Patient Stories

How many seven year olds know what the word ‘scoliosis’ means? I certainly didn’t when my mother told me I had it. “Okay” I replied, not really sure what it meant or knowing how it could impact my life. I didn’t know that my family had a history of scoliosis, and that there was a chance of needing invasive surgery.

Soon after being diagnosed, I started Schorth Therapy, which was meant to help me become more flexible and strengthen my back muscles. As an inflexible individual, it felt strange doing these exercises, which made me stretch and twist in ways that I had not known were possible. After learning a number of exercises at the physical therapy office, I continued these exercises at home. I found these to be really bizarre as they involved me laying down and attaching various stretchy bands to the door, while breathing for minutes at a time. Additionally, I hung from a pullup bar for three minutes every day in a desperate attempt to straighten my spine. If I’m being totally honest, I did not quite understand the rationale behind these activities and it is not easy for a 7 year old to voluntarily participate in such a routine. I eventually stopped nearly all of them except hanging from the pull-up bar – which was actually fun!

When I was ten years old, my mom did a quick check of my spine at home and suddenly got very concerned. Within a week, I was at the office of a new spine doctor and he told me that my curve was now 32 degrees and I would need to wear a back brace. Once again, not realizing the extent of what this would involve, I sat excitedly looking through the book of colors and designs for the brace.

A few weeks later when I actually received my colorful Rigo-Cheneau brace, my mood quickly changed. The second I put it on, I felt bent and squeezed. It was at that point that I realized my life would be different. Seemingly unable to breath, I also realized the seriousness of the situation.

Initially, I struggled and complained about wearing the brace. I thought of it as a modern day corset, squeezing me until I couldn’t breathe and in a position that felt unnatural. As I continued to wear the brace, slowly but surely I fell into a rhythm of brace wearing. I wore it. Every. Single. Day.

Looking back, one positive element of my scoliosis journey was the timing. I started wearing the brace in early 2021, when school was still virtual. Since I was primarily at home, I adjusted to the brace within the comfort of my own home and with the support of my family. Even when I went to school in person, I continued to wear it, donning oversized hoodies and tie-dye shirts to make the brace less visible to others. I even joked that I didn’t think I would be able to sleep without the brace as it was so comfortable!

I wore the brace for an average of 18 hours a day for three years as brace wearing became natural and comfortable for me. It gradually turned from a stressful struggle to a regular habit.

After nearly 3 years of brace wearing, the doctor confirmed that I could start slowly transitioning out of it as I had reached my full height and the growth plates in my hand had closed. Through my perseverance and dedication to wearing the brace, I had not only prevented surgery, but actually decreased the curvature of my spine to 14 degrees. Despite the initial stress and discomfort, along with the occasional questions from peers, the hours of brace wearing had proven successful!

Although I was initially skeptical about the brace and the likelihood of it preventing surgery, I look back on my journey with a feeling of pride. I had proven to myself, my family, and the doctors that dedicated brace wearing can prevent the curve of the spine from increasing, and in my case, even decrease the curvature significantly. I hope my story inspires and motivates others to wear the brace if needed. You are not on this journey alone as there are so many others who have stories of successful scoliosis outcomes to share. Always remember – you are strong and you got this!