Orthopaedic Medicine

Here at Scoliosis SOS, we know that every scoliosis sufferer is different, and so we always aim to understand each patient's unique experiences in order to deliver lasting positive results. Our ScolioGold method consists of a variety of proven non-surgical techniques that we have combined into one scoliosis treatment programme that seeks to address every aspect of the condition.

Although the Schroth method is our primary technique for the treatment of scoliosis, it is complemented with an assortment of other recognised and medically sound treatment methods from across the globe, including the use of orthopaedic medicine.

What is orthopaedic medicine?

Established in the UK in 1929, orthopaedic medicine is used to diagnose and treat non-surgical lesions of the musculoskeletal system. The founder of this practice, Dr James Cyriax, found that there was no satisfactory method in place to test the function of soft tissues in areas such as the joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons, making treatment of associated conditions unreliable and non-specific. 

From his research, he developed a system for assessing the patient and devising a suitable treatment programme, which has influenced the way in which we provide therapies for musculoskeletal disorders today. Using a combination of exercises and stretches to enhance the patient's muscle strength, this technique can provide significant relief from pain and improve overall bodily function, a result that we have seen in many scoliosis patients when using orthopaedic medicine as a treatment method.

Along with increased range of movement, relief from pain is often a key goal for scoliosis sufferers, which is why orthopaedic medicine plays such an important role in the treatment we provide at our clinic. The effectiveness of our treatment is reflected by the continued improvements recorded in our patients, which show substantial reductions in pain both immediately after their treatment course and as they continue to maintain their exercise programme at home.

If you are interested in finding out more about our ScolioGold programme and would like to see if our ScolioGold treatment method is right for you, please click here to get in touch with the Scoliosis SOS Clinic.

As you may have already noticed from previous blog posts, we treat a huge variety of patients here at Scoliosis SOS, ranging widely in age, gender and nationality.  Although we are based in London, during our years in operation, we have treated an array of patients not only from across the UK, but from all around the world!


Looking at the map on our Overseas Patients page, you will notice that we have treated patients from several different continents and numerous countries, including those who made the long journey from the Southern Hemisphere to enrol on one of our treatment courses. We regularly welcome scoliosis sufferers from both Australia and New Zealand, allowing them to return to their home countries with straighter spines, and bags of positivity.

While travelling such a large distance from home may seem like an extreme step for some, for our former patients it has often been the final attempt to avoid drastic spinal surgery, and has been more than worth it in terms of the list of improvements that they achieve in only four weeks of therapy. To highlight just some of the benefits that our ScolioGold treatment programme has granted patients from Australia and New Zealand, here are two case studies which detail the experiences of our former patients:

Patient #1: Ben Stanton
21 // Male // Australia

Like many of our patients, Ben is an extremely active individual, who enjoys working out at the gym and is a keen rugby player. He first noticed an irregularity in his spine whilst bending over in the gym, and was keen to get the problem fixed straight away, in order to avoid any restrictions to his physical ability in the future.

Why did Ben choose Scoliosis SOS?
Before Ben visited Scoliosis SOS to receive his own treatment, his sister had also suffered with scoliosis, and was able to successfully treat her symptoms thanks to the help of our clinic. Having witnessed the possibilities of the treatment, Ben was confident that the programme would not only allow him to relieve the physical symptoms of the condition, but would also help him learn how to properly support his physical activities without causing further damage to his body.

Results
After completing his treatment course, Ben found that his flexibility and posture had greatly improved since initial enrolment, which was incredibly positive in terms of supporting his further training. He also found that he was able to easily transfer the skills he had learnt in one-on-one sessions to his own gym work, allowing him to maintain his activity level without injuring or limiting himself. Watch the video below to hear Ben’s full story.


Patient #2: Katy Bramble 
12 // Female // New Zealand

Katy was diagnosed with scoliosis at 10 years old, and like many sufferers, was left devastated by the prospect of undergoing corrective surgery. Not only did she feel isolated by her peers, who were able to take on numerous physical activities and live a carefree life, she also felt incredibly intimidated by the prospect of undergoing irreversible changes to her spine.

Why did Katy choose Scoliosis SOS?
Katy was sad and frightened at the prospect of surgery, but was left feeling hopeful after her mother read about Scoliosis SOS online. Although she was daunted at the prospect of travelling to an unfamiliar country at such short notice, she was determined to try anything in order to avoid surgery.

Results 
Treatment at Scoliosis SOS not only improved the physical symptoms of Katy’s condition, but also massively improved her confidence and wellbeing. Plus she noticed changes in her appearance, and felt considerably stronger, which was great news in terms of her sporting ambitions. Best of all, she was able to return to life as a normal, active young girl, having made lots of new friends on the way. To read Katy’s full story, click here

If you’re looking for scoliosis treatment in Australia and New Zealand, but feel that you are unable to access an approach which suits your needs, then please don’t hesitate to contact the Scoliosis SOS team. For overseas patients, we are able to conduct over the phone consultations, which can be requested here.
Although there is no cause for the curvature of the spine in that majority of cases we treat here at Scoliosis SOS, and in scoliosis patients in general, there are several medical conditions which can lead to the development of scoliosis. 
 
Today, we are focusing on one of the conditions which can lead to the development of scoliosis, namely, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Many will not have heard of the condition previously, due to its rare and serious nature. It occurs when the immune system attacks part of the nervous system, and is often the result of a viral or bacterial infection.
 
