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Bracing: Facts, Myths, and Types

9/15/2021

Bracing has been a tool used in the treatment of scoliosis for centuries. There are countless models and methods and to be frank, there is not one agreed upon style of brace that is the best. Lets go over some of the agreed upon facts and myths about scoliosis bracing though:

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Do Dance and Gymnastics Contribute to Scoliosis?

11/22/2019

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I get asked these two questions often:
1. Do dance/gymnastics cause scoliosis?
AND
2. Should I pull my child out of dance/gymnastics now that she/he is diagnosed?

As a dancer with scoliosis this question hit close to home and I hope I can offer some encouragement and guidance!

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Is My Child a Good Schroth Candidate?

6/19/2019

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There are a lot of different approaches when it comes to managing scoliosis. As a parent it can be difficult to sort out what is fact, what is opinion, what is marketing, and what may be variable depending on the details of each case.

That is why I am so thankful for organizations like the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT). These groups are comprised of doctors, nurses, therapists, orthotists, chiropractors and other health care providers who are dedicated to developing research-grounded treatment for scoliosis in all ages.

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Head Over Heels... Or Hips

6/14/2019

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Did you know that your head is about as heavy as a bowling ball? And did you know that for every inch forward your head moves away from your body you can add 10 lbs to its weight! If you pretend that your head is a bowling ball and your spine is stick it’s resting on it, can you imagine how exhausting it would be to hold that ball up if it wasn’t balancing right on top of the stick?! No wonder we have so much neck and back pain!

Don’t be discouraged; it’s not just you! The temptation to slouch and let the head move forward is natural to ALL people. Our bodies are built in such a way that we do almost everything in front of us. We gravitate (quite literally) to where we are focused. The increasing engagement with technology in our culture makes this problem even more prevalent. More and more jobs are desk jobs. When we’re not on computers we are often on our phones or occasionally even reading books ;)

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Coffee Shop Neck Pain

6/14/2019

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My home is where my heart is. It is where I live life with my family. It is also a vortex of distraction! So as a business owner I have to LEAVE to get things done without constant interruptions like food prep, laundry and demands for popcorn from my toddler.

Consequently, I spend a good deal of time on my laptop in coffeeshops as I have since college. I work well mentally in this environment, but it is royally unpleasant for my posture! If you’ve read my post “Head over Heels… Or Hips”, you learned tons of amazing posture tips for your desk space that are impossible to implement if you go someplace else to work!

So how do we protect our necks, and backs from the coffee shop posture blues? Here are my favorite tools that I bring with me to set up a “traveling” office.

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Laminectomies: Missing The Big Picture

5/10/2019

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photo created by kjpargeter - www.freepik.com

Before I became a scoliosis specialist I worked in physical therapy orthopedics as a generalist for several years. As I became more aware of my own scoliosis I began to notice a trend in a group of people I was seeing for back pain. That trend was that nearly all of my patients who came to me after a laminectomy were also presenting with varying degrees of scoliosis.

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Why Practice Did Not Make My Pirouettes Perfect

4/11/2019

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I chose my first profession at age 4 like most girls. I would be a ballerina. I loved ballet. I lived to dance in any shape or form. By the time I was in high school I was dancing 3-5 times a week for several hours. I was a natural jumper. I had ballon in my leaps, aka I could get some serious air. Oh, but turns… I practiced for hours and hours. In front of the mirror, eyes open, eyes closed, barefoot, in shoes, and so on I tried. I improved with time. I could somewhat consistently do double pirouettes by college, but no one would call me a natural turner. I always assumed I was not good at them and could never be.

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Bracing: Facts, Myths, and Types

Do Dance and Gymnastics Contribute to Scoliosis?

Is My Child a Good Schroth Candidate?

Head Over Heels... Or Hips

Coffee Shop Neck Pain

Laminectomies: Missing The Big Picture

Why Practice Did Not Make My Pirouettes Perfect

Rachel Clay, Scoliosis Specialist

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