Posts
Scoliosis: what positions to sleep in?
The determination of parents, and patients, to find ways of counteracting the progression of scoliosis often leads them to come up with questions, and to look for as many new strategies as they can.
One of the issues they raise concerns the awkward and “twisted” positions that children and adolescents tend to adopt when relaxing on the sofa or bed, or when they are writing, and so on.
Do these positions affect scoliosis in any way, and can they even cause it?
To answer these questions, let’s start by making a few key points clear. First of all, scoliosis is a disorder that causes deviation of the spine in the three dimensions of space, and it shows a natural progression; in most cases, it first appears in the early phases of growth. Posture, like the positions a person assumes in daily life, may affect the condition, but only to an extent, and they do not trigger or cause it.
This deviation of the spine, which throws it out of line, results in non-uniform loading of the spine and can therefore drive what is known as Stokes’s vicious cycle (asymmetrical loading causes asymmetrical growth leading to progression of the deformity…).
Conservative therapeutic approaches, consisting of specific self-correction exercises or brace wearing, aim to reduce this misalignment of the spine, counteracting the natural worsening of scoliosis and allowing more physiological growth of the anatomical structures of the spine.
When we are seated or standing, spinal loading is an important issue: in these positions, the force of gravity acts vertically on the whole of the spine, causing it to be more compressed and therefore more susceptible to developing an asymmetry.
Instead, when we are lying down, be it on our back, on our front or on our side, there is much less loading of the back, as the force of gravity is no longer pushing down on the spine, but distributed horizontally over the entire body.
During the night, precisely because we spend a number of hours lying in bed, with our backs unloaded and no longer subject to the stresses generated by loading and movements, our spine is able to “recover”: the discs situated between the vertebrae are rehydrated, and the entire spine lengthens.
You may well remember your parents remarking of a morning, “Goodness, you’re so tall! You seem to have grown overnight!” .
Well, as it happens, there is a physiological reason for this. Some studies suggest that we can gain up to 1-2 cm in height as an effect of these nocturnal regenerative phenomena. However, this extra height is lost in the course of the day, and with the passing of the years.
In conclusion, in the light of what has been said above, and also bearing in mind that we have no control over the positions we adopt when sleeping, our advice to patients is to carry on sleeping in the positions they find most comfortable, because there is no such thing as more or less correct positions during sleep.
Just make sure that the surface supporting your mattress (usually slats, metal bedsprings or a flat platform) ensures that it remains parallel with the ground, and that the central part does not sag. If you sleep in a brace, this isn’t even an issue, as your spine will remain correctly aligned whatever position you sleep in.
It is important to have an active lifestyle, do sport and, for those doing rehabilitation treatment, to follow the prescribed programme of physiotherapy exercises and/or brace wearing.
A final piece of advice: try not to spend too much time lying on your bed or on the sofa, unless it is to rest or watch something on TV!
Telephysiotherapy in Isico: the published research
In this pandemic year a lot has changed in our daily habits, much in the way we work. Something also in the way we treat patients. We had to adapt to take opportunities from difficulties. In Isico, we have done this from the beginning, overcoming the first phase of closures thanks to the online mode of medical visits and physiotherapy treatments.
It was a way not to leave our patients alone and not to waste the efforts made, a way that after some time has become an integral part of our therapeutic proposal.
We learnt a lot and this also translated into the research, published recently by the Spine Journal, “Lessons learnt in two months of the exclusive application of telephysiotherapy instead of classical physiotherapy during the lockdown in Italy“.
“Current evidence on telemedicine mostly refers to interventions not requiring hands-on approaches, based on either technology or oral/visual interactions – explains Michele Romano, director of Isico physiotherapy and author of the research – In a way, the pandemic offered a sudden push to telemedicine. The question is which lessons can we learn on telephysiotherapy after a few months of extensive and mandatory experience?”
For this reason, we want to share the experiences of exclusively telephysiotherapy treatments acquired by 38 physiotherapists working for Isico during the 2 months of lockdown from March 16th to May 11th.