One of the primary symptoms of Guillain-Barré is progressive muscle weakness, and a resulting loss in coordination. Although many sufferers of Guillain-Barré go on to recover from their condition, a lasting impact is often caused by this weakening of the muscles, which in some cases, can lead to the development of scoliosis. 
 
Such was the case for our previous patient Jonathan, who suffered with Guillain-Barré for a year, and was diagnosed with scoliosis shortly afterwards. Upon initial diagnosis, Jonathan was told he had a 19° curve and was given a corrective brace, but six months later he was told that this had progressed to a 38° curve.
 
Improved muscle strength and coordination are a huge part of our treatment process here at Scoliosis SOS, targeted by the inclusion of methods such as the PNF Technique, along with other elements of our ScolioGold programme. For this reason, our treatment approach can be incredibly beneficial for an individual who has been left weakened by the impact of Guillian-Barré, as is exemplified in Jonathan’s treatment video below:
 
 
If you would like to learn more about how we can aid the recovery of Guillian-Barre sufferers, and relieve symptoms of their scoliosis, please get in touch by calling 0207 488 4428, or by filling out our enquiry form here.
Is Scoliosis Hereditary
 
A common question amongst scoliosis sufferers, as well as those who suspect that they may be displaying signs of developing the condition, is "Is scoliosis hereditary?".
 
As many of you will already be aware, most cases of scoliosis are defined as idiopathic, which means that the cause of the spinal curvature is unknown in the majority of patients. Despite this, research into the development of scoliosis has shown that there is a possible genetic link between family members, in cases where there is a family history of scoliosis.
 
Although it may not manifest itself as straightforwardly as other hereditary conditions, it is estimated that around 1 in 4 sufferers will have at least one other family member who also shows signs of scoliosis, and that first-degree relatives of scoliosis patients will have an 11 percent chance of developing the condition themselves. 
 
Although the examination of inheritance patterns has helped to determine that scoliosis is a genetic as well as hereditary condition, it remains unclear which genes are responsible for the curvature itself. It is fairly certain, however, the condition is more likely to affect female family members, due to the prominence of the condition in females over males. For this reason, many believe scoliosis is hereditary but there is still plenty of research that needs to be completed to prove this.
 
At Scoliosis SOS we have treated instances of hereditary scoliosis in the past, in cases such as that of Tina Barlow, who travelled from Florida to receive treatment with us. Just days before her decision to enrol on one of our treatment courses, Tina’s daughter was also diagnosed with scoliosis, which came as an unwelcome revelation to Tina, who had struggled to manage her condition from the age of twelve. Knowing that this would give her daughter a chance at preventing her condition from deteriorating, Tina decided that they would both travel to Scoliosis SOS in order to receive treatment, and we are happy to report that they are both now living pain-free. To read Tina and her daughter’s full story, click here.
 
Tina’s case is a great example of how non-surgical treatment can benefit family cases of scoliosis, as well as sufferers who are concerned about the future health of their children. Thanks to the integration of exercises which can be performed by the patients themselves, our ScolioGold treatment programme provides a lasting method of treatment that can be maintained by scoliosis sufferers, providing patients with the ability and knowledge to treat their symptoms.
 
We hope that has helped to answer the question of whether scoliosis is hereditary! If you have any questions about how we can help to treat family cases of scoliosis, or if you are a sufferer who is concerned that their child may require treatment for the condition, please feel free to get in touch via our contact page, to arrange a consultation.
idiotpathic scoliosis treatment
 

Idiopathic scoliosis is by far the most common type of scoliosis, mostly affecting young people between the ages of 10 and 18. It usually develops during puberty, when the body is growing rapidly, although this type of scoliosis isn't exclusive to teenagers - it can potentially affect anyone at any time of life. This makes idiopathic scoliosis treatment common amongst all age groups, depending on the severity of the curvature.

While idiopathic scoliosis has – by definition – no known cause, we do know that it does NOT arise due to specific behaviours/activities like carrying heavy loads or sitting with poor posture for prolonged periods.
 
Idiopathic scoliosis varies in severity, but milder curves are more common than extreme angles. People of all genders can be affected by the condition; however, it is more common in women than in men, and female patients are more likely to develop large spinal curves that require medical treatment.
 

Idiopathic scoliosis treatment methods 

Idiopathic scoliosis treatment will depend on the severity of the curve, and in children, it can be difficult to judge whether or not treatment is required at all. If the patient is young enough to still be growing, there is a chance that the spine will straighten out over time; however, the patient will still be monitored closely (with regular X-rays) to observe whether or not the curve is progressing. It is crucial to know whether the angle of the curve is decreasing, increasing, or staying the same, as this will determine the best cause of action to treat the curve.
 
Common idiopathic scoliosis treatment methods include:
  • Bracing 
  • Physiotherapy
  • Surgery (although this is only recommended for severe cases)
 
If idiopathic scoliosis treatment is deemed necessary, we at Scoliosis SOS can help. The idiopathic scoliosis treatment courses we deliver are slightly different for younger scoliosis sufferers, but the main principles are the same for everyone: instead of correcting the spine using a back brace or surgical methods, we use an exercise-based treatment programme to achieve improvements. Our highly-qualified physiotherapists use a range of techniques (listed here) to reduce the patient’s Cobb angle, improve posture, boost mobility and muscle strength, relieve pain, and enhance the patient's overall quality of life.
 
Our ScolioGold courses are hugely popular among scoliosis sufferers of all ages, and the treatment we offer is safe and hugely effective, as these X-rays demonstrate.
 
If you’d like to find out more about our idiopathic scoliosis treatment courses, please get in touch to arrange an initial consultation with Scoliosis SOS.

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