Scoliosis is a health condition whereby the patient’s spine curves sideways. In other words, the condition causes your spine to rotate and curve into a C or S shape. Scoliosis is a spine condition that affects around 3% of the global population. With various forms of scoliosis, there are different levels of severity and therefore different ways to treat each level. For the most part, a scoliosis curve will not straighten on its own.
Scoliosis SOS is the UK’s leading non-surgical scoliosis specialist, treating patients of all ages from all over the world. Non-surgical treatments for scoliosis might involve observation, physical therapy, the Schroth method and of course, bracing. Bracing is a form of non-surgical treatment and will prevent the curve from getting worse.
In general, brace treatment is only used to prevent scoliosis from getting worse when patients have a moderate size curve, usually over 30 degrees. Children who still have lots of growing to do tend to be encouraged to be treated with a brace as well. Usually, a curvature of up to 20 degrees is left without treatment.
Digital technology is helping to treat scoliosis
Digital applications, such as healthcare apps, are now being integrated into the clinical treatment and management of scoliosis. These healthcare apps are aiding patients in taking scoliosis measurements directly.
Remote patient monitoring is a technology that enables the monitoring of patients, as well as the storage of data, outside of the healthcare setting. Healthcare organisations, like the likes of Scoliosis SOS, can benefit from these digital solutions to help improve patient care.
On top of this, digital applications, such as healthcare apps offer various benefits for scoliosis management, for healthcare leaders as well as patients. From the side of the patient, the app can be a useful tool for monitoring their scoliosis levels from the comfort of their own home. Meanwhile, healthcare professionals can monitor the scoliosis evolvement over time whilst reducing the number of visits from the patient. This saves time and money.
Some other features of digital health apps which can be beneficial are:
Brace checks
Patients can discuss their current brace wear and use with their doctors over digital messaging, receiving helpful tips.
Evaluation of posture
For scoliosis patients, regular posture evaluation is important and can be conducted on the app.
Cord stretching exercises
An important exercise for scoliosis patients to do regularly.
Scoliroll review
The app can provide step-by-step instructions on how to properly use the scroll based on your specific degree of curve.
Final Thoughts
Returning to the question of what degree of scoliosis requires treatment, the answer depends on many different factors. It is a complex issue which healthcare professionals are working on but with the help of digital health apps, treatment and care are becoming vastly improved. A scoliosis diagnosis can range from mild to severe.
Most of the time, the intensive treatment appears to start on anyone with a 25-degree curvature and over. Once scoliosis is diagnosed, it is best to start treatment as soon as possible, especially in children.
