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Do you have a child with scoliosis between the ages of 10-19 or are you a teenager yourself and aching to grow taller?

This time of life is a roller coaster filled with  both emotional and physical changes.

One of the changes teens are the most excited about is growing taller!

Studies have shown that puberty is starting younger but still lasting as long as it ever has…

• Girls typically finish most growth by age 17
• Boys typically finish most growth by age 19

4 Tips to help your child/teen get the most out of their growth spurt :

1. Monthly Height checks: Its time to get out your pencil and find a place in their room to measure  height. Consistent height checks during adolescence are KEY to keeping a check on the progression of their scoliotic curve. If you are finding a ‘jump’ in height from one month to the next, and your child/teen has scoliosis, or you are suspecting it: that is a sign that their scoliotic curve is changing. It may be decreasing but it also could be increasing. Please follow up with your pediatrician when you see this change. You may also contact our clinic for an evaluation and/or treatment session.
2. Calcium and vitamin D: These nutrients are vital to bone growth ! They can be found in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, white beans, fish, foods fortified in vitamin D (cereals, OJ, and some dairy products), cheese . These ” 2 critical nutrients for bones:  Calcium is a crucial guiding block of bone tissue.  Vitamin D helps the body absorb and process calcium. Together these two nutrients are the cornerstone of healthy bones.”- How to Keep Your Bones Strong as They Age.
3. Sleep– 9-11 hours per night for kids ages 6-13 and 8-10 hours per night for teens ages 14-19. Sleep is ESSENTIAL for tissue growth and repair.
4. Daily exercise: Bones love weight bearing so go take a walk, run or skip in the park to help your bones grow strong and healthy

It is ideal for scoliosis check-in’s every 3-4 months with your physical therapist during your child/teen’s growth spurt

These physical therapy sessions include height and posture checks, review and progression of exercises, and access to exclusive online video content to help strengthen the spine.

If you are in need of a scoliosis check-in, then schedule your appointment today before the growth spurt ends and skeletal changes are more permanent.

Schedule your session today.

 

Here are 3 options for you right now:

1. Do nothing and keep your fingers crossed that your curve doesn’t progress or your pain comes creeping back.
2. Keep up with your current exercises that were given to you the last time you came in for an in-person session and do them consistently.
3. Schedule your Telehealth session and get your spine straight and strong and prevent your symptoms from coming back or worsening.

Just out of curiosity, are you keeping up with your home exercises during this quarantine?

Are you wondering if you are doing your exercises correctly or are you even doing them at all? (gasp!)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic things have changed drastically for all of our usual routines, work and school. You can’t go to your gym or to therapy like you were used to. But you do need to keep the progress that you made this past year in physical therapy. Don’t lose what you have already gained- you worked too hard this past year to let it go to waste! 

Just imagine how good you will feel after all of the COVID-19 pandemic passes and not only is your spine straighter, but you feel stronger and more confident rather than feeling like you lost all that you had gained!

Book your virtual appointment here

This has been a great teaching tool for the clients that have already taken advantage of this convenient option! I have been able to see what they have at home to add to or enhance their stretches that they had not considered.

Plus, I may even get to see a cameo appearance by one of your furry pets! It is a great way to stay connected and stay up-to-date with your therapy.

Your Telehealth appointment is now being offered at an affordable price that is less than in-person at the clinic.

30 minutes = $55

45 minutes = $75

1 hour= $100

How open minded are you with this as an alternative? Give it a try!

I am also creating a 45 minute online scoliosis group exercise class for females. Fill out this survey if this interests you and be the first to experience a brand-new exercise format!

Scoliosis Exercise Group interest survey

If you decide to give Telehealth a try, then you can keep the results you gained and keep feeling great!

Here are 3 quick methods you can do to find out if your height measured up to what it ‘should’ be or determine how tall your child will be.

Methods for Predicting Your Child’s Height

1. Genetic Potential Height: Add the height of your mother and father together in inches and find the average height. Then add 2.5 inches to determine a boy’s height and subtract 2.5 inches to determine a girl’s height.
2. Two Times Two: Figure out how tall your child is or was when she/he was two years old, then multiply that height by two.
3. Follow the curve: Measure your child’s current height, then plot it on the growth curve chart used by pediatricians. Follow along on their growth curve—staying in the same percentile and see where they end up as an adult.”- verywellfamily.com

None of these methods are absolute, as other growth factors influence how tall you will be, such as posture issues and scoliosis.

Some say that the ratio of your height is 1:1 to your arm length or wingspan.

