Yasamin came to London from Iran to receive non-surgical treatment for her scoliosis. Read on to find out about her Scoliosis SOS experience so far!

About a year and a half ago, Yasamin's gym trainer raised concerns that there might be something wrong with Yasamin's back. When Yasamin visited her doctor, her X-rays confirmed that she had a 60-degree scoliosis curve that would need to be operated on.

Yasamin was very upset about this, but she wasn't given any other option at the time. In the end, Yasamin decided that she would come to the UK to try the treatment offered by the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, and she was very excited to see London again after visiting as a young child some years prior.

Scoliosis treatment goals

Yasamin's treatment goals include:

• Avoiding scoliosis surgery
• Being able to walk better
• Stopping people from looking at her in a funny way

So far, her ScolioGold treatment has corrected her shoulder tilt, which is already making her feel much better about herself. Overall, she has been enjoying the course and getting on well with our physiotherapists, and she feels that she knows a lot more about her condition now than she did before. Yasamin will take home with her a much broader knowledge of how the stretches and exercises she's doing are helping to correct her scoliosis.

Watch our interview with Yasamin:

If you have any questions about the Scoliosis SOS Clinic and our treatment courses, please get in touch today!

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Though our ScolioGold programme is made up of many different scoliosis treatment techniques from around the world, the Schroth method is still at the core of the therapy we provide here at Scoliosis SOS.

The Schroth method was developed in the early 20th century by Katharina Schroth, and today - 22 February 2019 - would have been her 125th birthday! To mark the occasion, we'd like to tell you a little bit more about Katharina Schroth and the treatment method to which she gave her name.

Who was Katharina Schroth?

Katharina Schroth was born on 22 February 1894 in Dresden, Germany. Though she initially worked as a teacher in a business school, she made the jump to physiotherapy when she decided to try and treat her own scoliosis.

She developed the Schroth method over the years that followed, and she eventually opened a clinic so that other people with scoliosis could benefit from her exercise-based treatment regimen.

In 1969, Schroth was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her work. In the 1970s, she handed the clinic over to her daughter, Christa Lehnert-Schroth, who continued to develop the Schroth method after her mother had retired from treatment.

How does the Schroth method work?

The Schroth method uses a variety of exercises and stretches to work the muscles around the rib cage and in the upper trunk to help correct the spinal abnormalities caused by scoliosis.

• Using exercises, it restores muscular symmetry where there is a muscular imbalance around the scoliosis curve.
• It also teaches rotational angular breathing techniques, which contribute to the reshaping of the ribcage and surrounding soft tissue.
• Finally, it encourages patients to be aware of their posture as they go about their everyday lives, preventing them from sitting or standing in a way that will cause their scoliosis to become worse.

Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we combine the Schroth method with a range of other non-invasive, exercise-based treatments to deliver outstanding results for people with scoliosis and other spinal conditions. See our results here.

Thanks in part to Katharina Schroth's life's work, we are able to offer scoliosis patients a real alternative to surgery and help them to dramatically improve their quality of life. So happy birthday, Katharina!

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Susanne Henderson (a 69-year-old woman from Totnes, Devon) contacted the Scoliosis SOS Clinic in the hope that we'd be able to treat her hyperkyphosis. Read on to hear her story and how we were able to help her and reduce her spinal curve!

Susanne, unlike the majority of patients we treat here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, doesn't have scoliosis. Rather, she has a condition known as hyperkyphosis, characterised by an excessive forward curvature of the thoracic (upper) spine.

Susanne was diagnosed with hyperkyphosis following a series of accidents that gave her back a rounded shape and left her experiencing mild to moderate pain in her spine. When the medical professionals Susanne consulted didn't take her worries seriously enough, she decided to take it upon herself to find the treatment she needed.

Susanne contacted the Scoliosis SOS Clinic to enquire about our ScolioGold treatment programme. Although the corrective course is quite intensive, Susanne says that she has "coped very well", and that she appreciated being allowed to perform exercises at her own pace while still being pushed. When asked what she would say to other individuals with hyperkyphosis, Susanne recommended: "start taking action yourself and treat it before it gets worse".

