Your Child and Self Diagnosis for Scoliosis

It is understandable that a parent may feel a little distressed if they believe that their child has scoliosis, however it is vitally important that you know the difference between a self diagnosis and that carried out by a physician.

Scoliosis is a condition of the spine that can cause great discomfort and stress to the sufferer. The curving of the spine is something that can affect young people from a relatively early age, and cause great self conscious embarrassment and anxiety. This is the reason why so many people opt to have a screening for it as early as possible. This article looks at ways in which scoliosis is screened for, and how you can even make some attempt to carry out a self screening process, one that may even do as good a job as that which the medical professional will do. It must be stated that if you do opt for any kind of self screening process, it is important that you also gain the advice of a medical professional. This kind of advice can never be substituted for your own assessment, so it is vital that you follow up any self screening with a visit to your local physician if you are concerned about scoliosis.

Scoliosis can greatly affect the flexibility of the sufferer, and even, when cases are more severe, affect the free movement of the sufferer. This can be extremely distressing and cause all sorts of problems for the mental wellbeing of the patient. Since scoliosis is basically an abnormal curve to the back, it is relatively easy to know when it is occurring. If one looks at a person's back from slightly above or, better still, directly above, you will be able to notice the curvature.

The first thing you should do for your child is go for a physical examination. Doctors are of course the first recommended port of call for this aspect of the treatment plan, and it is advisable that you take yourself to the physician for this initial consultation. However, once you realise that all this entails is being shirtless and bending forward prior to the medical examination, one can see how it can be done by someone at home.

Essentially, any physician is looking for any abnormal variations when it comes to the length and curvature of the spine. Children are especially open to screening, because the effect of scoliosis is pronounced in younger bodies, and this is why children are often screened in this way at school. With the permission of the parents, the child undergoes the examination. Since discomfort and strain is often a common sign of scoliosis when a sufferer bends forward, it can be quite easy to note what is potentially a sign of the condition. Parents do obviously have to be involved and often request an examination themselves for their child. It can be a little upsetting for a child, but it is often best to check at an early age.

Once a suspected case of scoliosis has been made clear from the physician (or if you think that you have the condition), then it is important that the next stage is proceeded towards as quickly as possible, this is where the x-ray comes into play.

Having an x-ray is vital when it comes to ascertaining if there is indeed a scoliosis case to deal with. As you can understand, if such a condition is suspected, then the x-ray is there to back up the examination with the picture of the condition. This is the best way to get a clear an accurate picture of the extent of the curvature of the spine. This is something that you cannot adequately do in the home environment, so it is most definitely the next stage after the initial examination. So if you are at the stage where you have checked the spine of your child, for example, and you suspect a clear case of scoliosis, then you should now move towards the point where you use x-ray technology to gain a full and clear picture of the problem.

A full diagnosis can only really be made once the physician has carried out the physical examination, and backed this up with the x-ray pictures. Add to this the taking of a full medical history, and you have a complete diagnosis of scoliosis of the spine.

The medical history is an important part of the picture. Once the physician has this to hand and the other factors, then they can make a full diagnosis. Then treatment can proceed.

Treatment of any kind will only really be offered if the curvature of the spine is deemed to be significant. This means that it is pronounced and causing enough discomfort to the sufferer that it will debilitate them in the future f not at the pint of diagnosis. The general benchmark as regards 'significant' is if the curvature is 25 degrees.

So there you have it. By all means take the opportunity to diagnoses scoliosis at home. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, many medical conditions are diagnosed or at least suspected by people before they approach medical professionals. However, as this article explains, having a full diagnosis done by physicians helps to assess the depth of the problem, and therefore the move towards treatment.

If your child is suffering from what you believe to be scoliosis, it shouldn't be too hard to notice as you go about your caring for them. But general medical treatment, whichever country you are in, is not always guaranteed. Remember that the 25 degrees benchmark is a general one for most practitioners and healthcare providers, and if your child falls below this, other treatments may be an option.

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

It is understandable that a parent may feel a little distressed if they believe that their child has scoliosis, however it is vitally important that you know the difference between a self diagnosis and that carried out by a physician.

Scoliosis is a condition of the spine that can cause great discomfort and stress to the sufferer. The curving of the spine is something that can affect young people from a relatively early age, and cause great self conscious embarrassment and anxiety. This is the reason why so many people opt to have a screening for it as early as possible. This article looks at ways in which scoliosis is screened for, and how you can even make some attempt to carry out a self screening process, one that may even do as good a job as that which the medical professional will do. It must be stated that if you do opt for any kind of self screening process, it is important that you also gain the advice of a medical professional. This kind of advice can never be substituted for your own assessment, so it is vital that you follow up any self screening with a visit to your local physician if you are concerned about scoliosis.

Scoliosis can greatly affect the flexibility of the sufferer, and even, when cases are more severe, affect the free movement of the sufferer. This can be extremely distressing and cause all sorts of problems for the mental wellbeing of the patient. Since scoliosis is basically an abnormal curve to the back, it is relatively easy to know when it is occurring. If one looks at a person's back from slightly above or, better still, directly above, you will be able to notice the curvature.

The first thing you should do for your child is go for a physical examination. Doctors are of course the first recommended port of call for this aspect of the treatment plan, and it is advisable that you take yourself to the physician for this initial consultation. However, once you realise that all this entails is being shirtless and bending forward prior to the medical examination, one can see how it can be done by someone at home.

Essentially, any physician is looking for any abnormal variations when it comes to the length and curvature of the spine. Children are especially open to screening, because the effect of scoliosis is pronounced in younger bodies, and this is why children are often screened in this way at school. With the permission of the parents, the child undergoes the examination. Since discomfort and strain is often a common sign of scoliosis when a sufferer bends forward, it can be quite easy to note what is potentially a sign of the condition. Parents do obviously have to be involved and often request an examination themselves for their child. It can be a little upsetting for a child, but it is often best to check at an early age.

Once a suspected case of scoliosis has been made clear from the physician (or if you think that you have the condition), then it is important that the next stage is proceeded towards as quickly as possible, this is where the x-ray comes into play.

