The Natural History of Scoliosis: Understanding Weinstein & Ponseti'sl 40 year follow-up study

Understanding the natural history of any disease or problem is critical to understand why it is important, and what can be done to prevent suffering and quality of life issues down the line. We all tend to take our health and our bodies for granted, including our incredible spine. While 97% of patients are nearly perfectly straight, there is a small population which is at risk for life-long scoliosis and kyphosis curve progression, like the leaning tower of Pisa gradually falling to the side over years. At some point, these curves can progress more rapidly and/or cause pain and other functional and postural problems that can dramatically affect quality of life. Why do we care so much about early scoliosis curve progression and early treatment with interventions like Schroth Physiotherapeutic Excercises (PSSE) and 3D CADCAM Rigo Cheneau or Boston Bracing? When you really study the data of Weinstein/Ponseti's study, right down to the individual patient outcomes over those 40 years, you can really understand what "path" you or your son or daughter want to be on -- with early detection and early treatment. Take a close look at the data and learn from this amazing 40+ year follow-up study on curve progression to get some perspective on your treatment choices.

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I'm 42..I'm "leaning" towards surgery!..