold treatment and how this could help you manage the symptoms of your condition, please get in touch with us today!
February 10, 2017

Can Scoliosis Be Cured?

erika Scoliosis & Other Back Problems
Can Scoliosis Be Cured?
One must be careful when using the word ‘cure’ in a medical context. There is a big difference between a ‘cure’ and a ‘treatment’ – an effective treatment might completely eliminate the symptoms of a disease, but if the underlying disease is still present then – strictly speaking – the patient has not been cured.
By the most rigid definition of the word, scoliosis is more or less impossible to outright cure. Even if the patient no longer suffers as a result of their curved spine, their scoliosis is still there; even if the angle of the curve is reduced to the point that it no longer qualifies as a case of scoliosis, the patient has not truly been ‘cured’ because there is a chance that they may relapse and that the curve will begin to progress again.
Don’t worry, however – if you suffer from scoliosis, there are a number of very effective treatment methods that can help you to overcome the symptoms of the condition and achieve a high quality of life.

Common scoliosis treatment methods

When a medical doctor diagnoses you with scoliosis, they will likely recommend one of the following courses of action:
  • Observation. If your spinal curvature is quite mild and/or you haven’t yet finished growing, medical practitioners may recommend forgoing treatment for the time being and simply observing the condition’s progress. Further action can be taken at a later date depending on whether the curve improves, gets worse, or stays the same.
  • Bracing. Some scoliosis patients wear a back brace to halt the progression of their spinal curve. This is effectively a rigid plastic shell that prevents your back from changing shape any more than it already has. Sometimes the brace is only worn at night, but it is more common to keep it on around the clock (except when showering or bathing).
  • Surgery. Spinal fusion surgery is an operation that is commonly used to combat more severe spinal curves. Click here to read about this procedure and what it actually involves.
Remember, none of these approaches – not even surgery – ‘cure’ scoliosis as such. Rather, they aim to relieve the symptoms of scoliosis, straighten up the spine, and stop the curve from progressing any further.

Treating scoliosis with physical therapy

Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we treat scoliosis patients using a set of non-surgical therapies that we collectively refer to as The ScolioGold Method. This programme is specifically tailored to the needs of scoliosis sufferers, combining numerous treatment strategies in order to effectively combat:
  • Back pain
  • Mobility and flexibility issues
  • Muscle weakness
  • Further progression of the condition
  • The visible symptoms of scoliosis (e.g. uneven shoulders, leaning to one side)
While ScolioGold therapy cannot truly cure scoliosis any more than surgery or bracing can, this has proven to be capable of minimising the symptoms of scoliosis and dramatically improving patient QOL (quality of life). It also has a demonstrable impact on the Cobb angle – click here to see X-ray evidence of this.
We at Scoliosis SOS are currently in the process of applying for NHS funding, which would make ScolioGold treatment far more accessible for UK patients. In the meantime, if you’d like to arrange a consultation at our clinic in London, please get in touch today.
February 8, 2017

Treating Scoliosis Sufferers from Norway

erika Scoliosis SOS Patients
Scoliosis Treatment Norway
Undergoing scoliosis surgery can be a rather scary prospect, and so it’s perhaps no wonder that people are often willing to travel thousands of miles across land and sea in order to access an effective non-surgical alternative. Norway is one country that is quite short on non-surgical scoliosis treatment options, which explains why several of the pins on our Overseas Patients map are situated along the western edge of Scandinavia.

Case Study: Camilla Bang

Camilla, a young woman now in her early 20s, is one scoliosis sufferer who frequently flies over to our clinic from Norway for a refresher session. We first treated her in 2013 after she decided that she didn’t want to have steel rods inserted into her back!
Camilla was first diagnosed with scoliosis as a teen. She was experiencing a bout of back pain, and her mother – upon examining Camilla’s back – noticed a visible curvature that prompted the family to visit the hospital in Oslo for an X-ray. That scan revealed a 37-degree spinal curve; one year later, another X-ray showed that Camilla’s Cobb angle had progressed to 43 degrees, severe enough to qualify her for surgery.
However, when Camilla realised what the operation would actually entail, she and her father began researching alternatives. Their search led them to the Scoliosis SOS Clinic in London, which turned out to be a less expensive option than the one non-surgical scoliosis treatment clinic located on the other side of Norway. (London’s many shopping opportunities were a big draw too!)
Camilla attended a 4-week ScolioGold course back in 2013 and saw rapid progress thanks to our special exercise-based treatment programme. Eventually, her curve was diminished to a Cobb angle of 38 degrees, and her refresher sessions and ongoing exercises have managed to keep it there for several years now.
Watch the video below to see Camilla speaking about her experiences at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic.
Whether you live in Norway or a completely different part of the world, the Scoliosis SOS Clinic can help you to combat your spinal curvature. Contact us today to arrange a consultation (this can be carried out via Skype or telephone call if needed).
February 6, 2017

Spina Bifida & Scoliosis

erika Scoliosis & Other Back Problems

Spina Bifida

Scoliosis can occur as a result of numerous other conditions, such as neurofibromatosis and Rett syndrome. We’ve looked at many of these conditions here on the Scoliosis SOS Clinic blog, and today, we’re going to talk about another underlying condition that can lead to the development scoliosis: spina bifida.  

