Teens with scoliosis have a lot to deal with. On top of the usual challenges of adolescence, they are dealing with a progressive spinal condition that’s known to worsen during growth. Parents and caregivers can support their teen by making sure they’re assessed and treated proactively.
Scoliosis bracing is a common treatment option for teens, and compliance can be a barrier to treatment efficacy. Parents can help their teen follow brace-wearing recommendations by giving them emotional support, limiting physical discomfort, and making appropriate activity modifications and school accommodations.
Scoliosis bracing is a common facet of childhood scoliosis treatment because growing spines are more flexible and tend to be more responsive.
Scoliosis Bracing as Treatment
Bracing is an established and evidence-based nonsurgical scoliosis treatment option. It’s used to address scoliosis in children, teens, and adults.
Bracing can serve different purposes in different patients, and in adults, it’s most often used for short-term pain relief and stability, and in children, it’s used to support progression management, the spine’s upright position, and healthy body posture.
A challenge to scoliosis treatment is progression. While some curves are assessed as stable, many are progressive, and while there are a number of factors that can affect progression, rapid growth spurts and spinal degeneration are primary causes of rapid progression.
Teens are the most at risk for rapid-phase advancement because of the growth spurts of puberty, but because growing spines are more flexible, it may be easier to improve their position and alignment. Bracing is a common recommendation for the most prevalent type of scoliosis: adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs around the onset of puberty and is diagnosed between the ages of 10 and reaching skeletal maturity. How it’s managed during growth can shape the spine’s long-term health and function because during rapid growth, scoliosis curves can increase quickly, and severe curves may require a more comprehensive treatment plan.
Bracing for Teens
The ScoliBrace® is a corrective modern brace ideal for many teens. Young patients need to be comprehensively assessed to determine their risk of curve progression and make appropriate treatment recommendations, including whether bracing is needed.
It can be hard for parents and families to know how to support teens through a diagnosis and treatment, but awareness is the place to start. Understanding a teen’s curve, symptoms, emotional and treatment needs support advocacy, empathy, and involvement.
Teens aren’t always known for compliance, and compliance is a huge challenge to bracing efficacy. Regardless of the type of brace or scoliosis, no brace will be effective if it’s not worn exactly as prescribed, and often, braces are prescribed for full-time wear.
Full time bracing can mean wearing a brace for up to 23 hours a day; this means wearing it to school, during sleep, and removing it only during cleaning and certain activities. This time can be difficult for teens who want to fit in with their friends. They don’t want to look or walk differently, and they need a lot of support and understanding during treatment.
The best way to support a teen is to make sure the scoliosis is being treated proactively during growth, and adhering to brace wearing recommendations is essential.
Emotional Support for Consistent Brace Wear
One of the most challenging emotional aspects of dealing with a scoliosis diagnosis is feeling powerless. Teens may feel like they can’t control their bodies or what is happening to them.
Teens need to feel supported, understood, and heard, but they also need to feel empowered. Making sure they understand how treatable scoliosis can be, particularly when it’s diagnosed early and treated proactively is important. However, being realistic is equally important. Each case of scoliosis is unique, which is why specialized assessment is needed to give personalized treatment recommendations.
Emotionally supporting a teen doesn’t mean fixing their problem, it means holding space with them while they vent about frustrations and concerns.
Making sure teens understand the importance of brace-wearing recommendations in their overall treatment plan may help motivate them to comply. Connect the brace challenges to potential positive treatment results so teens can keep their eye on the big picture. Nothing is more motivating than seeing results, so celebrating small improvements can encourage further compliance.
Parents can also look into scoliosis support groups. Finding other teens in similar situations can make sure their child has a number of places to go for support and guidance.
Meeting a patient’s emotional needs also supports their ability to better handle some of the physical challenges of brace wear.
Minimizing Physical Discomfort During Brace Wear
Fortunately, brace treatment has come a long way over the years. The modern ScoliBrace® uses state-of-the-art scanning software and computer-aided design to ensure each brace is fully customized to a patient’s body type, posture, and scoliosis curve.
The more customized a brace is, the more comfortable it may be, and making sure a teen has tight-fitting smooth, seamless, moisture-wicking cotton layers to wear under the brace helps with comfort and minimizes skin chafing.
Helping teens maintain skin health under the brace can further manage skin irritation. Keeping skin clean, dry, and free of lotions may help.
A brace-cleaning routine is also important.The brace should always be clean and dry before it’s put on.
Helping a teen get comfortable at night involves making sure they have a comfortable and supportive mattress, a comfortable sleeping temperature, and pillows are strategically positioned when necessary.
Parents should educate teens on the importance of healthy sleep positions for scoliosis. The best position is flat on the back, followed by side sleeping, and stomach sleeping isn’t recommended.
Back sleeping is often the most comfortable because it minimizes pressure points, evenly distributes body weight, and supports the spine’s straight and neutral position.
For side-sleepers, a flat pillow between the knees may better support the spine and body’s alignment for comfort and a good night’s sleep.
Teen Advocacy, Activity Modifications, and School Accommodations
Parents and caregivers need to advocate for their teens during brace wear. Because many teens are recommended for full time bracing, assessment will be needed to determine what types of activities will need to be modified or restricted.
While it can be more difficult to move in the brace, supporting healthy movement and activity is important for muscle strength and endurance, and in some cases, patients are given a certain number of brace-free hours a day. When not wearing the brace, healthy activity such as walking and swimming should be encouraged.
Full time bracing means wearing the brace to school, and for many teens, this is the most challenging time. Minimizing challenges by talking with school staff beforehand to ensure any necessary accommodations are made may ease the transition.
Pre-arranging more time to get to classes may be necessary, and carrying restrictions may limit the amount of textbooks a child can comfortably carry. Having a locker and washroom close to a child’s homeroom may further limit unnecessary challenges.
The more comfortable a child is at school, the more consistently they comply during school hours.
Conclusion
Scoliosis bracing for teens supports curve management, healthy posture, and spinal alignment.
Parents and families play key roles in supporting a teen through diagnosis, treatment, and brace wear. Emotional support can’t be underestimated, and making sure teens are involved in the treatment process and decision making supports feelings of empowerment and control.
Most importantly, teens need to understand what they’re working towards. They need to know the place of bracing in treatment, and even incremental improvement should be acknowledged and celebrated to motivate further compliance.
Making sure a teen has comfortable and appropriate tops for under the brace can minimize skin irritation, and helping them care for the skin under the brace and keep the brace clean and dry may further minimize discomfort. A comfortable mattress, healthy sleep position, and supportive pillow can help teens sleep with the brace, and appropriate activity adjustments and doing some prep work to ensure a teen’s transition to school with the brace is as smooth as possible supports compliance and treatment efficacy.
Here at the Scoliosis Reduction Center®, teens are fitted with a brace specifically designed for their body and curve, and patients who are supported by informed and involved families are better able to consistently comply with treatment recommendations.
