Treatments

Special Scoliosis Exercises The exercises outlined below are beneficial in overcoming aches and
pains as these stretching movements keep the spine working and flexible. Do them at least once a
day or whenever your back in aching and feels it needs to be stretched and moved.

Bracing
Bracing is used in many first instances of detection. Depending on the age and severity of the
patient full or partial braces are used.

In some cases specially fitted braces can be of help to relieve specific pain and give support
where needed. For example: One of our committee members has pain when walking. She has a
brace that she wears just for this purpose. It gives her the support she needs for her letterbox
leaflet distribution. Specially designed bracing is available through:

Stephen Owen - 2/193a Lennox Street. Richmond. Vic. Tel: 03 9429 7277.
( A doctor's referral may be necessary.)

For over the counter support corsets and body belts try:
1) Body Assist Posture/Improvement.
2) New Horizons.
3) Thermoskin, United Pacific Industries. These are available through selected Pharmacies. Try
Full Life Pharmacies where I purchased a Posture strap. This helped with my posture by pulling
my shoulders back and helped prevent me stooping.

The Thermoskin range acts as a heat pad for pain relief.

Stapling
This technique is being evaluated in the USA by some surgeons from Australia. It is fair to say
that the trial is in its early stages. The staples are available in Australia. In essence the staples are
inserted into the spine across the vertabrae to try to hold them in position during growth. The
patient for whom this might be appropriate is someone who has a lot of growth in front of them
and has a fairly flexible curve who would otherwise be treated with a brace. The jury is still out
as to the effectiveness of this procedure, although eventually it will show that there are some
benifits from it and then it would be a question of the whether the benifits that arise outweigh the
benifits from wearing a brace and whether they justify the risk of surgical intervention.

SIR - Conservative management

In the USA and Great Britain there has been a dearth of clinical research to test the effectiveness
of proactive, physiotherapy-based methods to treat scoliosis. We believe that this situation
indicates a longstanding bias against exercise-based therapies in the treatment of scoliosis in
English speaking countries, especially the USA. In contrast, treatment of scoliosis with
physiotherapy has a long tradition in Europe, especially Germany, ewhere a conservative
treatment approach is pursued from the time of diagnosis. The SIR treatment usually involves a
month of residency in a special clinic where program of soecialised physiotherapy of various
kinds, sometimes in a group but quite often individually, involving exercises, hydrotherapy,
massages, lessons on the conservation ofthe spine and constant care from a number of doctors.
The daily schedule consists of some 7 hours work per day for 5 and half days a week. After the
month the patient will have learnt how do perform around 40 mins. per day of exercises,
including thorax and breathing exercises.
Editors note

From the information we have received, it is hard not to feel that there can be an alternative to
surgery. I am sure that one must be motivated and disciplined to persevere with this kind of
program. The Scoliosis Association will be finding out more on this treatment and whether it is
available in Australia. This has been supplied by the UK Association with the permission of Dr.
Weiss.

Magnets
Magnets have been used as a from of pain management for a variety of problems. Many
Scoliosis patients are now using magnets with positive effects.MAGNETIC UNDERLAYS.
Available through VELLO Australia. 07 3342 4717.These underlays have been by some who
claim that it relieves stiffness and painful feet. Smaller magnets attached by double sided tape
and placed over part of the body where pain occurs, have also been claimed to reduce pain.
MAGNA BLOC - Therapeutic magnets. available P.O.Box 202 Castle Hill. N.S.W. 2154
Posture matresses/pillows
Posture mattresses are being used in Homes and Hospitals to help many different problems. In
young children curvature progresses at a great speed. By keeping the child in a straight sleeping
position, the risk of progressing curvature can be dramatically reduced. The mattress is slim
enough to lay on top of a normal mattress and is made to measure. More info. on this products
from. INDOMED. W.A.SYMETRISLEEP also manufacture pillows that mould into the shape of
the spine and make sitting in some chairs a little easier. The pillows also produce heat to ease
aches. This product is also available through INDOMED.W.A.

More Info.
For names and address's / Tel. numbers of Physio's/Chiropractors, go to our SPECIALISTS
page. 

Click here to find out more about scoliosis

Pilates
What is Pilates? Pilates offers a different way of thinking about your body. Through practicing
the movements, you will become more self aware and better able to take control of your body
and your life. At this, the beginning of the new millennium, there has been a renewed interest in
exercise techniques that also acknowledges the power of the mind. Pilates, Feldenkrais, the
Alexander Technique and yoga offer alternative philosophies to conventional thinking about
health and fitness. Pilates has been the first exercise choice for many who have injured their
backs or have concerns regards their postural alignment.

As Scoliosis impacts on a persons postural alignment in varying degrees, an assessment for

consideration of a Pilates programme could be of great benefit to those who have concerns about
their posture and its manageability.

The importance of core stabilisation of the deep spinal muscles was researched in 1995 in
Queensland by physiotherapists who have now been recognized globally for their findings. This
has put a new emphasis on the Pilates method particularly when the progaramme is designed by
a physiotherapist. Pilates is a holistic approach to body conditioning. A Pilates studio is different
from a physio department or a gym environment. The assessment and Pilates sessions are
claimable under extra health cover.

Treating children with other disabilities

The earlier any intervention is implemented with children with scoliosis the better. We would
look at posture and seating. We are very keen on the Symmetrikit seating and posture care. Also
the sleep systemm, which Mums have reported gives the child a good nights sleep as well as
themselves.

I would suggest getting in touch with "Indomed", Freemantle, for the Symmetrikit system
Perth.Tel no. 08 94309477 They have a system called 3 Dimensional Postural Care. This
includes seating and postural care. The website in U.K. is - www.helpinghand.co.uk who are the
developers of the system.

Exercise is also an area that a Physiotherapist would intervene. Giving a functional exercise
regime to be carried out probably daily by either the mother or carer or teacher. O.T's would
certainly refer to a Physiotherapist for assessment and also the student would naturally be under
the care of an Orthopaedic consultant. Sometimes braces are necessary for young children. (The
above information by kind permission of Pam Macdonald, Occupational Therapist.)