Wingspan is your arm length measured from the middle finger of your right hand to the middle finger of your left hand when outstretched.

Measuring wingspan is just one of the many measurement tools that I take when you are a patient here, specifically for posture related issues, such as scoliosis, Schueremann’s, kyphosis or hyperlordosis.

There is also research linking arm length or wingspan to excelling in athletic sports, specifically those that involve balls, wrestling and the mixed martial arts.

Makes sense when you think about it since the longer your arm is, then you can reach your opponent or the ball before those with shorter limbs!

Study shows wingspan has a correlation to athletic prowess in the NBA, MMA

Curious?

Come in for a posture assessment and see how wingspan reflects your height!

Book your appointment

“No one can really predict to what heights you might soar. Even you will not know until you spread your wings.” – Gil Atkinson

What type of Scoliosis Brace do I need?

 

 

The answer: YES!

If you or your child has been told to wear a full-time, solid brace due to scoliosis, then it is wise to do your homework and read up on what types of braces are out there for you.

Note: I do not sell, make or distribute any braces, and I do not get any payment or bonuses for promoting one type over another.

The ideal scoliosis brace should allow your body to ‘breathe’ by having openings cut out in the brace where your ribs need to expand. Scoliosis is a 3-dimesional curvature so simply tightening a brace with straps is not the answer, as that will only SQUEEZE you in 2-dimensionally and not fully correct the curvature.

Schroth therapy can complement any scoliosis brace but not every brace can complement Schroth therapy.

Braces have evolved over the years and here is a snapshot of their history:

1. Milwaukee Brace: original scoliosis brace invented in 1946
   Cervico-Thoraco-Lumbo-Sacral Orthosis (CTLSO)
   • Pros: good for high scoliosis curves in cervical and thoracic spine• Cons: metal, not 3-dimesional and old-fashioned
2. Providence or Charleston Nighttime Brace: developed in the 1990’s
   • Pros: It is used for nighttime and part-time only.
   • Cons: It doesn’t allow for walking  due to it being low over the hips; only good for balanced and single curves
   •  Providence nocturnal scoliosis orthosis.
   
3. Boston Brace: Thoraco-Lumbo-Sacral-Orthosis (TLSO); developed in 1972
   • Pros: Most common choice by doctors due to familiarity and gets good results. Extensive research
   • Cons: Heavy. Straps fasten in the back making it hard to take on and off by yourself. It doesn’t correct the curve in a 3 dimensional pattern and often semi- custom or pre-fabricated. Even when these braces are individually designed, they are little more than modified “barrel” braces. Can give too much abdominal pressure. Made by traditional casting.
   • Full time scoliosis orthosis.
   
4. WCR Brace (Wood-Cheneau-Rigo): modern brace developed by Dr. Rigo, Grant Wood and Chêneau to de-rotate the spine and used in conjunction with the BSPTS/Schroth Method
   • Pros: Custom made and computer-generated to fit exactly to your curve type. Thin and allows for expansion in the rib cage where needed and lightweight ; comes in lots of patterns. It is an international brace as it is made in the US AND in Spain.
   • Cons: Big and long  as the brace comes up and under the armpit. Can be costly.
   

Still not convinced? Check out these x-ray results:

(Photo from Align Clinic website)

Here is their website if you would like more information, case studies, results or questions answered. The Align Clinic. They are located in Green Bay, WI, San Mateo, CA, Houston, TX and I host a clinic as needed here in Tallahassee.

Regardless of which brace you choose, none of them will work if you don’t wear them! So please wear your brace 18-20 hours a day as recommended to get the best results. It’s very similar to wearing orthodontic braces in your mouth or a retainer: if you don’t wear it – it won’t work!

See you at the next bracing clinic!

Our next Scoliosis Bracing clinic will be

January 2020
WCR Evaluation and Fitting clinic

Suite 114, 1809 Miccosukee Commons Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32308, USA

Presented by Walter Ramos, LO of Align Clinic

Hosted by Joy Smith, Schroth PT at Joy of Therapy Physical Therapy Clinic

Phone: 920-940-5277

This special Cheneau Rigo Brace evaluation is a complimentary opportunity for all patients and families who may have questions or concerns regarding the fit, function, or design of their brace. This clinic is also open to BSPTS, Schroth PTs, MDs, and any new patients that may want to learn more about the Cheneau Rigo brace.

To schedule your complimentary evaluation, please call Lynn at 920-940-5277.

