Natalies Brace

What is Scoliosis ?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...So here is the first x-ray of my back, from 2002:

I have Idiopathic Juvenile Scoliosis.

• Scoliosis is a condition of the spine where it curves from side to side.
• Idiopathic means that doctors don't know the cause
• Juvenile means that I am between 3 and 10 years old

Here are some more definitions of Scoliosis:

• Scoliosis Resarch Society
  "Everyone's spine has natural curves. These curves round our shoulders and make our lower back curve slightly inward. But some people have spines that also curve from side to side. Unlike poor posture, these curves can't be corrected simply by learning to stand up straight.
  This condition of side-to-side spinal curves is called scoliosis. On an x-ray, the spine of a person with scoliosis looks more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line. Some of the bones in a scoliotic spine also may have rotated slightly, making the person's waist or shoulders appear uneven."
• John Hopkins Pediatric Orthopaedics
  "Scoliosis usually develops in early adolescence and generally affects about 1 to 2 out of every 100 people. Only a small fraction of these patients go on to need surgery. Although girls and boys initially develop scoliosis with the same frequency, girls are more likely to worsen and go on to require treatment."
• keep kids healthy
  Scoliosis is defined as a lateral curvature of the spine. In most cases, the scoliosis is idiopathic (80% of cases), meaning that it is not known what has caused the curvature to occur. It is not caused by having poor posture or carrying a heavy book bag...
• American Acedemy of Orthopedic Surgeons
  Scoliosis affects a small percentage of the population, approximately 2 percent. However, scoliosis runs in families. If someone in a family has scoliosis, the likelihood of an incidence is much higher - approximately 20 percent. If anyone in your family has curvature of the spine, you should be examined for scoliosis.

How do you treat Scoliosis?

Treatment depends on many different factors.

• age
• severity of curve
• Doctor
• Orthotist

As far as my parents understand it, severity of the curve is the first factor. The more severe the curve, the more likely it is to need surgery to correct it.
The number they heard the most was that around 45 degrees, the Doctors want to perform surgery to correct the condition.
I have 2 curves, a lower (lumbar) curve of 46 degrees,and an upper (thorax) curve of 46 degrees. Scoliosis doesn't always mean 2 curves, but I have 2. Sometimes when a curve forms in the upper spine, a "compensating" curve will also occur in the lower, as the body tries to compensate and keep things in a line. This may partially explain why it's not always obvious when this happens, as the body has compensated and still looks fairly straight. And it may or may not be why I have 2 curves.
Since I am still growing, surgery is not the preferred option. As my parents understand it, surgery is not preferred until a later time when the bones are closer to finished growing. Hopefully, by wearing a brace, my back will be held in a straighter position, and as I grow, may even help to correct my curve. Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be much concensus or hard data on this.
For now, though, wearing a brace is my course of treatment.