FAQ
A: Your child probably has Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis a condition that fortunately has no other features except a three-dimensional curve in the spine. The word ‘idiopathic’ indicates that doctors and researchers have not identified a general underlying cause.
A: There is no bracing in the study.
A: Curves often do worsen during the growth spurt from 12-16 years-of-age. This may happen just a little, but some curves progress 10 – 15 degrees in a single year. Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to predict whether or not this will happen to any particular individual.
X-rays can determine when growth is complete. After the growth spurt, when people have stopped growing, scoliosis generally progresses at about 1 degree per year.
A: No. Surgery isn’t considered unless the curve is 45 degrees or larger. Bracing and physical protocols like the one in this study work to stabilize or reverse curves to keep them from reaching that point. Methods such as the Schroth Method, the Clear Method, the Pettibone Method are available today.
A: The study is completely free and we will pay up to $100 for each X-ray once all X-ray studies are completed.
A: Whenever possible, participants should have EOS X- rays, which have only 1/9th the radiation of the already low standard scoliosis X-rays. This means the radiation from the entire study will be no more than 1/3 of just one standard scoliosis X-ray. EOS technology is increasingly available in larger medical facilities such as hospitals, and in urban centers.
A: Children are encouraged to continue all their activities.
A: We get EOS X-rays which have 1/9th the radiation of the standard ones. So even if your child is in the control group, the full study’s radiation will be no more than 1/3 of one standard X-ray.
A: Simply resume the exercises the next day. Missing an occasional day is not a reason to withdraw from the study. We encourage every-day participation – even Sundays and Bank Holidays.
A: The parents can raise their child’s enthusiasm by citing the improvement seen in previous studies. Parents can check to be sure the poses are being done correctly, and consult us for questions.
A: Yes. You can participate using the Internet. In one of our studies thirty teen-agers fully participating over the Internet benefited almost exactly as much as 30 seen in the office. The difference was that a greater percentage of people seen in person participated fully.
A: Your child will spend four months doing a pose that is good for his balance, his posture, his abdominal and dorsal spine muscles, but that will not help with scoliosis. Then, after the four-month X-ray, we’ll teach him or her the pose that does work, and do monitoring just as we did for everyone who learned the true pose at first. After another X-ray after this four-month period, the study will be over.
A: Yes, you can withdraw at any time for any reason, or without giving a reason at all.
A: To register for the study, call (646) 642-0700 or write “loren@sciatica.org.”