We urge you to take advantage of this unique opportunity and we look forward to seeing you soon! Appointments are limited and filling up fast; therefore it will be booked as “first come, first served.”

 

“Here’s proof why managing a scoliosis curve during a child’s growth spurt is so important” 

It’s overdue to share with you a scoliosis success story that I would love to take all of the credit for, but this one really goes to my patient and her family.

This sweet 12year old girl came to the Joy of Therapy in April 2019 with some back pain, an ever increasing scoliosis curve,  and discomfort wearing a back brace. Plus, little did we both know, but she was about to hit a growth spurt over the summer. 

Fast forward 5 months, and nearly 20 treatments later, she has decreased her scoliotic curve by 50%!

She went from wearing a rigid brace and no therapy with a 48 degree curve in the thoracic spine and 43 degree curve in the lumbar spine, to a 22 degree curve in the thoracic spine and 20 degree curve in the lumbar spine while wearing a dynamic brace and therapy.

Plus she grew 2 inches during that same time! 

How did she do it?

Through the combined effort of:

1. Specific Scoliosis Exercises custom designed for her curve type by Joy Smith,PT 
2. An amazing dynamic WCR brace from the Align Clinic which she wears consistently 20+ hours a day designed by Walter Ramos,L/O,CPO Align clinic
3. Supportive and loving family
4. Great medical care by Dr. Ryan Price at Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic TOC

The key to all of this success hinges on the fact that she wanted to make this change and stuck with the program.

She attends therapy regularly, wears her brace as prescribed and her dad has even made the Schroth bars for her to use at home.

So what does this mean for you if you have scoliosis? No matter how big or small your curve is, if you are a child, teenager or adult or whether or not you have a brace or don’t want to wear a brace- a comprehensive program that addresses ALL of your needs is here for you.

Contact me today to find out how to start feeling stronger, straighter and feel better all over today! #scoliosis #schrothmethod #physicaltherapy #cureais #posture #curvygirls

Call or email here

 

This is Scheuermann’s  Hyperkyphosis

It is a “structural kyphosis that typically develops during adolescence, causing the kyphotic spine to become rigid, and sometimes progresses into adulthood.” — Scoliosis Research Society.

It is not poor posture or a lazy posture. This is a  condition that includes physiological changes to the structure of the thoracic spine, therefore causing an increased rounding of the trunk.

The Schroth Method can help those diagnosed with Scheuermann’s by elongating and de-rotating the spine. Schroth exercises are customized for your unique spinal deformation. The method teaches you how to:

• Correct spinal rotation and increase lung capacity with a rotational breathing technique.
• Help restore normal spinal position with pelvic corrections, breathing technique, and stabilizing isometric contractions.
• Improve your posture during routine daily living, not just during therapy.

Scheuermann’s disease begins before puberty. It is not known what triggers the abnormal growth, but there are theories that the bone may have been injured at some point, or that the area was weak before puberty. Heredity is thought to play a role, but the connection is not straightforward.

The condition is connected to skeletal growth, and the curvature does not usually increase after growth is completed. It is estimated that 1 to 8 percent of people develop the condition.

If you or anyone you know has this condition, please go to your doctor and ask for a referral to physical therapy. Then call and schedule your appointment today with Joy Smith,PT the  ONLY physical therapy specialist in the Florida Panhandle to treat Schuermann’s disease according to the Schroth Method.

#posture #physicaltherapy #schrothmethod # back pain

Schedule your evaluation today

Get to Know more about Your Kid’s Growth Spurts

6 Signs Your Kid Is Having A Growth Spurt

Could it be the warm summer months, lots of sunshine, less stress and more sleep that causes seemingly ‘more growth’ in the summer for adolescents? Perhaps. But whatever the reason may be, your pre-teen or teen is making big gains in his/her body.

And summer is a great time for annual doctor check-ups and sports physicals. Plus keep an eye on their spines when they don a swimsuit. Do you notice a hump in their ribs when they bend over or does one of their shoulder blades look like it is ‘winging out’? If so, definitely follow up with your pediatrician for a scoliosis screening. It is always best to catch the curve while it is small so that the best care can be given. But whatever you do , don’t ‘wait and see’ if the curve in their spine will straighten out on its own. There are several conservative treatment options available to your adolescent to monitor, halt and/or reverse the scoliotic curve: no matter how small or big!

Inquire below for more information about conservative scoliosis treatment options :

Contact us today!

 

Cherries! Or more specifically, Tart Cherry Juice.

