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Scheuermann’s Disease

(12 discussions)

My son was just recently diagnosed with Scheuermann’s disease.
He is 15-1/2 years old and his curvature is at 64 degrees.
He is experiencing dull pains and mild discomfort in his back, but he has a HIGH tolerance for pain.
He does not like the appearance that this disease has created and we are seeking out ALTERNATIVES to other than BRACING. Bracing I believe would be MOST traumatic at his age. Could chiropractic treatments along with physical therapy combat my sons disease allowing him NOT to be saddled with a brace for the next two years? Any information you could lend would be most helpful. Thank you in advance.

12 comments

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    9 10

    I am a 15 year old teenager with almost the exact same condition as your son. I am unsure of my degree of curvature. My chiropracters are not the most up to date of people but they would like to see me for a series of visits… of course. Like you I would like an unbiased opinion on treatment, I would also prefer not to have a brace. I know this no-where near answers what you were looking for but if you come up with any answers please send them to me also. Sincerely, Branson Shipley

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    9 10

    Hi, I’m 17 and have this condition as well. My othorpedic doctor put me in a body cast for nearly 6 weeks, it was the most painful thing in the world. After the body cast was off I was to wear a back brace for 6 months and have 2 weeks of physical therapy. Before the casting and bracing my spine was so severely curved that the doctor was considering surgery, I really didn’t want surgery. The surgery that is commonly used in these cases is called spinal fusion. But now, I wished that he would have sugested surgery, I think I would be better off. When I wore the cast and brace, my back pain was worse than it was to start with. A year later, my back pain is the same as before the treatments, and it is still slightly curved, but not as noticeable as before. I’m going to different doctor to see if he can help me. Good Luck with your son. I hope you find the right treatment for your son soon, the longer you wait the worse the curve and pain gets.

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    9 10

    Dear Jeanette, I’m an italian boy and I’m 27 years old. At the age of 15 I was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s disease but my parents ignored that. Now my spine is curved and I have a lot of pain. I actually wear a brace but my posture is very bad. Chiropratic treatments, ostheopatic and physical therapy can help your son, but sometimes the brace is necessary. And Your son is young. I know the brace is very traumatic at this age, but I think you will get better decision for him. Remember: the cure can be heavy today, but your son will be healthy for the rest of his life! I hope you find a good doctor and a correct therapy.

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    9 10

    Dear Jeanette, I’m an italian boy and I’m 27 years old. At the age of 15 I was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s disease but my parents ignored that. Now my spine is curved and I have a lot of pain. I actually wear a brace but my posture is very bad. Chiropratic treatments, ostheopatic and physical therapy can help your son, but sometimes the brace is necessary. And Your son is young. I know the brace is very traumatic at this age, but I think you will get better decision for him. Remember

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    9 10

    I am writing this note when I really should be working on a college essay. However, I believe my knowledge that I can express to you may be more important to the well being of your son than that of my essay at the moment I was diagnosed at the age of 15 as well with the disease. I just turned 18 on September 7, and actually plan to write my college essay covering my battle with Scheuermann’s Disease. At the age of 15, I was first identified with the disease at a soccer practice. I had been bent over tying my shoe laces as a friend pointed out that I had a hump on my back. That following night I returned home to ask my parents to send me to a doctor to check it out. I showed them what had been pointed out to me earlier, however, they overlooked it and blamed it on my weight, exclaiming that I just had a “fat back”. At the time, I was roughly 45 pounds overweight. I listened to them, for at the time, I would have agreed that it was probably excess weight I had been carrying around. Roughly one month later, I started to have pains in my back. Immediately, I went to a doctor to understand the pains. That day, I was identified to have a kyphotic curve of the spine. I then reported to get X-Rays promptly after the appointment. My physician had referred me to another Orthapedist in the same building. He looked over the X-Rays to determine the curvature of my particular spine. After close examination, it had been determined that my spine had a curvature of 45 degrees. This curve made it apparent that I was in the onset of Scheuermann’s Kyphosis. After being told that all I had to do was some stretching, I went home and followed the strict regimen of hamstring stretching and quadracept stretching. My very loving parents, focused on my health and overall well-being went in search of a second opinion. What they found was that there was no time to wait to get me into a back brace. I immediately was prescribed what is often called a “compromise brace.” This brace was less invasive than the typically dreaded, Milwaulkee Brace. I believe the company that makes these braces is the Boston Brace Company. I came up with clever names for the brace as I went through two of the braces. After roughly 8 months of wearing the brace 23 hours a day, I had X-Rays redone to see any progression of the disease. Essentially, the point of a back brace is to prevent progression, it is highly rare to see a withdrawal of the curve, as is my knowledge. Anyway, after receiving the X-Rays back, I learned that my curve had changed dramatically, from 45 to 63. This dramatic news sent me into complete depression. I stopped wearing my brace, and being summer, slept through a good portion of the summer. As the school year began, my grades dropped miserably, this being my junior year of High School, it was bad news. After the first quarter of school, and continued problems at home dealing with depression, I asked to go seek some method of therapy. I went through several methods, evening getting hipnotized in search of the path back to proper mental function. After a little attempt and fail, I finally went to a psychologist who helped patch things up quickly. She got me viewing my disease as something to battle and attack rather than something to dread. With the retrieved happiness in life, I began to battle this disease head on. First thing, with the prior help of depression(only sleeping), I grew roughly 6 inches over the summer. I began to exercise great amounts. I ran a little, but particularly, swam alot and dieted. Swimming is one of the most essential methods of attacking Scheuermanns. With weight loss, my back was no longer strained by the extra weight carried on my torso. Furthermore, I was never hunched over in shame of my weight(which is the worst mistake I have ever made to begin with), and could fit into a better back brace properly. I got fit into a Milwaulkee brace, a much larger, much more effective brace. Now with less weight on my back, the brace could push harder and adjust my back straighter than ever. I joined the swim team, of which I am now captain, and began to swim great amounts. Swimming seems to pull your back apart. I continue to get hand X-Rays to see where I am at with continued growth. Standing 5’5″, which is indeed a perfectly fine height, I have learned that I have delayed growth, being 18 with a 14 bone age. This means that I will not be able to end wearing a brace until I have reached a finished, unchanging height. At that point, my back will stay at the curvature it is for the remainder of my life. I went from 63 to 68 over the last year, and will attempt to keep that number lower as I lose more weight, swim more, brace more, stretch more, and strengthen myself. Not only does attacking Scheuermann’s do great for your body, but also helps you get girls. I got my first girlfriend at 16, just after I lost my weight and started to stand straighter. I hope that my story can help you. After the weightloss, and in conjunction with a back brace and swimming, definitely talk to your doctor/insurance about a physical therapy program. These programs create a structured method of building muscles to support your spine as you attempt to strengthen and straighten it. Continue to do these exercises in conjunction with back brace wearing and swimming. Furthermore, definitely purchase a pull up bar ASAP. Place the bar in an area that you pass by frequently, and hang from it as often as possible. In the morning when you wake up, and before bed, I have my dad put my brace on while I hang. I believe that it pulls your vertebrae slightly farther apart, stretching you out, as you enter this supporting mold of a brace. Join a YOGA class if possible, they are great for stretching out the total body. Swim, Sleep, Exercise, Physical Therapy, Pull Ups, and Weight Loss. Join Clubs and have fun. Do what you love to do. And make sure that you attack this disease like nothing else you have fought before, and enjoy it. There is nothing better for you than the great feeling of success when you have overcome everything you have fought for. Good luck. Soon I plan on creating a website based on defeating Scheuermann’s Disease. If there is any interests, questions, comments, or any additional information that anyone believes should be on the website, please contact me at [email protected] I will answer any question and do whatever I can to help