Having an x-ray is vital when it comes to ascertaining if there is indeed a scoliosis case to deal with. As you can understand, if such a condition is suspected, then the x-ray is there to back up the examination with the picture of the condition. This is the best way to get a clear an accurate picture of the extent of the curvature of the spine. This is something that you cannot adequately do in the home environment, so it is most definitely the next stage after the initial examination. So if you are at the stage where you have checked the spine of your child, for example, and you suspect a clear case of scoliosis, then you should now move towards the point where you use x-ray technology to gain a full and clear picture of the problem.

A full diagnosis can only really be made once the physician has carried out the physical examination, and backed this up with the x-ray pictures. Add to this the taking of a full medical history, and you have a complete diagnosis of scoliosis of the spine.

The medical history is an important part of the picture. Once the physician has this to hand and the other factors, then they can make a full diagnosis. Then treatment can proceed.

Treatment of any kind will only really be offered if the curvature of the spine is deemed to be significant. This means that it is pronounced and causing enough discomfort to the sufferer that it will debilitate them in the future f not at the pint of diagnosis. The general benchmark as regards 'significant' is if the curvature is 25 degrees.

So there you have it. By all means take the opportunity to diagnoses scoliosis at home. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, many medical conditions are diagnosed or at least suspected by people before they approach medical professionals. However, as this article explains, having a full diagnosis done by physicians helps to assess the depth of the problem, and therefore the move towards treatment.

If your child is suffering from what you believe to be scoliosis, it shouldn't be too hard to notice as you go about your caring for them. But general medical treatment, whichever country you are in, is not always guaranteed. Remember that the 25 degrees benchmark is a general one for most practitioners and healthcare providers, and if your child falls below this, other treatments may be an option.

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

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Scoliosis Surgery - Is It Worth the Cost?

Sometimes the remedy can be worse than the disease

It is about a ten-hour surgery in which they open you up on your side and on your back. In my particular surgery they would put three rods in my back and hold them together with five screws. In order to help my bone grow they took out one of my ribs and six of my discs, and they also took a bone graft from my lower hip (right on my butt). They took this bone and filled three cages that hold the bone which are in between the vertebra.....

- Culled from Scoliosis Surgery: Corey McConnell's Experience

If it sounds, gruesome, remember this is just the beginning. Corrective spinal surgery for scoliosis can be quite a distressing experience for adolescent patients and their parents. Spinal surgery often involves an extensive amount of tissue and bone trauma that can result in excreting pain that the patient simply has to live with.

Worse, there is no guarantee that despite the steep cost of spinal surgery, the results would be as expected. In many cases, the remedy can be worse than the disease.

Then why do so many scoliosis patients continue to opt for spinal surgery?

That's a million dollar question! I've been baffled by it and discovered that over these years, we have veered so far away from traditional modes of treatment and scalpel-free cures, that we've forgotten that there were "miraculous" recoveries from scoliosis even when doctors didn't wield any scalpel.

This set me on an intensive research and during my last few years of practice and experience with hundreds of scoliosis patients, I've come to discover that THERE ARE, time-tested non-surgical treatment for scoliosis.

Non-surgical Scoliosis Correction offers a combination of these effective, safe and painless non-surgical treatments for various disorders of the spine such as neck problems, low back pain and slipped disc.

Non-surgical Scoliosis Correction techniques draws the best protocols and methods from around the world, such as the Schroth method pioneered in Germany, the Vertetrac system developed in Israel and also vibration therapy, physical therapy and used in U.S.A. for correcting spinal curves (scoliosis), low back pain, sciatica and herniation, with very encouraging results.

The biggest advantage of Non-surgical Scoliosis Correction is that besides being painless, it's more cost-effective (costs a fraction of the cost of spinal surgery) and there are no side effects! The only requirement is that you begin your treatment with the commitment to follow through with the recommended exercise and treatment protocols over a period of time.

Non Surgical Scoliosis treatment basically includes:

Nutrition therapy

We are what we eat. As most people are well aware, good nutrition and a balanced diet are important components of overall health. What may surprise people with back problems is that diet, nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight also play a major role in the back - including preventing many problems and healing from injuries. The bones, muscles and other structures in the spine need good nutrition and vitamins so that they are strong enough to support the body and to perform their other functions. Using these nutritional guidelines, patients can integrate back-friendly vitamins and nutrients into their diets.

Posture & Body Balance Training There is now a huge body of research on outpatient physiotherapy, intensive inpatient rehabilitation, and bracing that's proven the effectiveness of exercise in scoliosis treatment. A paper from researchers in Turkey published in the Saudi Medical Journal on Schroth's three-dimensional exercise therapy --- that I use at my clinic for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis --- found that after six weeks, six months and one year, of therapy, all patients had an increase in muscle strength. What's more, they also reported a significant improvement in their postural defects.

Chiropractic

Children with mild scoliosis treated with chiropractic adjustments have shown a reduction in their spinal curvature, according to the findings of a three-year, $143,000 study funded by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research.

It is imperative that a scoliosis suffer gets treated from a trained chiropractor with good knowledge in treating scoliosis. Too often and untrained manual therapist will try to "click and "crack" the spine to push it back into place. While this method works for a normal spine a person it wont for a scolioctic spine but may actually increase the Scoliosis.

State of the art medical devices

There are several state-of-the-art medical devices that I use at my clinic, namely:

Vibration therapy

The Russian cosmonauts first investigated vibrating platforms as a way of maintaining bone & muscle mass while in outer space.I first began using vibration therapy as a way of retraining the brain's control over the muscles more effectively. When you stand upon the vibration machine, your postural muscles have to make multiple, rapid adjustments - as many as 50 times per second to adapt to the stimuli and balance accordingly. For this reason, exercises & spinal rehabilitation performed with vibration therapy can be as much as 3 times more effective than if they were done alone!

Meditrac & Vertetrac

This is a huge improvement over the traditional traction devices devised by Dr. L. Stabholz and Dr. A. Grober. These doctors found that applying differential traction to patients with an antalgic lean (Sciatic Scoliosis) helped in restoring normal upright stance and decreasing muscle spasm, often leading to full recovery. Meditrac & Vertetrac are now extensively used in the patient's rehabilitation process and accelerating blood flow to the tissues and intervertebral discs at my clinic.

