Innovative Scoliosis Treatment for Children in New York

Scoliosis treatment has improved by leaps and bounds in recent decades.  Today’s children can access innovative therapies and combinations thereof which are improving their outcomes enormously.

In large part, the changes leading to innovative scoliosis treatment for children in New York is the willingness of doctors to implement more holistic approaches to addressing the condition.  While historically, there are 3 key modalities involved in most treatment plans (observation, bracing and if required, surgery), today more are emerging.

But at the center of all contemporary and genuinely innovative scoliosis treatment is the patient.  It’s the patient whose role is to engage with therapy, working with clinical professionals.  The patient in this model is an active participant – not a passive bystander.

New Frontiers In Treatment

Observation is a crucial ingredient of an innovative treatment approach.  Especially effective for children in who are still growing, monitoring curve progression is a key component of assembling the right treatment plan.

For curves at or under 20 degrees, observation combined with exercise therapies can be extremely effective, especially with a patient who’s passionate and focused on success.

As changes manifest, treatment models shift, allowing doctors to work with the patient and what’s most effective for mitigating the curve.

Exercise Therapy

We wouldn’t be honest if we didn’t tell you that exercise therapy has not yet gathered an empirical (evidentiary) basis.  That said, the team at Scoliosis & Spine Associates has seen excellent results with this type of scoliosis therapy.

Schroth

Created in the 1920s, the Schroth Method is a scoliosis-focused program of physical therapy.  At the heart of this type of exercise therapy is the reality that “…scoliosis provokes asymmetrical muscle groups in the back and supporting muscles, which in normative bodies are more symmetrical”.

So, Schroth implicates exercises expressly developed to strengthen spinal muscles, lengthening some and stretching others to create more balance and symmetry.  The muscles of the core are also worked on.  Breathing techniques are deployed, with treatment being highly personalized to the patient’s needs.  The patient engages with their own body, learning about it and discovering how to work with their body in everyday life.

Doctor-Directed, Independent Exercise

Patients are encouraged to make exercise therapy a part of their lives.  Depending on the severity of the curve, independent exercise may combine Yoga, Pilates, swimming and other forms of movement to improve and maintain physical balance and strength.  This style of treatment empowers the patient to take the lead and to direct their progress.

Vitamin D + Calcium

The Chinese University of Hong Kong held a study which proved that supplements can make life better for children with scoliosis.  This result promises to help prevent curve progression.  Participants saw enormous improvement after 2 years of supplement treatment, including higher bone mass.

These are just some key examples of evolving innovative scoliosis treatment for children in New York. At Scoliosis & Spine, we take a highly individualized, patient-centered attitude to treatment, building personalized care plans that change lives.

Contact us to talk about scoliosis treatment in more detail.