What is spina bifida?

Spina bifida is a condition that arises when there is an issue with the development of the neural tube, causing a gap in the unborn child’s spine. The neural tube starts to grow during the early stages of human development in the womb; it eventually becomes the spine and nervous system. When something goes wrong during this process and the tube develops incorrectly, the consequence of this is called a neural tube defect. Spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect. Spina bifida is caused when the arches of bone that surround the spinal canal don’t fully close. In most cases of spina bifida there will only be a gap in the bone arch, but in some cases the spinal cord itself does not form correctly either, causing severe repercussions. The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but there are a few things – a lack of folic acid, taking certain medication during pregnancy, genetic conditions like Patau and Down’s syndrome – that do increase the chances of a child being born with spina bifida. There are three types of spina bifida: Spina Bifida Occulta – This is the most common and least severe type of spina bifida. The opening of the gap in the spinal arches is very small and covered in skin, stopping the spinal cord and membranes from pushing out. Cases of spina bifida occulta usually aren’t accompanied by a noticeable bulge in the back. Myelomeningocele – This is the most serious form of spina bifida. Individuals with this type of spina bifida will have a sac in their back; this happens because the spinal cord and the protective membrane surrounding it protrude through the opening in the spinal arches. People that suffer from myelomeningocele spina bifida may be at risk of significant damage to the spinal cord and infections of the nervous system. Although this isn’t the most common type of spina bifida, this is very often the form of the condition that people are referring to when they talk about spina bifida. Meningocele – Similar to the above, except only the protective membranes protrude out of the opening in the spine (not the spinal cord itself). The spinal cord and nervous system are left intact, so this type of spina bifida can usually be corrected via surgery, with no further treatment required.

Types of Spina Bifida

In the majority of cases, surgery can be carried out to close the opening in the spine, but damage to the nervous system may well already have taken place. The damage to the spinal cord can lead to bladder and bowel control problems; leg weakness and paralysis; and scoliosis (a sideways curvature of the spine).  

Treating scoliosis in spina bifida patients

If you or a loved one have developed scoliosis as a result of spina bifida, you’ll be pleased to know that we can treat it without you being required to wear a brace or undergo spinal fusion surgery. Here at Scoliosis SOS, we treat scoliosis sufferers using a treatment programme called ScolioGold. This is a combination of exercise-based techniques that has proven effective in reducing the patient’s Cobb angle, improving mobility, and reducing any pain that the spinal curve may be causing. Click here to find out more about our ScolioGold courses, or get in touch to arrange an initial consultation with our scoliosis specialists.
February 3, 2017

Scoliosis Treatment in Nigeria: Nikke's Story

erika Scoliosis SOS Patients
Nikke Scoliosis Nigeria
As you can see from our overseas patients map, we’ve had the pleasure of treating scoliosis sufferers from almost every continent. Back in 2015 we treated Nikke, our first patient from Nigeria. She travelled all the way to London in order to receive treatment for her curved spine. 
Nikke – who was 36 when she visited our clinic – was first diagnosed with scoliosis when her mother noticed a hump in her back when she was 11 years old. She visited a local hospital, but was then referred to an orthopaedic hospital in Lagos (Nigeria’s largest city), where she was told she had to wear a back brace.
Some time later, Nikke had noticed a sharp pain in her back; she tried to continue her life as normal in spite of the pain, but it got progressively worse over time and, by 2014, her back pain was so excruciating that she had to visit the hospital once again. There, Nikke was told she would need to go undergo surgery, and so she came to London to speak with a doctor about the possibility of an operation. She was told that the surgery would cost her £60,000 and that she’d have to undergo two separate operations, with the possibility of more surgery later in life.
Nikke was understandably put off by this, so while she was still in London she decided to look at other scoliosis treatment options. That’s when she came across Scoliosis SOS. Nikke was looking for a treatment that would relieve her back pain and correct her posture – and we’re happy to report that this is exactly what our ScolioGold treatment course achieved.
During her time at the clinic, Nikke sat down for a quick chat about her diagnosis, the treatment she received for her scoliosis in Nigeria, and how ScolioGold therapy helped with her condition. Watch the video below to find out what she had to say.

About ScolioGold Therapy

Here at Scoliosis SOS we use a unique treatment method called ScolioGold. This is a combination of numerous proven techniques that we selected ourselves in order to treat every part of each patient’s condition. ScolioGold is a wide-ranging treatment approach that focuses on pain reduction, minimising the visibility of the spinal curve, and reduction of the patient’s Cobb angle.
The Scoliosis SOS Clinic is located in the City of London. We offer on-site accommodation, and our convenient location means that all of London’s most popular tourist attractions are just a short distance away!
No matter where you travel from, we would be thrilled to welcome you to the Scoliosis SOS Clinic. Click here to arrange a consultation, or if you have any questions, feel free to give us a call on 0207 488 4428.

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