Shockwave Therapy

Shock Wave Therapy implies the application of high-intensity ultrasonic acoustic radiation for the treatment of certain musculo-skeletal disorders. The machine focuses high energy sound waves on the injury through a protective pad that breaks down scar tissue and calcifications in the area, resulting in structural changes in the tissue, stimulation of bone growth, regeneration of the lost tissue and calcium absorption by the body, all of which are great for a full or partial recovery from scoliosis.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

This FDA cleared technology relieves pain by enlarging the space between the discs. The treatment has been found to be remarkably effective in severe cases of herniation, degeneration, arthritis, stenosis and pressure on the nerve root. According to a clinical study performed by the Orthopedic Technological Review in 2004, 86% of all cases experienced spinal pain relief with disc decompression.

When is the best time to treat my Scoliosis?

It is always advisable to correct your scoliosis or any back problem as early as possible before it spirals out of control. With timely intervention, we are able to reduce the curve to an ideal 5 degrees or less, thus defeating the disease rather than taming it.

The only thing to be borne in mind is that while surgery is usually over in a day or two at the hospital followed by subsequent rehabilitation, my program requires a lot more consistent effort, dedication and time. The advantage is that its significantly cheaper and safer than surgery.

Just think about it. Over 650,000 surgical procedures are performed annually for back pain in the United States that cost in excess of $20 billion per annum. "Can this money not be put to some better use," questions Dr. Gunnar Andersson, former chairman of the department of Orthopedics at Rush. Dr Andersson and his team have found that often there is no link between people's health care expenditures and their health outcomes. This means that we often spend money on surgeries that are not required.

Don't be part of that depressing statistic.

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

Sometimes the remedy can be worse than the disease

It is about a ten-hour surgery in which they open you up on your side and on your back. In my particular surgery they would put three rods in my back and hold them together with five screws. In order to help my bone grow they took out one of my ribs and six of my discs, and they also took a bone graft from my lower hip (right on my butt). They took this bone and filled three cages that hold the bone which are in between the vertebra.....

- Culled from Scoliosis Surgery: Corey McConnell's Experience

If it sounds, gruesome, remember this is just the beginning. Corrective spinal surgery for scoliosis can be quite a distressing experience for adolescent patients and their parents. Spinal surgery often involves an extensive amount of tissue and bone trauma that can result in excreting pain that the patient simply has to live with.

Worse, there is no guarantee that despite the steep cost of spinal surgery, the results would be as expected. In many cases, the remedy can be worse than the disease.

Then why do so many scoliosis patients continue to opt for spinal surgery?

That's a million dollar question! I've been baffled by it and discovered that over these years, we have veered so far away from traditional modes of treatment and scalpel-free cures, that we've forgotten that there were "miraculous" recoveries from scoliosis even when doctors didn't wield any scalpel.

This set me on an intensive research and during my last few years of practice and experience with hundreds of scoliosis patients, I've come to discover that THERE ARE, time-tested non-surgical treatment for scoliosis.

Non-surgical Scoliosis Correction offers a combination of these effective, safe and painless non-surgical treatments for various disorders of the spine such as neck problems, low back pain and slipped disc.

Non-surgical Scoliosis Correction techniques draws the best protocols and methods from around the world, such as the Schroth method pioneered in Germany, the Vertetrac system developed in Israel and also vibration therapy, physical therapy and used in U.S.A. for correcting spinal curves (scoliosis), low back pain, sciatica and herniation, with very encouraging results.

The biggest advantage of Non-surgical Scoliosis Correction is that besides being painless, it's more cost-effective (costs a fraction of the cost of spinal surgery) and there are no side effects! The only requirement is that you begin your treatment with the commitment to follow through with the recommended exercise and treatment protocols over a period of time.

Non Surgical Scoliosis treatment basically includes:

Nutrition therapy

We are what we eat. As most people are well aware, good nutrition and a balanced diet are important components of overall health. What may surprise people with back problems is that diet, nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight also play a major role in the back - including preventing many problems and healing from injuries. The bones, muscles and other structures in the spine need good nutrition and vitamins so that they are strong enough to support the body and to perform their other functions. Using these nutritional guidelines, patients can integrate back-friendly vitamins and nutrients into their diets.

Posture & Body Balance Training There is now a huge body of research on outpatient physiotherapy, intensive inpatient rehabilitation, and bracing that's proven the effectiveness of exercise in scoliosis treatment. A paper from researchers in Turkey published in the Saudi Medical Journal on Schroth's three-dimensional exercise therapy --- that I use at my clinic for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis --- found that after six weeks, six months and one year, of therapy, all patients had an increase in muscle strength. What's more, they also reported a significant improvement in their postural defects.

Chiropractic

Children with mild scoliosis treated with chiropractic adjustments have shown a reduction in their spinal curvature, according to the findings of a three-year, $143,000 study funded by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research.

It is imperative that a scoliosis suffer gets treated from a trained chiropractor with good knowledge in treating scoliosis. Too often and untrained manual therapist will try to "click and "crack" the spine to push it back into place. While this method works for a normal spine a person it wont for a scolioctic spine but may actually increase the Scoliosis.

State of the art medical devices

There are several state-of-the-art medical devices that I use at my clinic, namely:

Vibration therapy

The Russian cosmonauts first investigated vibrating platforms as a way of maintaining bone & muscle mass while in outer space.I first began using vibration therapy as a way of retraining the brain's control over the muscles more effectively. When you stand upon the vibration machine, your postural muscles have to make multiple, rapid adjustments - as many as 50 times per second to adapt to the stimuli and balance accordingly. For this reason, exercises & spinal rehabilitation performed with vibration therapy can be as much as 3 times more effective than if they were done alone!

Meditrac & Vertetrac

This is a huge improvement over the traditional traction devices devised by Dr. L. Stabholz and Dr. A. Grober. These doctors found that applying differential traction to patients with an antalgic lean (Sciatic Scoliosis) helped in restoring normal upright stance and decreasing muscle spasm, often leading to full recovery. Meditrac & Vertetrac are now extensively used in the patient's rehabilitation process and accelerating blood flow to the tissues and intervertebral discs at my clinic.

Shockwave Therapy

Shock Wave Therapy implies the application of high-intensity ultrasonic acoustic radiation for the treatment of certain musculo-skeletal disorders. The machine focuses high energy sound waves on the injury through a protective pad that breaks down scar tissue and calcifications in the area, resulting in structural changes in the tissue, stimulation of bone growth, regeneration of the lost tissue and calcium absorption by the body, all of which are great for a full or partial recovery from scoliosis.