It was crucial in the first phase that patients accept telephysiotherapy. Usually, the appointments are managed by the booking call-center, but after the first phone calls it was clear that this unusual and unexpected change proposed by a secretary was not well received by the patients.
Consequently, the new standard is that the appointment is made by phone call by the treating physiotherapist him/herself. That facilitates the interaction with the patient, and allows to professionally answer all eventual doubts.
How to organise to be able to carry out physiotherapy treatments online? “An involvement of caregivers and families is necessary for the session. A free video-communication App is used (Skype or Meet) – explains Michele Romano – Evaluation results autonomously collected by patients with the help of a caregiver, are sent before the session to fill the assessment form in advance. One caregiver is present during the session, with one camera to film the patient, to help correct mistakes and observe the right execution of specific exercises; a second device is used for the Institute App to record the exercises”.
During 2 months of lockdown, telephysiotherapy sessions have been 2,239 (100%). After the lockdown, when back to “normal” were face-to-face hands-on physiotherapy, 10% (532 out of a total of 5,091) remained telephysiotherapy sessions.
“The common feeling of patients and their caregivers was of not having been abandoned – explains Michele Romano – during these months we verified that the systems work properly, now this wide and sudden experience is available for the worldwide physiotherapy community. Telephysiotherapy is a not so difficult, readily available instrument.“
Obviously, limits and drawbacks referred by physiotherapists and patients included the impossibility to use hands-on, the need to simplify the approach, the limited attention of younger patients, the connection difficulties.
Most physiotherapists and patients agreed that this type of approach is perfect in emergency, but it cannot substitute normal physiotherapy sessions in normal times.
“Yet we have found – concludes Michele Romano – that there is a group of patients who have discovered telemedicine and continue to use it even now, an additional opportunity that therefore in Isico we have decided to offer patients in the future, alongside the classical medical visits and physiotherapy treatments performed in-person.”
Natural History of Scoliosis: the development of a predictive model
There are two abstracts on the natural history of scoliosis that Isico is going to present at the 56th SRS conference scheduled for next September in the United States: “Predicting Future Curve Severity for Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Natural History Study” and “Predicting Future Curve Severity Requires Different Models for Adolescent and Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis “.
Abstracts which constitute research carried out by Isico in collaboration with the Canadian University of Alberta and Dr Erik Parent. The preliminary results of this research study will be presented by Prof Stefano Negrini at the Research Grant Outcome Symposium organized by SRS and scheduled for March 6 from 9 to 11 ET US.
Most models to predict future Scoliosis severity have not been validated; many previous samples included treated patients limiting our understanding of the natural history.
“Our aim was to predict future curve severity at a time point of the clinician’s choice during adolescence using data from x-rays obtained before starting treatment in patients with a diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis (JIS) – explains dr Sabrina Donzelli, one of the authors of this research study – we included 2331 patients with a diagnosis of JIS, under age 26, previously untreated.
The data obtained through the radiographs confirm the factors involved in the severity of scoliosis: for juvenile scoliosis the age at onset and the extent of the curve, and for adolescent scoliosis the Risser stage and female gender. The idea is to optimize the use of this data for clinical purposes “.
That is, to be able to validate the model to verify whether it works for another population with similar characteristics. “During the webinar to which I have been invited – says Prof. Negrini – I will present the preliminary data not only of the two abstracts but also of the other analyses developed by the Canadian university. As a team, we are continuing to validate one model with which we can create an algorithm to predict the cases with the highest development risk.”
Medicine: an entirely human reality
As an old saying goes, “the tragedy of science is all the wonderful theories spoiled by a few bothersome facts”. The personal theories developed by individuals do not constitute science, because science is all about learning from the facts: this is one of the lessons we hope the COVID-19 experience will leave behind, not only for scientists, but for society as a whole, given that, over the years, people have allowed themselves to be drawn to theories with no scientific proof (the so-called anti-vaxxers being the prime example).
Because, in medicine and healthcare, failing to be led by science in our choices is the biggest mistake we can make, and this applies in the field of scoliosis, too.
