Scoliosis Activity Suit - A Weapon of Warfare in the Scoliosis Fight!

Scoliosis Activity Suit - A Weapon of Warfare in the Scoliosis Fight!

This weekend I had the opportunity to learn about the Scoliosis Activity Suit from the ScoliSMART doctors, so wanted to share my experience and some of the things I learned.

Being a scoliosis patient myself I was very interested to absorb as much information as possible.

I learned that the Scoliosis Activity Suit will be available for purchase for adults (ages 18 and older) in multiple locations throughout the United States very soon.  Patients will be able to locate a fitting center, send the doctor an x-ray (taken within the last 5 years), travel to the fitting center for measurements/x-ray, and order the suit for home delivery.  Here’s the link to sign up and receive a notification when the site is online – http://adultscoliosisrelief.com

Dr. Nick Weddle, myself, Dr. Clayton Stitzel

I got to practice measuring Dr. Clayton Stitzel and my doctor Nick Weddle for the suit.  It was pretty fun being in the doctors' shoes for a moment while they became my patients. I placed the suit on Dr. Nick Weddle.  I think I did a pretty good job, right! ☺

It only lasted a moment then I became the patient again. I tried on the suit and walked around a bit. I loved how it fit and how it felt during wear.  One of my favorite things about the suit is that you can wear it while doing life; reaping the benefits of the suit while doing normal daily activities. Here’s a picture of me in the suit – of course sporting my “SCOLIOSIS WARRIOR” pose.  I had to represent!

                  Scoliosis Warrior: Become one at - www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisWarriors

Before meeting with the doctors to learn more about the suit I read through Dr. Mark Morningstar’s Scoliosis Activity Suit Study multiple times to get a good understanding of how the suit works and the results patients have experienced from using it.  If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend checking it out – https://cdn.treatingscoliosis.com/images/research/2013-1291_suit.pdf


62 patients were in the 1 year study (26 skeletally immature AIS patients and 36 adult degenerative scoliosis patients).

Here’s just a few results that I thought were great in regards to the adult portion of the study:

·         Self-rated improvements in pain and daily function were observed in all adult patient curve patterns.

·         14 of the 36 adult patients saw their curves decrease more than 6 degrees (39% of adult patients)!

There’s more great results to read about in the study.  These two results jumped out to me because many scoliosis patients deal with pain.  I did before treatment, so I think it’s fantastic that all of the adults reported improvement.  Next, through the years I visited several doctors in search of treatment and was told that it was best to live with my moderate scoliosis.  From 2010 to 2014 my curve increased 7 degrees to 42.5°.  I was so afraid of what the future held until I found a rehab based treatment and now the fear is gone.  Many of us patients had no way of fighting this condition before – WE DO NOW!  So, I LOVE that 39% of the adults achieved correction above 6 degrees. 

Some confuse the Scoliosis Activity Suit with a brace, but there is a difference. Here’s what I learned.  A brace is intended to force the spine into a corrected position and acts as a barrier to keep the spine in a corrected position while the brace is worn.  According to the ScoliSMART doctors, “The activity suit uses active resistance and your own body’s motion to help the spine return to a more neutral and straight position.  Each time you take a step the suit activates muscles in your spine which helps to reprogram muscle firing and coordination of muscles.  By triggering a response every time you take a step, your scoliosis and posture will improve and become more functional and stable.”

Another thing I LOVE♥ ---- for these doctors this isn’t just a job, it’s a PASSION!  Their dedication to this work, finding a better way, and to helping patients overcome this condition is very evident.  Dr. Brian Dovorany held back tears as he discussed this treatment and the impact it’s made in patients’ lives.  Of course I started crying when thanking him for the work he’s doing to change the lives of scoliosis patients.  I tend to get emotional when thinking about how some patients will not have to experience the physical and emotional pain that I experienced because of the work these doctors are doing. 

Dr. Brian Dovorany

You may be interested to know that the Scoliosis Activity Suit can be worn by adults all day every day, but the patient needs to be weight bearing (standing upright) in order for the suit to do its job – to provide a corrective anti-rotational effect.  The suit can be worn over or under clothing and it works with fused and non-fused patients.  In the study the overall goal was to wear it 4-6 hours each day.

The suit is composed of 4 separate pieces: the Anchor which is wrapped around the thigh, the Lumbar which attaches to the anchor, The Torso which resembles a half-tank top, and The Tension Straps which connect the first 3 pieces in a rotational pattern, and according to the SAS study, “it introduces a variable amount of rotational force into the patient, to which he or she must react.”

Here’s a few pictures taken while learning to put on the suit. 

Thank you to the ScoliSMART docs for the education (Dr. Mark Morningstar, Dr. Clayton Stitzel, Dr. Brian Dovorany, and Dr. Aatif Siddiqui “Dr. Sid”) and to Dr. Nick Weddle for allowing me to join him for this learning opportunity.

Written by: Marce Kuhns♥

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