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

This FDA cleared technology relieves pain by enlarging the space between the discs. The treatment has been found to be remarkably effective in severe cases of herniation, degeneration, arthritis, stenosis and pressure on the nerve root. According to a clinical study performed by the Orthopedic Technological Review in 2004, 86% of all cases experienced spinal pain relief with disc decompression.

When is the best time to treat my Scoliosis?

It is always advisable to correct your scoliosis or any back problem as early as possible before it spirals out of control. With timely intervention, we are able to reduce the curve to an ideal 5 degrees or less, thus defeating the disease rather than taming it.

The only thing to be borne in mind is that while surgery is usually over in a day or two at the hospital followed by subsequent rehabilitation, my program requires a lot more consistent effort, dedication and time. The advantage is that its significantly cheaper and safer than surgery.

Just think about it. Over 650,000 surgical procedures are performed annually for back pain in the United States that cost in excess of $20 billion per annum. "Can this money not be put to some better use," questions Dr. Gunnar Andersson, former chairman of the department of Orthopedics at Rush. Dr Andersson and his team have found that often there is no link between people's health care expenditures and their health outcomes. This means that we often spend money on surgeries that are not required.

Don't be part of that depressing statistic.

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

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Top 10 Tips and Advice for Easing Pregnancy for Scoliosis Sufferers

Back pain during pregnancy is not a new concept, but for people who suffer from scoliosis require a second thought to be given before, they plan to go through the process of pregnancy. Scoliosis is the disease of the spine in which the posture of the spine is deviated to form S or C shaped curvature, which can turn to be quite painful during pregnancy. However, this is not a reason that why you should postpone your pregnancy, as you can still go through pregnancy by using proper pain management techniques.

Back pain during pregnancy is a normal phenomenon that requires no fear. All the discomforts that you will be facing during pregnancy are because of the pressure that your little one inside your tummy is going to cause. Moreover, if you are a scoliosis patient then the chances of increased back pain is higher than what you would normally expect leaving you with a question of whether the back pain is owing to scoliosis or pregnancy. On the other hand, you will find pregnancy stabilizes scoliosis because of the transition that your body will be going through as a result of the hormonal fluctuations. If only you can follow these top ten tips to manage your back pain during pregnancy, and care should be taken with your scoliosis prescription, which may occasionally cause birth defects.

However, the discussion on back pain management tips will help to alleviate the problem of scoliosis. But before that there are three types of back pain – acute if the back pain does not last longer than three months, recurrent if the back pain occurs repeatedly and chronic back pain, which lasts longer than three months.

The kind of back pain that you will be facing during pregnancy and scoliosis is low back pain, which is found to occur in three different locations. Lumbar pain that may or may not spread down to your legs, sacroiliac pain occurs in the distal and lateral regions of the spine and nocturnal pain are the ones that occurs in the lumbar regions only during night. As mentioned elsewhere, the culprit for the pain could not be abruptly blamed on scoliosis or pregnancy for the possibility could be due to both of them.

1.    Practice good posture:

You will find that the center of gravity shifts with the development of your baby and may force you to fall forwards. This could cause a strain on your spine with scoliosis increasing the curvature and the pain. There are some simple things that you can do to help you to alleviate the symptoms of back pain like:

·        Stand up straight and tall

·        Hold your chest high

·        Keep your shoulders relaxed and at the back, do not lean forward.

·        Stop locking your knees.

·        Sit on a chair that will support your back or use a pillow.

2.    Wear the correct clothes and accesories:

What you wear also matters while you are pregnant and is a victim of scoliosis. Some of the clothes that can help you in alleviating the back pain during pregnancy when you are a scoliosis sufferer are the use of maternity pants and supportive waistbands. This is also advisable to wear low-heeled flat shoes to remove the strain that high-heeled shoes can cause on both your spine, back and neck.

3.    Lift properly:

Whether you have scoliosis or not you are always asked to lift objects as per the size and weight of the objects in a proper manner to prevent not only back pain, but also to be gentle on your delicate spine. And if you have scoliosis, and on top of that if you are pregnant, see that you lift objects appropriately, for example, lift heavy objects by sitting to the level of the object and then stand up slowly and steadily. If you did ask what to do, I will ask for a second or a third hand too!

4.    Sleep properly:

The good thing while you sleep is to have a deep sleep but conscious by developing the habit of sleeping on one side. The doctor will advise you which side to sleep depending on the posture of the baby. This is also advisable to keep your knees bent while you sleep, and place pillows between them (there is no point in giving heed to cultural taboos, just ignore them even if you are hurt), and use another pillow under the abdomen to bear the whole weight and/or use a full length pillow.

5.    Try heat or cold or massage therapy:

I will strongly recommend this to anyone suffering from pain for this helped me when I was suffering from severe neck pain. A good hot mat under the area of pain relieves not only the pain but also the fear of catching cold when you use a cold mat. In contrast, the cold massage therapies are also equivalently good and choose the one that works the best for you. Alternatively, you could also ask someone to massage a balm or pain relieving ointments, but only after consult a doctor, for the doctor may suggest a professional massage therapy if required. Listen to your gynecologist and chiropractic, and see that you link both of them.

6.    Follow a gentle exercise regime:

These days people become pregnant in their thirties and forties, that they get pregnant pass through their age and are therefore vital that you regularly check with your gynecologist. Besides, if you are suffering from scoliosis, the chances of the back pain becoming severe are higher, despite the established fact that there is no relationship between scoliosis and pregnancy. This is good that you take advice of your gynec to schedule some gentle exercise, which not only helps in making delivery much easier, but might also have a positive effect on your scoliosis condition, alleviating the curvature. Some of the gentle exercises recommended are walking and/or swimming, lower back stretching exercise and other stretching exercises as recommended by the physician.

7.    Alternative therapies:

The option of choosing an alternative therapy has to be done only after consulting your chiropractic and gynec. One of the main alternative therapies that have been believed to be of some use in relieving pain is acupuncture therapy. This therapy involves the use of needles to prick at energy points, which in turn somehow happens to activate the natural pain relief system. You will be expecting to be pricked with needles, which will have the pain of a pinprick, and may or may not require several visits to get complete relief from the pain, at least until you deliver the baby to the outside world. Sounds awful, but many who have undergone this therapy recommend and prefer this better than medicines that might have side effects.