All it takes is simply 2 tablespoons of tart cherry juice FROM concentrate, preferably before bedtime ( I’ll explain the ‘why’ for that in another post) and you will see and feel the difference this delicious fruit can make in your body.

The following are excerpts from the insightful book, ‘Taming Pain: Lessons from the Trenches” by Cheryl Wardlaw.Get the book here

“Research shows that cherries reduce inflammatory chemicals by as much as 25% (after only 28 days of eating them)  without having a negative effect on blood sugar or insulin levels.  Even better, these gains are sustained for over a month after you stop eating cherries (although why would you stop eating cherries?!) Cherries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances, including anthocyanin, quercetin and melatonin, and assist the body in producing glutathione (the main anti-inflammatory for the brain.)”

Anyone who has gout will most likely tell you that they already know the benefits of drinking tart cherry juice as it helps to decrease gout symptoms. That is because the anthocyanin in cherries reduces blood urate levels by 15% in as little as 3 days. Turns out that “cherries have the HIGHEST levels of anthocyanin of any food (blueberries don’t have any) and specifically block COX I and II (inflammatory chemicals., just like arthritis medication. Anthocyanins are more effective than vitamin C or E and AS EFFECTIVE as Naproxen, Ibuprofen or Aspirin WITH NO BAD EFFECT ON YOUR STOMACH! Note: for kidney health you should not take over 5000 NSAIDs and 1000 acetaminophen tablets in your lifetime!”

To sum it up here’s what anthocyanin does for you:

“Lowers urate (uric acid) levels in the blood stream to control gout

Acts an anti-inflammatory on par with NSAIDs

Suppresses production of pro-inflammatory cytokines

Suppresses growth factors 

Protects cell membranes”

In my next blog, I will talk about more AMAZING things that cherries can do for your health.

Cherry season is nearly here, so plan on indulging in them!

And in the meantime, go buy some Tart Cherry Juice FROM CONCENTRATE, pour 2 tablespoons into a cup and cheers!

(Caution: cherry juice is a natural blood thinner. If you take prescription blood thinners, then please talk to your doctor about your medications if they need to be adjusted)

Update on Melissa’s Story

In February, I posted a story about my sister, and her journey with scoliosis. (If you haven’t had a chance to read it, then click here to catch up before you read about her progress)  Melissa’s story

Melissa went to her annual check-up this past month and got some encouraging news! Last April, prior to beginning her Schroth therapy in the Fall, She went to her annual physical exam and was saddened to learn that she had ‘shrunk’ nearly 2 inches! She had been 5’8″ since she hit maturity as an adolescent, and when she learned she had lost nearly 2 inches in height:  it was not good news (especially since that meant she would now be the same height as her older and shorter sister!)

But all kidding aside, she knew that this change in height really meat that her scoliosis may be getting worse.

Fast forward 6 months and she began the Schroth physical therapy at the Paley Institute in West Palm Beach, FL alongside with her youngest daughter, who also has scoliosis.

They both went to many treatment sessions and enjoyed it so much that they had Schroth wall bars built and installed in their home for them to use on a daily basis. They also have the placement pads and do the exercises as recommended by their physical therapist.

This past month Melissa went again to her annual physical exam and her doctor measured her height. Guess what? She is now back to her usual 5’8″! She was so excited that she immediately called to tell me her good news. She attributes the positive change to doing the prescribed specific scoliosis exercises (PSSE) and learning her curve.

And as if that wasn’t enough good news: there’s more! Her daughter, went in for a DIERS scan and it found that her curve decreased 7 degrees! The DIERS Formetric 4D is a light-optical scanning method which projects a line grid on the back of the patient which is recorded by an imaging unit.

So what’s the ‘take away’ message here? Schroth Therapy works for improving posture and decreasing scoliotic curves! But it only works if you put the effort into it. Both Melissa and her daughter are motivated for change !

If this story speaks to you or someone that you know who may need to hear this, then please contact me to find out how I can help improve your scoliotic posture.

“Nothing motivates you like movement. If you need motivation, get moving.”  –Christy Wright

Contact me today!

Do you have hip pain or pain in your thigh that just won’t go away?

(Now if you do have hip degeneration and have been told you need a hip replacement, then you probably have more going on than this article pertains to)

Ever thought that there may not be anything wrong at all with your hip? It may in fact be  ‘referred pain.’

What is referred pain? It is pain in an area of your body that can often be some distance away from the actual stressed tissue.