Then, of course, there is the interpretation of scientific data, which creates further differences of opinion, in this case between medical practitioners. There are some areas in which these differences are only small, as the scientific evidence is strong and plentiful, and others in which, precisely because scientific evidence is still scarce, there are considerable differences of interpretation and numerous theories in circulation. The field of scoliosis and spinal deformities, particularly with regard to non-surgical treatment approaches, falls into the latter category.
Another aspect to consider is the, now fundamental, need for continuing medical education. It has been shown that scientific knowledge doubles in less than five years, which means that those who fail to stay abreast of developments can very quickly find themselves completely out of the loop.
How can a physician imagine that what he or she learned at university, perhaps many years before, will continue to be enough? This is why we should appreciate doctors who refer patients to another specialist whenever they feel poorly-equipped to deal with a particular clinical situation.
Doctors should not be drawing professional pride from attempting to deal with absolutely everything they encounter; the true mark of a good doctor is the ability to recognise when a patient’s needs are out of his or her sphere of competence and refer the patient to the right specialist.
Obviously, a doctor’s ability to deal optimally with every situation that arises within his/her own particular sphere of expertise is, also, the mark of a good professional and, rightly, a source of professional pride.
“Shared decision-making” (taking decisions together with the patient) and “personalised medicine” are cornerstones of modern medicine. Talking to patients and involving them in the decision-making process means reaching decisions that are also based on what the patient prefers and is willing to accept.
Really, patients can be satisfied with decisions only if they are adequately informed — in this regard, patients themselves must take on some of the responsibility —, as they will have been able to grasp the pros and cons of the treatments offered. Even though “Doctor Google” is often a poor source of information, consulting “him” can nevertheless help patients to formulate questions that a capable professional will then be able to answer fully (and authoritatively), thereby helping them to make the right choices for themselves and for a successful therapeutic outcome. And a successful outcome can never mean exactly the same thing for all patients since success depends on the clinical condition in question and the choices the patient is willing to make.
Finally, there is the question of trust. Doctor-patient interactions are human interactions that depend on the relationship between the two people involved. In the absence of this relationship, or if one of the two parties fails to engage, then the choices made will be purely technical ones, not weighed upon the basis of the needs of the person in question.
If the current pandemic has taught us anything, it should be that medicine offers no guarantees and that highly important human factors come into play that simply cannot be overlooked.
Medicine is an entirely human reality.
While there are still many diseases we cannot “cure”, we certainly can “care” for all our patients, offering them the best available techniques and treating them with all the humanity they need.
Medicine today, of course, is not merely holding the patient’s hand and offering comfort and reassurance, but at the same time, we need to guard against returning to the depersonalised variety that we allowed to develop in the 1900s.
These considerations are crucial when embarking on a long journey together, as we do when treating a scoliosis patient.
My brace: my friend ….my enemy!
Aurora, 15 years old, shares with us her experience with the brace.
“I wasn’t born with scoliosis. My problems began when I was ten years old, and our doctor noticed that my back wasn’t quite as straight as other people’s.
On his suggestion, I had an X-ray that confirmed that I had a scoliotic posture, which corrective exercises could correct. So, I had a few sessions with a posturologist and learned how to do the necessary exercises. My posture improved, and that seemed to be the end of it.
Since I do artistic gymnastics at a competitive level, I often have checkups with a physical therapist, and on one occasion, it was noticed that I had a twisted hip.
We talked this over with my doctor — I was 12 by this time —, and it was decided that I should have another X-ray, which showed up a very mild scoliotic curve, measuring just a few degrees, that needed to be monitored.
I continued doing my sport as usual until, at the age of 13, I started getting a strong pain in my lower back, towards the hip area. It gave me a lot of trouble throughout that year’s artistic gymnastics championship. It was such a strong, searing pain that I had to wear an elastic sheath around my back for support when training and competing. But I never gave in!
I had various tests to try and get to the bottom of this pain, and it was discovered that my scoliosis had got a lot worse, with the curve increasing from just a few degrees to more than 30° in the space of just one year. My spine now had a marked “S” shape that started at hip level and even affected one shoulder blade. The scoliosis was so bad that I had to start wearing a brace without delay.