8.    Yoga:

Prenatal yoga has been described and prescribed by many as one of the best way to tone parts of the body that will be affected by performing yoga. They have found out that the position that is attained during the yoga practice promotes the relaxation of back muscles and relieves the strain of carrying the little one in its bag.

9.    Chiropractic care:

The chiropractioner could be of immense help, especially if you are already aware of your condition, scoliosis, then this will do good for you to discuss frankly with your physician about your idea of having a baby. This is also best to go to the gynec directed by him/her, who will understand the treatment being given and will be helping in giving you a holistic approach to handle the back pain efficiently. While the chiropractioner will help in relieving the stress on the nerves, which adds to the already existing woes of scoliosis, and since he knows you before the pregnancy, during the pregnancy and after the pregnancy, stick on to the same chiropractor.

10. A Balanced Nutrition and a Holistic approach:

Whatever you do there is nothing like being healed naturally by boosting your body’s immune system and recuperative power. This is the procedure that has been described in detail by a chiropractioner, Dr. Kevin Lau, who overcame scoliosis following a strict and disciplined diet based on his body metabolic requirements. However, when this comes to pregnancy, he has been using the same holistic approach of combining the western medicine and the traditional treatment methods of scoliosis with simple pregnancy exercises and appropriate food, which you will be able to formulate only by frankly discussing with your doctor.

Now is that you have ten important and best tips that anyone else can give you to relieve your back pain. As you would have noticed all these tips only tell you what you can do and where you can find some relief from your back pain. Try some of the simple tips like heat or cold pad to relieve the back pain initially, and if these does not help you, never ever venture into something new without consulting your doctor.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau is a Singapore chiropractor and the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info. 
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com. 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands. 
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau. 
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau. - See more at: http://drkevinlau.blogspot.sg/2013/02/most-people-can-skip-calcium.html#sthash.8DJ50GTu.dpuf

Back pain during pregnancy is not a new concept, but for people who suffer from scoliosis require a second thought to be given before, they plan to go through the process of pregnancy. Scoliosis is the disease of the spine in which the posture of the spine is deviated to form S or C shaped curvature, which can turn to be quite painful during pregnancy. However, this is not a reason that why you should postpone your pregnancy, as you can still go through pregnancy by using proper pain management techniques.

Back pain during pregnancy is a normal phenomenon that requires no fear. All the discomforts that you will be facing during pregnancy are because of the pressure that your little one inside your tummy is going to cause. Moreover, if you are a scoliosis patient then the chances of increased back pain is higher than what you would normally expect leaving you with a question of whether the back pain is owing to scoliosis or pregnancy. On the other hand, you will find pregnancy stabilizes scoliosis because of the transition that your body will be going through as a result of the hormonal fluctuations. If only you can follow these top ten tips to manage your back pain during pregnancy, and care should be taken with your scoliosis prescription, which may occasionally cause birth defects.

However, the discussion on back pain management tips will help to alleviate the problem of scoliosis. But before that there are three types of back pain – acute if the back pain does not last longer than three months, recurrent if the back pain occurs repeatedly and chronic back pain, which lasts longer than three months.

The kind of back pain that you will be facing during pregnancy and scoliosis is low back pain, which is found to occur in three different locations. Lumbar pain that may or may not spread down to your legs, sacroiliac pain occurs in the distal and lateral regions of the spine and nocturnal pain are the ones that occurs in the lumbar regions only during night. As mentioned elsewhere, the culprit for the pain could not be abruptly blamed on scoliosis or pregnancy for the possibility could be due to both of them.

1.    Practice good posture:

You will find that the center of gravity shifts with the development of your baby and may force you to fall forwards. This could cause a strain on your spine with scoliosis increasing the curvature and the pain. There are some simple things that you can do to help you to alleviate the symptoms of back pain like:

·        Stand up straight and tall

·        Hold your chest high

·        Keep your shoulders relaxed and at the back, do not lean forward.

·        Stop locking your knees.

·        Sit on a chair that will support your back or use a pillow.

2.    Wear the correct clothes and accesories:

What you wear also matters while you are pregnant and is a victim of scoliosis. Some of the clothes that can help you in alleviating the back pain during pregnancy when you are a scoliosis sufferer are the use of maternity pants and supportive waistbands. This is also advisable to wear low-heeled flat shoes to remove the strain that high-heeled shoes can cause on both your spine, back and neck.

3.    Lift properly:

Whether you have scoliosis or not you are always asked to lift objects as per the size and weight of the objects in a proper manner to prevent not only back pain, but also to be gentle on your delicate spine. And if you have scoliosis, and on top of that if you are pregnant, see that you lift objects appropriately, for example, lift heavy objects by sitting to the level of the object and then stand up slowly and steadily. If you did ask what to do, I will ask for a second or a third hand too!

4.    Sleep properly:

The good thing while you sleep is to have a deep sleep but conscious by developing the habit of sleeping on one side. The doctor will advise you which side to sleep depending on the posture of the baby. This is also advisable to keep your knees bent while you sleep, and place pillows between them (there is no point in giving heed to cultural taboos, just ignore them even if you are hurt), and use another pillow under the abdomen to bear the whole weight and/or use a full length pillow.

5.    Try heat or cold or massage therapy:

I will strongly recommend this to anyone suffering from pain for this helped me when I was suffering from severe neck pain. A good hot mat under the area of pain relieves not only the pain but also the fear of catching cold when you use a cold mat. In contrast, the cold massage therapies are also equivalently good and choose the one that works the best for you. Alternatively, you could also ask someone to massage a balm or pain relieving ointments, but only after consult a doctor, for the doctor may suggest a professional massage therapy if required. Listen to your gynecologist and chiropractic, and see that you link both of them.

6.    Follow a gentle exercise regime:

These days people become pregnant in their thirties and forties, that they get pregnant pass through their age and are therefore vital that you regularly check with your gynecologist. Besides, if you are suffering from scoliosis, the chances of the back pain becoming severe are higher, despite the established fact that there is no relationship between scoliosis and pregnancy. This is good that you take advice of your gynec to schedule some gentle exercise, which not only helps in making delivery much easier, but might also have a positive effect on your scoliosis condition, alleviating the curvature. Some of the gentle exercises recommended are walking and/or swimming, lower back stretching exercise and other stretching exercises as recommended by the physician.