As a result of the corrective exercises we have prescribed for Susanne, she says she's started to feel more "liberated, empowered and confident", and she is confident that she can carry on improving now that her ScolioGold course has come to an end.

To see a full account of Susanne's story, watch the video below:

If you have any questions about the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, or if you would like to book an initial consultation with us, please get in touch today!

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Mia Aston from Bromley was diagnosed with scoliosis in March 2014. She sought medical advice and was prescribed a back brace by her local hospital to help prevent her spinal curve from progressing.

After some further research, however, Mia came across the Scoliosis SOS Clinic and decided to undertake a full 4-week treatment course to help correct and alleviate her scoliosis.

Mia found the course difficult at first, but soon became comfortable and grew accustomed to the exercises we were teaching her. Some time after the end of her 4-week course, Mia returned to the Scoliosis SOS Clinic for a refresher week, during which she sat down to let us know how she'd been getting on:

Mia explains that, with our help, her scoliosis improved from 24 degrees to 20 degrees. Subsequently, she was only required to wear her back brace at night - a great outcome!

During Mia's refresher week at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we recommended some changes to her programme of exercises to reflect her reduced Cobb angle measurement and the fact that the exercises have become 'more natural' for her, helping her with ongoing pain relief.

If you have been diagnosed with scoliosis and think you could benefit from a scoliosis improvement course here at the clinic, please get in touch today!

It's not uncommon for people with scoliosis to feel depressed from time to time. Scoliosis is a lifelong condition, and it can be hard to come to terms with this, but that doesn't mean that scoliosis patients can't live physically and emotionally fulfilling lives.

In this blog post, we'd like to discuss the connection between scoliosis and depression and what can be done about it.

Why might scoliosis lead to depression?

The link between scoliosis and depression is reasonably well-established; this population-based study, for example, concluded that "patients with scoliosis may have an increased risk of depression" and that "health care professionals should consider designing and planning effective psychological prevention and treatment for scoliosis patients".

There are several possible explanations for this connection. The visible symptoms of scoliosis (e.g. leaning to one side, shoulders sitting at different heights) can result in low self-esteem and negative body image (especially in young people) and this can be compounded by the limited range of treatment options available in some territories. Braces can be uncomfortable and unflattering, and recovering from spinal fusion surgery can be physically and mentally draining and may make the patient feel isolated. Whether or not these factors can cause depression, they may well exacerbate it if it already exists.

Many people with scoliosis will feel depressed about their condition at some point, but the severity and persistence of that depression can vary drastically depending on the patient's age, their recovery prospects, the size of their spinal curvature(s), and any number of other factors.

How can you tell if someone is depressed?

If you know someone with scoliosis, look out for the following symptoms of depression:

• Loss of interest in things they previously enjoyed
• Noticeably lower energy levels
• Unusual, out-of-character and/or reckless behaviour (e.g. drug use, excessive drinking)
• Expression of suicidal thoughts (even if they seem to be joking - talking about suicide in any manner can be a cry for help)

What should I do if I feel depressed?

IMPORTANT: If you are feeling suicidal, please consider calling a suicide crisis line. If you're in the UK, you can call Samaritans now on 116 123. For other countries, see this list of suicide crisis lines.

• Talk to someone. Whether you are reaching out to a friend, a family member, or a professional counsellor, simply talking about your depression can be a large step towards overcoming it. If you are suffering because of your scoliosis, it may be beneficial to speak to other people with this condition, as they will be able to empathise with you in a way that others can't. Look at our list of scoliosis support groups to see if there's a group in your area.
  
  
• Visit your doctor. Your GP may be able to help you deal with your depression and can prescribe antidepressants / refer you for additional therapy if necessary.
  
  
• Treat your scoliosis. If you think that your depression is linked to your scoliosis, you may wish to look into different treatment methods that could help you to reduce the angle of your curvature and feel better both physically and mentally.

Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we use a combination of non-invasive treatment techniques to help people with scoliosis and other spinal conditions. If you're interested in attending a consultation session to discuss treatment options, please click the button below to get in touch.

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