A scoliosis camp in Beijing: an unexpected experience

Our Physiotherapy Director, Michele Romano, was in China to teach a SEAS (Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis) course for physiotherapists. While in Beijing, he was also scheduled to provide training on scoliosis treatment at Beijing Children’s Hospital. But when he arrived, he discovered that something completely different had been organized. This is his account of those four unexpected and intense days.

“I was in Beijing around Mid-August to provide training for physiotherapists on scoliosis treatment at Beijing Children’s Hospital. But on the first day, I realized that something completely different had been organized. I walked into the room where I was supposed to meet a small group of physiotherapists and instead found an auditorium packed with around 90 people. Adults and children.

After my initial surprise, I asked what was going on and they told me that a ‘Camp’ had been organized: an event to teach scoliosis-specific exercises to young patients, with their families actively involved as well.

I thought about it for a minute and then I got started.

First, a plenary introduction for the whole audience, with general information about scoliosis. Then I started assessing the patients. There were 26 of them.

With the help of four physiotherapists with little experience, whom I trained on the spot, we began measuring all the patients and collecting the information we needed to decide how to treat them. The physiotherapists assessed the patients and then brought me a form with the data they had collected. I checked the information and then decided how to treat each patient’s curve.

The following day, we started treatment. Twenty-six individual stations where I taught the basics of treatment and then entrusted each patient to one of the supporting physiotherapists. An incredibly exhausting day. The next day, we checked what they had learned and taught them the exercises. We ended the day with a Q&A session with everyone.

We closed the Camp on the fourth day with a final discussion with the parents, certificates for the young participants and a very moving final hug!”.