7.    Alternative therapies:

The option of choosing an alternative therapy has to be done only after consulting your chiropractic and gynec. One of the main alternative therapies that have been believed to be of some use in relieving pain is acupuncture therapy. This therapy involves the use of needles to prick at energy points, which in turn somehow happens to activate the natural pain relief system. You will be expecting to be pricked with needles, which will have the pain of a pinprick, and may or may not require several visits to get complete relief from the pain, at least until you deliver the baby to the outside world. Sounds awful, but many who have undergone this therapy recommend and prefer this better than medicines that might have side effects.

8.    Yoga:

Prenatal yoga has been described and prescribed by many as one of the best way to tone parts of the body that will be affected by performing yoga. They have found out that the position that is attained during the yoga practice promotes the relaxation of back muscles and relieves the strain of carrying the little one in its bag.

9.    Chiropractic care:

The chiropractioner could be of immense help, especially if you are already aware of your condition, scoliosis, then this will do good for you to discuss frankly with your physician about your idea of having a baby. This is also best to go to the gynec directed by him/her, who will understand the treatment being given and will be helping in giving you a holistic approach to handle the back pain efficiently. While the chiropractioner will help in relieving the stress on the nerves, which adds to the already existing woes of scoliosis, and since he knows you before the pregnancy, during the pregnancy and after the pregnancy, stick on to the same chiropractor.

10. A Balanced Nutrition and a Holistic approach:

Whatever you do there is nothing like being healed naturally by boosting your body’s immune system and recuperative power. This is the procedure that has been described in detail by a chiropractioner, Dr. Kevin Lau, who overcame scoliosis following a strict and disciplined diet based on his body metabolic requirements. However, when this comes to pregnancy, he has been using the same holistic approach of combining the western medicine and the traditional treatment methods of scoliosis with simple pregnancy exercises and appropriate food, which you will be able to formulate only by frankly discussing with your doctor.

Now is that you have ten important and best tips that anyone else can give you to relieve your back pain. As you would have noticed all these tips only tell you what you can do and where you can find some relief from your back pain. Try some of the simple tips like heat or cold pad to relieve the back pain initially, and if these does not help you, never ever venture into something new without consulting your doctor.

About Dr Kevin Lau

Dr Kevin Lau is a Singapore chiropractor and the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. He is a member of International Society On Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT), the leading international society on conservative treatment of spinal deformities. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to:

Website - http://www.hiyh.info. 
ScolioTrack Website - http://www.ScolioTrack.com. 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HealthInYourHands. 
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DrKevinLau. 
Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/DrKevinLau. - See more at: http://drkevinlau.blogspot.sg/2013/02/most-people-can-skip-calcium.html#sthash.8DJ50GTu.dpuf

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Treatment for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Fogle JE, Tompkins WA, Campbell B et al: Fozivudine tidoxil as single-agent therapy decreases plasma and cell-associated viremia during acute feline immunodeficiency virus infection, J Vet Intern Med 25:413, 2011.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a natural lentivirus infection of domestic and wild cats. The course of the disease is similar to that of human immunodeficiency virus. One of two drugs, zidovudine (ZDV, also known as AZT), has demonstrated some benefit in controlled trials in naturally infected cats. ZDV has been shown to lower viral burden in both acute and chronic infection, to transiently improve CD4:CD8 ratios, and to improve clinical signs in chronically infected cats. Anemia is the most common and significant adverse side effect associated with ZDV that resolves on lowering the dosage or cessation of administration. Because there is a need for more effective drugs with fewer side effects for FIV treatment, the authors evaluated a compound related to ZDV, fozivudine (FZD), in a controlled experimental trial. Data from the study showed that FZD is effective at lowering viral load the first 2 weeks of FIV infection and may decrease early FIV- associated lympholysis. The adverse effects associated with ZDV administration, including anemia, were not evident in any of the cats treated with FZD at the dosage used during the study. Further investigation is needed to assess pharmacokinetics and optimal dosages for antiviral activity of the drug. [VT]

Related articles:
Hartmann K: Clinical aspects of feline immunodeficiency and feline leukemia virus infection, Vet Immunol Immunopathol 143:190, 2011.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

Fogle JE, Tompkins WA, Campbell B et al: Fozivudine tidoxil as single-agent therapy decreases plasma and cell-associated viremia during acute feline immunodeficiency virus infection, J Vet Intern Med 25:413, 2011.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a natural lentivirus infection of domestic and wild cats. The course of the disease is similar to that of human immunodeficiency virus. One of two drugs, zidovudine (ZDV, also known as AZT), has demonstrated some benefit in controlled trials in naturally infected cats. ZDV has been shown to lower viral burden in both acute and chronic infection, to transiently improve CD4:CD8 ratios, and to improve clinical signs in chronically infected cats. Anemia is the most common and significant adverse side effect associated with ZDV that resolves on lowering the dosage or cessation of administration. Because there is a need for more effective drugs with fewer side effects for FIV treatment, the authors evaluated a compound related to ZDV, fozivudine (FZD), in a controlled experimental trial. Data from the study showed that FZD is effective at lowering viral load the first 2 weeks of FIV infection and may decrease early FIV- associated lympholysis. The adverse effects associated with ZDV administration, including anemia, were not evident in any of the cats treated with FZD at the dosage used during the study. Further investigation is needed to assess pharmacokinetics and optimal dosages for antiviral activity of the drug. [VT]

Related articles:
Hartmann K: Clinical aspects of feline immunodeficiency and feline leukemia virus infection, Vet Immunol Immunopathol 143:190, 2011.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

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New Genetic Testing Shows Scoliosis Bracing Is Not Effective

Scoliosis is known by the curvature of a person’s spine. Scoliosis can be discovered at birth, while in the womb the bones of the spine fail to form properly or the ribs fuse together leading to congenital scoliosis. The condition poses minimal risk to infants and young children of both genders.

Neuromuscular scoliosis refers to muscle problems such as poor muscle control, muscle weaknesses and muscle paralysis caused by certain diseases (spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and polio). Idiopathic scoliosis has no cause and is frequently observed in adolescents, the majority being young girls. The spinal curves worsen as adolescents grow. The braces are less helpful to overweight patients afflicted with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Treatment varies according to the cause of the scoliosis, the size and location on the spine and the growth rate of the patient. For curves between 24 to 40 degrees in adolescents, body braces are one of the advised methods used by doctors to stop the advancement of spine curving. Boston Brace, Milwaukee Brace, Wilmington Brace and Charleston Brace are the different types of braces. Each brace has an individual function and the patients’ health care provider has to choose the most suitable one for the patient.