There were several tests and procedures to go through in order to get the brace, and I received my first one when I was 14 years old. I had to wear it for at least 18 hours a day.
To tell the truth, I wasn’t particularly concerned about the prospect of wearing a brace, partly because I didn’t really know what it entailed. My immediate concern was that I would have to give up my artistic gymnastics. I couldn’t bear that thought! However, as soon as I had been reassured and put this fear behind me, I was ready to start my bracing treatment.
The first week I really hated it and regarded the brace as an enemy. I couldn’t do the simplest thing! I couldn’t stand comfortably, and it impeded me in everything: I couldn’t put my clothes on or tie my laces, or do so many of the everyday things you normally don’t think twice about. I was really mad! Mad about having scoliosis, about having to wear a brace, and about having to put up with all that pain and discomfort. Why did it have to be me?!
Before long, though, I calmed down and accepted the situation. I was going to have to wear the brace in any case, so there was no point getting mad about it.
My gymnastics helped me a lot in this sense, first of all, because this discipline had helped me, from a young age, to get used to coping with pain and having to make certain sacrifices, and second because it was my only outlet.
When I was training or doing competitions, I would take the brace off and then put it back on again as soon as I had finished.
I have to admit that, to begin with, I felt a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed about wearing it, but those feelings soon disappeared, because I tend not to worry too much about what other people think, and just try to feel good about myself.
I’m 15 years old now, and I have already been wearing a brace for more than a year.
I have had three braces so far, having had to change them frequently due to my growth. Apart from a little pain at the beginning each time as I get used to the new “shell”, it’s all pretty straightforward and easier than before. Now, I can get dressed by myself, do up my own shoes, and so on. Basically, I don’t need anyone’s help.
There is always a degree of discomfort, that doesn’t disappear completely, but now I see my brace as a friend, not an enemy: a friend that is there to help me to solve a problem, to prevent me from getting worse, and to try and make sure that I end up with a straighter back and more attractive silhouette.
So, basically, I have learned to get along with my brace. We are so close (literally!) that I have even given it a name: Dori. I am actually grateful to it because, together with my sport, it is helping me to develop a beautiful physique and a definite waistline (which I didn’t have before). Having said that, quite often I still fall out with it and really can’t stand it!
I have learned to dress in a way that hides my brace as far as possible. I have bought new, more suitable clothes and they help me feel good about myself too!
Nearly a year has gone by now, which is great!
I still don’t know how long I am going to have to wear my brace for, as I still have some growing to do. I guess it will still be some time before I’m done. I hope that reading about my experience has helped and reassured you, and will encourage you to tackle your own long journey with commitment and determination, just as I am doing. I want to end on a positive note: there’s light at the end of every tunnel, so don’t despair!
All the best… hang in there!”
Aury Gymnastics
World Master open now!
January saw the kick-off for the sixth edition of the World Online Master PPSCT – Principles and Practice of Scoliosis Conservative Treatment as well as for its second edition in the Chinese language. We are very proud to have collected a total of 63 participants from 24 different countries for both courses with the entry for the first time of countries like Nigeria, Syria and Ireland.
Waiting for the first Live lectures being given at the end of January and early February (for the Chinese edition), we are pleased to report the testimony of a young physiatrist coming from Sri Lanka. She participated in the last edition and sent us her best wishes for the new year.
Thank you Joan!
