We’re happy to answer any questions you might have, with no commitment to proceed with treatment.
25 July 2022
Treating scoliosis non-sugically
Treating Scoliosis non-surgically at LOC – a brief summary
Treating Scoliosis non-surgically at LOC – a brief summary
The London Orthotic Consultancy (LOC) was established almost 18 years ago, since then it has gained an enviable and unrivalled reputation for delivering exceptional clinical treatments supported by the in-house design and manufacture of high-quality bespoke orthotic braces. Whilst LOC has always offered a wide range of treatments, one of our core skills and expertise has been the successful non-surgical treatment of scoliosis in both children & adults.
LOC’s scoliosis clinic started in 2014 and over the past 8 years we have built up a vast amount of experience:
adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
For a number of years, LOC clinicians worked closely with a specialist from mainland Europe to help model the braces supported by an in-house physiotherapist. This model proved successful as Anna and her team developed their skills and expertise in treating patients of all ages. However, in recent years we realised that we could improve our services further. Firstly, LOC partnered with Scoliosis SOS, a specialist scoliosis physiotherapist company. Like LOC, SSOS has a depth of experience in successfully treating scoliosis in a variety of patients. This partnership has also meant that LOC can offer scoliosis physiotherapy 52 weeks a year in both LOC Kingston and at SSOS’s offices in Central London.
The second major development was LOC deciding to develop their own scoliosis brace, the LOC Scoliosis Brace. This decision was predicated on our belief that our experience gleaned over 100’s of patients would enable our design to deliver an improved correction. In turn, this will mean that LOC’s patients will typically need to wear the brace for a shorter period, thereby enhancing their quality of life. LOC’s scoliosis brace has proved successful and is now being rolled out across the wider LOC scoliosis team. As you can see on our website the brace is slim and aesthetically pleasing, as well as being as unobtrusive as possible
The unparalleled success of LOC’s scoliosis treatment revolves around the ongoing assessments and reviews that we offer as part of our scoliosis treatment package. This involves scheduled appointments on an ongoing basis to ensure that the brace is fitting well at all points and is adjusted for both correction and patient growth. Our experience has shown that making certain that LOC’s bespoke scoliosis brace is always a good fit helps to ensure that optimum correction is delivered. These appointments are available in person at LOC clinics or via video call. This recurring clinician contact has been shown to improve patient motivation, resulting in better outcomes at the end of treatment.
We believe that it is important throughout the course of scoliosis treatment that the patient has a close relationship with their LOC clinician. We see a number of patients that have come to us from other clinics that have had limited success because of ill-fitting or poorly adjusted braces. This runs the risk of patients ultimately needing surgery that could have been avoided. We believe that the optimum treatment of scoliosis requires a close relationship between the patients and the scoliosis clinician.
The efficacy of LOC’s scoliosis brace and the quality of the clinical services offered means that currently, the vast majority of LOC’s scoliosis patients are from referrals from specialist consultants across greater London who demand the highest quality service for their patients. The success of LOC’s scoliosis clinic means that more and more people are having their scoliosis treated with minimum impact on their lives both in terms of brace wearing and in disruption from school or work.
Are you concerned that your child may have scoliosis?
Especially in young people, spotting the early signs of scoliosis is important – as is seeking early treatment. These are the warning signs to look out for:
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The operation used to treat severe scoliosis curves is typically spinal fusion surgery; a major procedure that involves moving muscles and realigning the skeleton into place. The curved, deformed vertebrae are fused together into a single bone, putting metal screws and rods into the spine to help straighten it. Surgery typically lasts between 4 and 8 hours depending on the severity of the curve. Bone graft is then taken from other parts of the body and used to cover the implants.
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Following the operation, it is necessary to spend around a week in intensive care before returning home and the first few days are often uncomfortable. Most adolescents can expect to return to school from 2-4 weeks following surgery, but pain medication may be required up to 6 weeks following. A full recovery from the procedure can take up to a year, as it can take that long for the spine to heal fully. Spinal fusion surgery causes the fused portion of the back to become permanently stiff, as a result, returning to sports that require large amounts of flexibility (ballet, yoga, gymnastics, dance) or contact (rugby, football, karate, hockey) may take longer.
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Risks of spinal fusion surgery are like that of any other major procedure and include infection, blood clots and anaesthesia complications. The added risks include permanent nerve damage to the spine and paralysis.