Medical reports say the scoliosis brace applies pressure at certain points to straighten the spine. The importance of the brace is that it is adjustable as the patient matures.

The standard treatment prescribed is a scoliosis brace that corrects moderate curves of 24 to 40 degrees in adolescents. This treatment is recommended despite the lack of evidence to validate its prescription. Though hard and elastic braces have been shown to correct spinal curvature, the research does not provide definite answers. More investigation is needed to determine conclusively if body bracing is good for scoliosis patients. 

The preference for scoliosis bracing is in small part due to subpar research on the effects of scoliosis exercise in the 1960’s to1970’s.  It is important to consider the supervision of these research studies. The participants were instructed to engage in scoliosis exercises which were not directed towards relieving scoliosis curvature or pain. The orthopedic scoliosis specialist community took the research as the basis to advocate scoliosis bracing over exercise.

Recent long-term studies published in research journals cast doubt on the usefulness of the scoliosis brace treatment, especially on its supposed ability to halt the scoliosis spine progression, preventing the patient from needing scoliosis surgery or significantly altering the condition.

At the 2010 SOSORT meeting in Montreal, a speaker presented findings that demonstrated the possible negative impact scoliosis braces may have on an individual. When scoliosis braces were used on rat tails, which are structurally similar to the human spine, the rate of disc deformity increased. Moreover, the curvature of the scoliosis spine had an elevated chance of worsening.

The futility of the brace is further illustrated in a graph designed by the creators of the Scoliscore genetic test. The results of the scoliosis brace treatment and the predicted progression of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis by studying pre-disposed genetic factors was plotted in two separate graphs. The two graphical lines matched almost perfectly, emphasizing that scoliosis brace is a poor treatment that doesn’t alter the course of the condition.

Aside from the limited probability of the braces actually working, there are other reasons for the immense aversion to wearing it. The brace is constructed to attach against the skin to firmly hold the spine in place. It has been known to cause great discomfort as well as skin problems since the plastic brace is fitted very tightly. The plastic fittings chaff the skin and are responsible for skin irritations and skin breakouts. The areas have to be given time to heal before the device can be worn again. The brace is also responsible for darkening of patches of the skin. Health care professionals advise patients to wear a cotton shirt underneath the brace, but that does very little to help.

Weather conditions further enhance the distress; given that hot or humid conditions can be very uncomfortable, patients have to take excessive measures to keep their skin cool and dry.

Scoliosis brace treatment has a rigid, demanding schedule. Patients have to wear the brace for a prescribed period of time, in the beginning it is a few hours per day. The hours will subsequently be increased to 23 hours per day. Most patients find it bothersome to remove the brace for certain activities and then to re-attach it again. The biggest issue adolescents have with the scoliosis brace, it is too noticeable. The brace is even obvious under clothing, undermining the patient’s confidence. Many patients reported feeling self-conscious and “weird” after a few weeks of wearing the brace. They began to resist the treatment, seeing it as an imposition and a very unwanted interference in their already difficult lives.

In light of these latest developments, patients should explore other options rather than expensive and invasive scoliosis braces. My book “Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment - Health In Your Hands” tackles scoliosis at the cause by changing how the scoliosis gene is expressed. By changing a person’s diet the scoliosis sufferer can turn off the scoliosis gene and thereby halting the progression, while exercises demonstrated in the DVD “Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction” and special spinal devices detailed in the book re-train and mould the spine into its normal alignment. 

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

Scoliosis is known by the curvature of a person’s spine. Scoliosis can be discovered at birth, while in the womb the bones of the spine fail to form properly or the ribs fuse together leading to congenital scoliosis. The condition poses minimal risk to infants and young children of both genders.

Neuromuscular scoliosis refers to muscle problems such as poor muscle control, muscle weaknesses and muscle paralysis caused by certain diseases (spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and polio). Idiopathic scoliosis has no cause and is frequently observed in adolescents, the majority being young girls. The spinal curves worsen as adolescents grow. The braces are less helpful to overweight patients afflicted with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Treatment varies according to the cause of the scoliosis, the size and location on the spine and the growth rate of the patient. For curves between 24 to 40 degrees in adolescents, body braces are one of the advised methods used by doctors to stop the advancement of spine curving. Boston Brace, Milwaukee Brace, Wilmington Brace and Charleston Brace are the different types of braces. Each brace has an individual function and the patients’ health care provider has to choose the most suitable one for the patient.

Medical reports say the scoliosis brace applies pressure at certain points to straighten the spine. The importance of the brace is that it is adjustable as the patient matures.

The standard treatment prescribed is a scoliosis brace that corrects moderate curves of 24 to 40 degrees in adolescents. This treatment is recommended despite the lack of evidence to validate its prescription. Though hard and elastic braces have been shown to correct spinal curvature, the research does not provide definite answers. More investigation is needed to determine conclusively if body bracing is good for scoliosis patients. 

The preference for scoliosis bracing is in small part due to subpar research on the effects of scoliosis exercise in the 1960’s to1970’s.  It is important to consider the supervision of these research studies. The participants were instructed to engage in scoliosis exercises which were not directed towards relieving scoliosis curvature or pain. The orthopedic scoliosis specialist community took the research as the basis to advocate scoliosis bracing over exercise.

Recent long-term studies published in research journals cast doubt on the usefulness of the scoliosis brace treatment, especially on its supposed ability to halt the scoliosis spine progression, preventing the patient from needing scoliosis surgery or significantly altering the condition.

At the 2010 SOSORT meeting in Montreal, a speaker presented findings that demonstrated the possible negative impact scoliosis braces may have on an individual. When scoliosis braces were used on rat tails, which are structurally similar to the human spine, the rate of disc deformity increased. Moreover, the curvature of the scoliosis spine had an elevated chance of worsening.

The futility of the brace is further illustrated in a graph designed by the creators of the Scoliscore genetic test. The results of the scoliosis brace treatment and the predicted progression of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis by studying pre-disposed genetic factors was plotted in two separate graphs. The two graphical lines matched almost perfectly, emphasizing that scoliosis brace is a poor treatment that doesn’t alter the course of the condition.