One good example is sometimes hip pain can be diagnosed as hip bursitis: inflammation of the bursa (fluid-filled sac near a joint) at the part of the hip called the greater trochanter. When this bursa becomes irritated or inflamed, it causes pain in the hip. Yes, hip pain truly can be coming from your hip, but when you have tried to get rid of it with traditional therapies or injections and it still is there,  then the source may be coming from somewhere else…and it may be nerve root referred pain. 

Check out this map of the dermatomes of the body that depicts where nerve roots refer to: 

The following excerpt is from ‘Taming Pain: Lessons from the Trenches.”- Second Edition 2013 by Cheryl F. Wardlaw, PT MMSc, CFMT :

“A nerve root is the part of the nerve that comes off of the spinal cord and goes out the hole between two vertebrae.

Each nerve root has some fibers mixed in from the nerve root above and below, so it’s not EXACT. Each nerve root, when stressed, can cause pain in a predictable path. It will cause weakness in predictable muscles. Let’s take the L4 nerve root for example. Let’s say you have pain on the side of your hip and in the front of your thigh. The muscles that pick up your big toe (L4) and straighten your knee (L3& L4) are weak. I would sure need to look at what could be irritating the L4 nerve root!

Could it just be hip bursitis? Doubtful. Hip bursitis doesn’t make your big toe weak. Could it be 5 things: hip bursitis, a pulled muscle in your thigh, some knee arthritis, a bunion on your big toe and low magnesium? Well, it could be, but I would still have to rule out the L4.

Things that stress a nerve root:

If we decide that a nerve root is squawking, and we know which nerve root, the question still remains, what is irritating the nerve root? So here goes:

The Facet joint: the joints in your spine are called facet joints

The Nerve Root: comes out of the hole in front of the facet joints. Changes at the facet joint can decrease the size of the space and put pressure on the nerve. Inflammation will be the result.

The Disc: The spacer between the vertebrae is the disc. If the disc shrinks down (degeneration) the bones will get closer together. The size of the opening will decrease and the nerve will be compressed and will inflame. If the disc bulges back, the same thing happens.

The Spinal Canal: The space that the spinal cord runs through is called the canal. Across time, bone can build up inside the canal and make less room for the nerve root. This condition is known as spinal stenosis. The nerve will be compressed and will inflame.

Now that we know where it is, ( Let’s stick with L4 as our suspect), what might be causing it ( let’s choose a locked facet) and that the nerve root is inflamed, our job is as simple as a game of CLUE : Colonel Mustard, in the library, with the candlestick! Referred pain patterns help me figure out where I should be working!

If your therapist or doctor are only treating your symptoms, and not searching very actively for where the pain is coming from, then you will be hurting a very long time.”

See how maybe your hip pain isn’t really coming from the hip itself, but rather may be coming from your back? Contact me today to see how I can help solve your pain puzzle and get rid of the nerve culprit! 

 

‘High Hopes’ Realized

I love Panic! At the Disco’s song, ‘High Hopes’, as I have dubbed it my ‘theme song’ these past several months while I plugged along creating my physical therapy clinic:

“I had to have high high hopes for a living. Didn’t know how but I always had a feeling.”  (Check out their video if you want to get that song in your head all.day.long. )  Panic! At the Disco- High Hopes

Many years of building a community of clients and contemplating just how to do this thing called a business, finally culminated into a fabulous celebration last night. The  open house to my brand new PT clinic, Joy of Therapy, was a smashing success!

 I truly enjoyed every minute of it and am so very grateful for the many clients, friends and family that took time out of their day to come and support my “dream come true!” (We were all having such a good time, that we forgot to take pics of everyone that came to the open house. Oops! But check out the good ones below.)

The food was DELICIOUS (thank you to Brandy L.,  Sarah H. , Tasty Pastry, Publix and Josey V. ) , the decor GORGEOUS ( thank you to the talented, Karyn Tarmey), set- up and serve went SMOOTHLY (thank you to my mom and dad, Brandy and Kylie L.) and hey, I looked pretty good too! (thanks to my stylists, Jillian Visconti (hair stylist) and Marianne Brooks with Cabi). It takes a village to pull this off, and my heart is filled with gratitude for all of you.

The clinic is truly reflective of ‘me’ and how I believe that physical therapy should and needs to be delivered: efficient, thoughtful, caring, valuable to you, your time and your money and most of all, joyful.

So if you haven’t already come in for your evaluation, then what are you waiting for ?! I am here and ready to serve your PT needs whenever they may arise for you. Here I come Tallahassee!

Come by to say “hello”, check out the new clinic and get your FREE cold pack on Thursday 2/28!