“I want to express my utmost gratitude to the Isico teaching staff. Thank you very much! I want to share how the scoliosis masterclass has impacted my practice and the whole hospital in managing scoliosis patients. I am a young physiatrist, just graduated last 2018, and am practising at the Philippine Orthopedic Center, which focuses on Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Cases including scoliosis. The master course provided the most in-depth, detailed, evidence-based and up-to-date discussion of all aspects of idiopathic scoliosis from diagnosis, monitoring to management. It has helped me to explain better to my patients and their parents their condition, the natural history, as well as the options for their informed decision-making. I appreciate that the course has even presented up-to-date knowledge on the field, even those preliminary findings on the ongoing studies that are not yet published. I m going to share all these learnings with residents in training on Rehabilitation Medicine. I now have a wider perspective of scoliosis, and one example of an important take-home learning is the importance of the sagittal profile and how to assess it. All these learnings from this course will ultimately lead to improved care of scoliosis patients. I would like to thank our mentors for being very accommodating in answering all our questions and guiding us even with our actual cases in the clinics via email. Thank you for all your research work in the advancement of knowledge on scoliosis. I am looking forward to the possibility of a SPORT brace course for physiatrist and orthotist, and I am looking forward to meeting you and my classmates in future conventions once it is safe to travel. Happy happy New Year!“
Scoliosis and posture: the two go hand in hand
Let us start with one thing we know for sure: idiopathic scoliosis is not a postural complaint, but rather a progressive spinal disorder that causes three-dimensional deformation of the vertebrae.
Although it is still not clear exactly why scoliosis occurs, its progression is known to be due, in part, to the force of gravity (i.e., the force of gravity does not cause the disorder, it simply helps it to progress).
Let us try to explain this in simple terms: our spine is like a tower of building bricks that serves to support us, and the bricks distribute evenly the weight it has to bear. If we have scoliosis, some of our bricks are not correctly shaped.
As a result, they are not properly aligned and our tower (spine) may have curve(s) in it. A spine with curve(s) is no longer able to distribute evenly the weight it has to bear; indeed, this presses down harder on the inside of the scoliotic curve, and less on its outside.
If our spine is well supported, this effect can be lessened, because the support allows the blocks to realign, and this, in turn, reduces the extent of the curve(s). Conversely, without support, the bricks will slide even further to one side, increasing the angle of curvature and shortening the trunk even more.
What does all this mean? That our scoliotic curve will worsen more rapidly unless we continually correct it.
This is why the exercise-based treatment method used at Isico is based on the principle of SELF-CORRECTION: affected youngsters learn to intervene independently to control and align their spine as correctly as possible, thereby countering its tendency to collapse in the direction of the scoliotic curve.
Let us consider another aspect. On a spinal X-ray, we can measure the degrees of curvature present. The angle of curvature is actually the sum of two components: the deformity itself and the effect of postural sagging in the direction of the curve. The contribution of this second component is largely dependent on our capacity for “self-correction”.
How can we distinguish between these two components, i.e., actual bone deformity and postural sagging, so as to be able to intervene effectively on each of them? Again, on an X-ray, but in this case, it must be taken with the patient lying down, so that the degrees of curvature caused by postural sagging disappear, and all that can be seen, and measured, are those due to the deformity itself.
One study, now rather old but still valid, published in Spine in 1976 (Standing and supine Cobb measures in girls with idiopathic scoliosis, G Torell, A Nachemson, K Haderspeck-Grib, A Schultz), showed that postural sagging in scoliosis causes, on average, 9 degrees of curvature (ranging from 0 to a maximum of 20), and that the degrees attributable to postural failure are independent of the severity of the curve. Another interesting study published in Spine, in this case in 1993 (Diurnal variation of Cobb angle measurement in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, M Beauchamp, H Labelle, G Grimard, C Stanciu, B Poitras, J Dansereau), shows that back “fatigue” can also affect the Cobb angle. In this study, youngsters with moderate to severe scoliosis (an average of 60 Cobb degrees) were X-rayed in the morning and then in the evening. The X-ray taken in the evening showed an average 5-degree increase in curve severity.
What should we do in treatment terms? Clearly, exercises alone cannot alter the actual bone deformity resulting from the scoliosis, which needs to be treated with a combination of exercises and brace wearing.
Nevertheless, specific exercises and self-correction can do a lot to address the problem of postural sagging. And if this “sagging” is responsible for an increased Cobb angle, we need to work hard at our exercises in order to “eat away” at (reduce) the part of the curve that is due to this component.
Scoliosis: is aesthetics measurable?