Aside from the limited probability of the braces actually working, there are other reasons for the immense aversion to wearing it. The brace is constructed to attach against the skin to firmly hold the spine in place. It has been known to cause great discomfort as well as skin problems since the plastic brace is fitted very tightly. The plastic fittings chaff the skin and are responsible for skin irritations and skin breakouts. The areas have to be given time to heal before the device can be worn again. The brace is also responsible for darkening of patches of the skin. Health care professionals advise patients to wear a cotton shirt underneath the brace, but that does very little to help.

Weather conditions further enhance the distress; given that hot or humid conditions can be very uncomfortable, patients have to take excessive measures to keep their skin cool and dry.

Scoliosis brace treatment has a rigid, demanding schedule. Patients have to wear the brace for a prescribed period of time, in the beginning it is a few hours per day. The hours will subsequently be increased to 23 hours per day. Most patients find it bothersome to remove the brace for certain activities and then to re-attach it again. The biggest issue adolescents have with the scoliosis brace, it is too noticeable. The brace is even obvious under clothing, undermining the patient’s confidence. Many patients reported feeling self-conscious and “weird” after a few weeks of wearing the brace. They began to resist the treatment, seeing it as an imposition and a very unwanted interference in their already difficult lives.

In light of these latest developments, patients should explore other options rather than expensive and invasive scoliosis braces. My book “Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment - Health In Your Hands” tackles scoliosis at the cause by changing how the scoliosis gene is expressed. By changing a person’s diet the scoliosis sufferer can turn off the scoliosis gene and thereby halting the progression, while exercises demonstrated in the DVD “Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction” and special spinal devices detailed in the book re-train and mould the spine into its normal alignment. 

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

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New Feline Virus Identified

Zhu CX, Shan TL, Cui L et al: Molecular detection and sequence analysis of feline Torque teno virus (TTV) in China, Virus research 156:13, 2011.

You just never know what’s out there until you look. An unusually small virus was found over a decade ago in a person in Japan suffering from hepatitis after a blood transfusion. It was named Torque Teno Virus (TTV), meaning “thin necklace”, reflecting the genetic structure. In addition to humans, it has been found in birds, cattle, swine, and sheep, as well as various wildlife species. Its importance and disease-causing ability remain unknown. These researchers in China identified a new TTV in Chinese cats. While it is still not clear whether or not this virus causes any problems in infected animals, it does show that one doesn’t know what exists until one looks for it! [MK]

Related articles:
Okamoto H, Takahashi M, Nishizawa T et al: Genomic characterization of TT viruses (TTVs) in pigs, cats and dogs and their relatedness with species-specific TTVs in primates and tupaias, The Journal of general virology 83:1291, 2002.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
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Zhu CX, Shan TL, Cui L et al: Molecular detection and sequence analysis of feline Torque teno virus (TTV) in China, Virus research 156:13, 2011.

You just never know what’s out there until you look. An unusually small virus was found over a decade ago in a person in Japan suffering from hepatitis after a blood transfusion. It was named Torque Teno Virus (TTV), meaning “thin necklace”, reflecting the genetic structure. In addition to humans, it has been found in birds, cattle, swine, and sheep, as well as various wildlife species. Its importance and disease-causing ability remain unknown. These researchers in China identified a new TTV in Chinese cats. While it is still not clear whether or not this virus causes any problems in infected animals, it does show that one doesn’t know what exists until one looks for it! [MK]

Related articles:
Okamoto H, Takahashi M, Nishizawa T et al: Genomic characterization of TT viruses (TTVs) in pigs, cats and dogs and their relatedness with species-specific TTVs in primates and tupaias, The Journal of general virology 83:1291, 2002.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

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Can Inflammation in this Organ be at the Root of Your Depression?

By Dr. Mercola | September 20 2011

Recent studies have shown that inflammation may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. In fact, some research has demonstrated that depression is frequently associated with gastrointestinal inflammations and autoimmune diseases as well as with other ailments in which chronic low-grade inflammation is a significant contributing factor.

It is possible that depression could be a neuropsychiatric manifestation of a chronic inflammatory syndrome. And the primary cause of inflammation may be the dysfunction of the "gut-brain axis".

According to a study reprinted on the website Green Med InfoL

“... [A]n increasing number of clinical studies have shown that treating gastrointestinal inflammations with probiotics, vitamin B, D and omega 3 fatty acids, through attenuating proinflammatory stimuli to brain, may also improve depression symptoms and quality of life. All these findings justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammations may improve the efficacy of the currently used treatment modalities of depression and related diseases.”

Orvosi hetilap September 8, 2011; 152(37): 1477-1485 

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

By Dr. Mercola | September 20 2011

Recent studies have shown that inflammation may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. In fact, some research has demonstrated that depression is frequently associated with gastrointestinal inflammations and autoimmune diseases as well as with other ailments in which chronic low-grade inflammation is a significant contributing factor.

It is possible that depression could be a neuropsychiatric manifestation of a chronic inflammatory syndrome. And the primary cause of inflammation may be the dysfunction of the "gut-brain axis".

According to a study reprinted on the website Green Med InfoL

“... [A]n increasing number of clinical studies have shown that treating gastrointestinal inflammations with probiotics, vitamin B, D and omega 3 fatty acids, through attenuating proinflammatory stimuli to brain, may also improve depression symptoms and quality of life. All these findings justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammations may improve the efficacy of the currently used treatment modalities of depression and related diseases.”

Orvosi hetilap September 8, 2011; 152(37): 1477-1485 

About Dr Kevin Lau
Dr Kevin Lau DC is the founder of Health In Your Hands, a series of tools for Scoliosis prevention and treatment. The set includes his book Your Plan for Natural Scoliosis Prevention and Treatment, a companion Scoliosis Exercises for Prevention and Correction DVD and the innovative new iPhone application ScolioTrack. Dr Kevin Lau D.C. is a graduate in Doctor of Chiropractic from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia and Masters in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health in USA. In 2006 I was awarded the "Best Health-care Provider Awards" by the largest Newspaper publication in Singapore on October 18 2006 as well as being interviewed on Primetime Channel News Asia as well as other TV and Radio. For more information on Dr Kevin Lau, watch his interviews or get a free sneak peek of his book, go to: http://www.hiyh.info.

Read More