Use of Back Braces for Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a spinal deformity involving abnormal curvatures of the spine. Left untreated, it may lead to severe postural deformities that may warrant surgical treatment. The condition is a progressive condition that left untreated may impose progression to spinal anomalies and complications. Immediate treatment is advised to prevent its progression and to provide correction on the spinal deformity involved. Back braces are effective corrective devices that are indicated for the treatment of scoliosis.

Background

• Back braces have been used to treat spinal curvatures since the 1800's, but substantial success in this procedure began with the invention of the Milwaukee brace in the middle of the 20th century and continued with the Boston brace in the 1970's.
  The effectiveness of brace treatment was validated in 1985, when the Scoliosis Research Society conducted a study that showed a long-term success rate of 80 percent among patients with scoliosis who underwent this type of treatment.

Common Types of Back Braces

• The first modern prototype of back brace was developed by Dr. Walter Blount and Dr. Albert Schmidt and is called the Milwaukee brace. This type is more suitable for patients with high thoracic curvatures. The brace runs the length of the torso all the way to the neck and is firmly supported by a plastic girdle along the waist.
  TLSO braces work under the same principles but are generally made of plastic molded to the contours of the body.
  Drs. John Hall and William Miller of the Boston Children's Hospital developed one type of TLSO brace in the 1970's, known as the Boston Brace. This was the brace used in the study conducted by the Scoliosis Research Society in 1985; it has symmetrical modules that run from the mid-bottom part all the way to the lower breast, isolating the lumbar area towards an upright, flexed stance.
  A back brace used to correct the scoliotic curvature deformity was created in 1979 by Dr. Frederick Reed and Ralph Cooper, CPO. It is called the Charleston Bending Brace.

Indication

• Most back braces for scoliosis are worn for 23 hours daily. The Charleston Bending Brace, however, is to be worn only at night. Back braces are corrective devices that are indicated to correct spinal deformity involving curvature angles between 20 and 40 degrees. Any spinal curvature that goes beyond 40 degrees warrants surgical treatment options.

Effectiveness

• Back braces can retard further progression of the abnormal spinal curvature in scoliosis with relative improvement in posture. Along with back exercises and physical therapy, back braces are good corrective device to prevent progression and correct spinal deformity.

Warning

• Proper use of back braces in scoliosis is integral to achieve the effectiveness of the device to correct the spinal deformity. Improperly wearing the brace may result in more postural deformities. It is best to wear a back brace at the earliest stage of scoliosis to prevent further progression of the spinal deformity.