When it comes to scoliosis therapy, aesthetics is one of the goals along with a healthy back.
Aesthetic deformity due to scoliosis and its impact on the patient is considered by the members of SOSORT (International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment) as the most important reason for treating AIS; unfortunately, only a few of scoliosis studies were found in PubMed on this topic.
But can a goal, apparently so subjective, be measurable in a repeatable way to become objective? Yes,according to the data collected by the study Reliability, repeatability and comparison to normal of a set of new stereophotogrammetric parameters to detect trunk asymmetries, recently published by the Journal of BIOLOGICAL REGULATORS & Homeostatic Agents.
“Aesthetic impairment is a crucial issue in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), but to date no objective measurements are available – states Dr Francesco Negrini, Isico physiatrist – for our research, we used the Formetric®, which we usually use to measure sagittal planes. We have established parameters for evaluating symmetries in patients, such as those of the shoulder blades or hips, to obtain objective data related to the aesthetic aspect. In order to validate this instrument for clinical practice, the first step and aim of this study are to evaluate the repeatability of the parameters measured by surface topography in a group of AIS subjects and to test if they can distinguish healthy subjects from AIS patients to develop an objective tool for deformity evaluation of the trunk in AIS patients. For our evaluations, we used a device for surface topography based on the principles of rasterstereography. This device (Formetric®, Diers Biomedical Solutions) can reconstruct digitally in three dimensions the back of any person”.
The study evaluated 15 selected parameters that could be good predictors of scoliosis’ impact on the patients’ trunk.
“We analysed short-term (30 seconds, 38 subjects) and medium-term (90 minutes, 14 subjects) repeatability of surface topography measures and their diagnostic validity in AIS (74 subjects, 33 AIS patients and 41 healthy subjects) – proceeds Dr Negrini – All examined parameters were highly correlated as far as short, and medium-term repeatability is concerned”.
When it comes to aesthetics we cannot stop at Cobb degrees alone, believing that there is no objective measure: “Symmetries can be measured repetitively, as we did in our study – concludes Dr Negrini – so we can offer an objective measurement of aesthetics in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. The surface topography showed good repeatability. Moreover, some of its parameters are correlated with scoliosis, showing that it could very well evaluate deformity due to this pathology. Thanks to these findings, it will be possible to develop a tool that can objectively evaluate aesthetics in AIS patients.”.
Flat feet and Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a complex structural deformity of the dorsal spine in all three planes of space. Frontally, scoliosis is identified as a lateral bending of the spine, from the side (sagittal view) as an alteration of the spine’s physiological kyphosis and lordosis (i.e. natural curves, which can appear reversed), and axially as a rotation of the spine.
A flat foot, on the other hand, is a dysmorphism where the anatomy of the foot is altered: the plantar arch is less prominent than it should be, and increases the weight-bearing surface of the foot.
In babies and toddlers, flat feet are physiological (perfectly normal), being observed in nearly all children aged from 0 to 2 years (97%), before becoming progressively less frequent as they grow. Around 50% of children still have flat feet at three years of age and 25% at six years, whereas by the age of 10, very few children still have it.
Basically, it takes some time to form the plantar arch and the heel to begin to turn outwards rather than inwards. If flat feet persist in adolescence, it is a good idea to consult a specialist in disorders of the foot.
There are two “alarm signals” that should be brought to the attention of the family doctor, namely, if the youngster has difficulty walking, or if you notice that the plantar arch is not evident when he/she rises on tiptoes. In the literature, it is agreed that walking barefoot (particularly on an uneven surface like ground, grass or sand) stimulates the formation of the plantar arch, by training the different muscle groups involved.
To date, there are no articles in the literature that actually link the problem of flat feet to the development of scoliosis: some articles just point out that flat feet and scoliosis are problems that can coexist in growing subjects; that said, the majority of the few articles that do mention both conditions refer to subjects with neurological disorders.
Therefore, although a spine specialist may as well ask a patient to stand on a podoscope (in order to carefully assess the pressure areas under the feet), beware of thinking that flat feet can affect the spine or cause it to deviate.