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    9 10

    Im 18 years old and I found out about a month ago that I have sheuermann’s disease. I have a great deal of pain and was wondering what I could do to strengthen my back. and steps needed to take to prevent future pain. thank you

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    9 10

    i am only 27, and for the last past 2 months I had have pains in my lower back, my exrays came back and were bad. my drs said they have never seen a back look that bad before on a young peeson. he thinks I have scheuremans diese.

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    9 10

    http://www.scheuermannsdisease.comI just got the site up, please come check it out. Furthermore, I searched google today, looking for my website. I noticed two comments on Scheuermann’s that really angered me, for the authors complained about their problem rather than submit their help. Come on Guys! I am 18 now, and if you have read my story, you know that I have gained control over my spine. Scheuermann’s can be terrible, however, if you keep yourself in shape and in “MENTAL” grip over the disease, than you can handle it. I am fed up of people complaining about their problems, RATHER, HANDLE THEM. Take them into your own control. Please check out the website. Perhaps those who were complaining about their problem can learn some stuff.Hopefully, you will understand what I mean, and if you are willing to devote time and effort, you can have a much happier life. Thanks Guys. Check it out, and please, while you are there, sign the guestbook. Include a comment, a question, or an idea. Whatever you think may help. My site is an online community, we can fight this disease together.

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    9 10

    Hi, my names Kevin and I’m 16 years old I have Scheuermann’s disease as well. My curve is somewhere between 55 and 70 degrees. I hate going to school everyday because of this. Life just doesn’t seem fun anymore. I live in New Jersey and I went to a doctor in Woddbury and he told me I couldnt get a brace. I want surgery; I know it’s a risk but its one I’m willing to take because life isn’t much fun to me now. If anyone can help please email me.

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    9 10

    : Hello, my name is Jonathan, and I was just recently diagnosed with Scheuermann’s Disease. I was mis-diagnosed at age 14 but now at age 20 my doctor says he’s very sorry he didn’t make the correct diagnosis back then so that I could have been getting the correct treatment. Well now, here I am I’ve been getting treated for ruptured discs due to a childhood accident and now the pain is so severe I can barely function most days. Don’t get me wrong; I do have my good days but there seems to be very few of them. My back hurts continuously, both my legs hurt and go numb and my feet even hurt sometimes. I have applied for disablility because I can’t handle sitting, standing, walking or even lying down for long periods at the time. I have to change positions ofter due to the pain. Has anyone out there had any help and luck in getting disability due to this illness once it becomes so severe the chiropratic, excersices and nothing else seems to help? I need to know so that I can get help with this. I have already been denied and am awaiting an appeal. Thanks, Jonathan

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    9 10

    Hi Freddy I hope you stiil operate the site as its 3 years since. I’m looking for advice on what exercises are good for the condition.Marc is 16yrs and was diagnosed Jan this year (2006)Marc is 6ft tall and the specialist said the disease was no longer active.Although Marc has attended a physio for a few months I thought the exercises a bit lame.Marc does not do exercising and seldom goes out. I intend to enroll Marc at the sports centre as his older sister is joining and he could go with her to start with. What exercises should he be doing?Are there any exercises/machines that should be avoided? I would apppreciate any advice you can offer.P.S. Marc has never had any pain. Thanks

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    9 10

    my name is ashley st john i’,m 23 years of age and I live in the uk. I’ve just found out that I might have Scheuermann diease. I can not find ou how to treat it for a person my age if aneone knows can they plese e-mail me at [email protected] thank you very much

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