The Scoliosis Experience

Brace Mentors and Scolios-us website with Megan Glahn

One of the hardest things for those diagnosed with scoliosis is being in a rigid scoliosis brace.  Most of the time, they feel alone, like they are the only one with scoliosis.  

In this episode, Megan Glahn, who is a certified orthotist shares with us a way these kids can get connected with a mentor/friend who also has experience with bracing.  Being connected with someone who knows what you are going through is very powerful.  

Her website is https://www.bracingforscoliosus.org/ and you can go on there to register your child to be set up with a mentor.  

Not only is the website a good place to go to find a mentor, but it is also an amazing resource for scoliosis.  You can find things on there about pretty much anything.  There are also some great support groups represented there. 

If you are a provider of scoliosis treatment, she even has a good resource for you to support your patients in their fight against scoliosis. 

Megan's email is

bracingforscoliosus@gmail.com

To learn more about scoliosis treatment, check out our website at https://aligntherapyutah.com/

Alayne Wadsworth on Dancing With the Stars, Scoliosis Surgery, and becoming a World Champion

Many of those living with scoliosis wonder what they are still able to do.  Alayne Wadsworth is a great example of reaching for the stars, even though you have the diagnosis of scoliosis. 

She was diagnosed as a teenager and wore a scoliosis brace for 5 years! After coming out of the brace, she continued to dance and used this as a way to escape from the diagnosis of scoliosis.  

During that time, she was on Dancing With The Stars.  Through this time, she had back pain due to her scoliosis and noticed her curve was getting worse.  She was then told by a surgeon that if she did not have surgery to "fix" the scoliosis, she would end up puncturing her lung.  

She had scoliosis fusion surgery and was told she would be done with her dance career.  Amazingly, she was able to return from surgery and began dancing 7 months later.  She eventually became a World Champion in ballroom. 

Alayne is currently a model, actor, and still dances!  She is a great example of someone not willing to give up on their dreams and a fighter with scoliosis. 

This would be a great episode for those looking at being braced, having surgery, or wanting to still achieve their goals, despite having scoliosis.  

If you want to contact Alayne, you can go to her website at 

https://alaynewadsworth.com/

email her at:

alaynewadsworth@gmail.com

or follow her on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lannie_lane/  where you can read about her story and see a great video of her.  

To find more information on scoliosis specific treatment, check out our website at https://aligntherapyutah.com/ 

Orthotist Perspective on Bracing and Scoliosis with Jared Larson

Bracing is a very large component of many people's journey and experience with scoliosis.  Because of this, the orthotist is a key member of the team in treating scoliosis.  Jared Larson is an orthotist in Salt Lake City at Hanger Clinic.  He does more scoliosis braces than almost any other orthotist in Utah. 

In this episode he discusses the process of bracing and what patients go through as they are getting braced.  He also talks about the different kinds of scoliosis braces and goes in depth on how they work.  He also talks about specific things to do to get the best results from bracing.  

Check out our website for more information on what you can do for scoliosis treatment. https://aligntherapyutah.com/

Higgy Bears for Scoliosis and Owner, Lauren‘s, Story

Lauren is the owner and founder of Higgy Bears.  This amazing brand and company was born out of an amazing scoliosis experience.  In this episode, Lauren shares her story of scoliosis and what led her to start Higgy Bears.  

Higgy Bears is a company whose goal is to help kids who are braced, mostly with scoliosis, feel like they are not alone.  The bears have braces custom made to match the brace the child wears and is a huge comfort during this trying time of life.  The pattern and style of the brace is matched exactly and they can even be made with rods for after surgery. 

Lauren shares her experience of having multiple scoliosis surgeries, how she dealt with chronic pain, and what finally helped her to get better, both physically and emotionally.  

She is an amazing example of staying strong during the challenge of a scoliosis diagnosis and treatment, and helping others to feel like they are not alone.  

If you are looking for a Higgy Bear, or just want to learn more, you can email Lauren at lauren@higgybears.com.  You can also visit her website at https://higgybears.com/ for more information and to place an order.  

 

To find out more information on what you can do for scoliosis, check out our website at https://aligntherapyutah.com/. 

 

Yoga Therapy for Scoliosis with Kristen Davis

This is an awesome episode talking to Kristen Davis about Yoga Therapy, specifically for scoliosis.  For those who don't know what Yoga Therapy is, it is a way to use Yoga to do individualized treatment for scoliosis while improving the mind body connection.  She explains more about this and also about her own journey with it.  To contact Kristen, you can email her at bomiwellness@gmail.com to find out more information about it.  

Check out https://aligntherapyutah.com/ for more information on what you can do to treat your scoliosis. 

Living with Adult Scoliosis with Kristen Davis

In this episode, we talk to one of our amazing adult scoliosis patients, Kristen Davis.  She is a great example of taking control of your health and your scoliosis while exploring different treatment options.  She discusses her experience as an adolescent as well as an adult and helps to shed some light on how to manage scoliosis throughout life.  She is also a Yoga Therapy instructor working specifically with scoliosis and patients with trauma.  Great episode for anyone! 

For more information on scoliosis treatment, check out https://aligntherapyutah.com/. 

Scoliosis Surgeon Dr John Smith on VBT, Scoliosis Surgery, Recovery, and Treatment

In this episode, Dr John Smith shares his background with scoliosis, what made him interested in treating the spine, and what surgery is like.  He is an amazing surgeon and is well-known in the US.  He specifically explains who is appropriate for Vertebral Body Tethering, and what that surgery is like.  He also gives some great insight into spinal fusion for scoliosis correction.  Great episode for those just diagnosed, approaching surgery, or those considering VBT. 

To learn more about what can be done conservatively for scoliosis, check out our website at https://aligntherapyutah.com/. 

Consistency is Key with Scoliosis Treatment. Isaac‘s Scoliosis Experience!

As with most things in life, consistency is key for getting results with scoliosis treatment.  In this episode, I interview Isaac, who had a great result with scoliosis specific exercise.  He was diagnosed later in his teenage years, but was able to bring a progressive curve down from 25 to 18 degrees in a few months. The key to his success was being consistent! Check out his experience in this episode.

To see more information on scoliosis specific exercise, check out our page on the Schroth Method. https://aligntherapyutah.com/schroth-method/

Patient Perspective with Zaylei on Vertebral Body Tethering (VBT)

A common question I get recently is about VBT surgery.  Zaylei went through VBT surgery recently because of a progressive curve and she shares her experience of surgery, Schroth Therapy, and bracing, along with just the experience of being diagnosed with scoliosis.  This is a great episode for anyone diagnosed with scoliosis, as well as anyone considering surgery. 

To find out more information about conservative ways to treat scoliosis, check out our website at https://aligntherapyutah.com/schroth-method/ 

Juvenile Scoliosis Experience with Bracing with Ava and Ryan

Juvenile Scoliosis is not quite as common as Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.  In this episode I talk to Ava, who was diagnosed at age 6 and her father Ryan.  She gives us some great insights into what it is like to have to deal with scoliosis for many years.  She also talks about her experience with bracing and scoliosis specific exercise.  If you, or someone you know, have scoliosis, this is a great episode to check out! 

 

To learn more about conservative treatment for scoliosis in children, check out our scoliosis page at https://aligntherapyutah.com/child-teen-scoliosis/