Adult scoliosis can be reduced through specific SEAS exercises: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been known since many years that scoliosis can continue to progress after skeletal maturity: the rate of progression has shown to be linear, and it can be used to establish an individual prognosis. Once there is progression there is an indication for treatment: usually it is proposed a surgical one. There are very few papers on an alternative rehabilitation approach; since many years we propose specific SEAS exercises and the aim of this study is to present one case report on this approach.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>All radiographs have been measured blindly twice using the same protractor by one expert physician whose repeatability error proved to be < 3° Cobb; the average measurement has been used. In this case a 25 years old female scoliosis patient, previously treated from 14 (Risser 1) to 19 years of age with a decrease of the curve from 46° to 37°, showed a progression of 10° Cobb in 6 years. The patient has then been treated with SEAS exercises only, and in one year progression has been reverted from 47° to 28.5°.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A scoliosis curve is made of different components: the structural bony and ligamentous components, and a postural one that counts up to 9° in children, while it has not been quantified in adults. This case shows that when adult scoliosis aggravates it is possible to intervene with specific exercises (SEAS) not just to get stability, but to recover last years collapse. The reduction of scoliotic curve through rehabilitation presumably does not indicate a reduction of the bone deformity, but rely on a recovery of the upright postural collapse. This reduction can decrease the chronic asymmetric load on the spine and, in the long run, reduce the risks of progression.</p

Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS): efficacy, efficiency and innovation

SEAS is an acronym for "Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis". Main characteristics of SEAS are team approach and cognitive-behavioural approach because in our view these are two indispensable elements in chronic disease rehabilitation. In this article we describe the main differences between SEAS approach and other exercise techniques as well as theoretical bases and therapeutic goals. We illustrate practical application of SEAS concept and scientific results in order to reduce the patient's progress of scoliosis so that a brace would be needed. When compared to usual care, improvement of scoliosis parameters and balance normalization in scoliosis patients

Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS): efficacy, efficiency and innovation.

SEAS is an acronym for "Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis". Main characteristics of SEAS are team approach and cognitive-behavioural approach because in our view these are two indispensable elements in chronic disease rehabilitation. In this article we describe the main differences between SEAS approach and other exercise techniques as well as theoretical bases and therapeutic goals. We illustrate practical application of SEAS concept and scientific results in order to reduce the patient's progress of scoliosis so that a brace would be needed. When compared to usual care, improvement of scoliosis parameters and balance normalization in scoliosis patients

Specific exercises reduce brace prescription in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective controlled cohort study with worst-case analysis.

To compare the effect of Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS) exercises with "usual care" rehabilitation programmes in terms of the avoidance of brace prescription and prevention of curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.Prospective controlled cohort observational study.Seventy-four consecutive outpatients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, mean 15 degrees (standard deviation 6) Cobb angle, 12.4 (standard deviation 2.2) years old, at risk of bracing who had not been treated previously.Thirty-five patients were included in the SEAS exercises group and 39 in the usual physiotherapy group. The primary outcome included the number of braced patients, Cobb angle and the angle of trunk rotation.There were 6.1\% braced patients in the SEAS exercises group vs 25.0\% in the usual physiotherapy group. Failures of treatment in the worst-case analysis were 11.5\% and 30.8\%, respectively. In both cases the differences were statistically significant. Cobb angle improved in the SEAS exercises group, but worsened in the usual physiotherapy group. In the SEAS exercises group, 23.5\% of patients improved and 11.8\% worsened, while in the usual physiotherapy group 11.1\% improved and 13.9\% worsened.These data confirm the effectiveness of exercises in patients with scoliosis who are at high risk of progression. Compared with non-adapted exercises, a specific and personalized treatment (SEAS) appears to be more effective

A controlled prospective study on the efficacy of SEAS.02 exercises in preventing progression and bracing in mild idiopathic scoliosis

There is low evidence on the possible efficacy of exercises to treat idiopathic scoliosis, graded as C by the existing Italian Guidelines. Our aim was to verify if exercises quality has an effect on results. DESIGN: Prospective controlled study on idiopathic scoliosis patients that performed only exercises to avoid progression. TREATMENT: SEAS Group make exercises according to the protocol SEAS.02 (Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis, version 2002). The CONT Group performed exercises at a local structure according to different protocols preferred by the treating therapists. Population. SEAS: 48 patients (37 females), 12.5+/-2.2 years, 15.1 degrees +/-5.7 degrees Cobb (degrees C), 9.0 degrees +/-3.3 degrees Bunnell (degrees B). The difference in the number of braced patients within the first year has been almost statistically significant (P=0.07): 1 in SEAS vs. 5 in CONT. Cobb degrees improved with treatment (P&lt;0.05) only in the SEAS group. Clinical results (variation of at least 5 degrees C or 2 degrees B) were better in SEAS than CONT. Not all exercises for scoliosis have the same efficacy: this study proves the short term efficacy of SEAS.02 when compared to usual care

Role of physical exercise in the treatment of mild idiopathic adolescent scoliosis review of the literature

Physical exercise therapy (or kinesitherapy) is a program of physical exercises, specifically developed by a well trained physiotherapist, with the main aim of: preventing the aggravation of the deformity, in mild scoliosis; helping the brace and counteracting its side effects, in moderate scoliosis. The aim of this paper is to review the literature to ascertain which of the impairments and disabilities caused by scoliosis could be prevented or reduced by physical exercise. An up-to-date knowledge of these aspects is needed in order to decide: whether there is an adequate theoretical basis for or against the use of kinesitherapy; whether or not the practice of leisure time sporting activities should be allowed. It is essential to identify which categories of physical exercises (i.e. mobilization or stabilization; strengthening or stretching; etc.) should be avoided because they could be detrimental and which should be intensified because they could be useful. Knowledge emerging from scientific research data, according to the review of the literature proposed in this paper, confirms that physical exercise: prevents or reduces disabilities of scoliotic patients; facilitates the neutralization of postural deficits to produce, as a consequence, a stationary or regressive curve. The use of appropriate kinesitherapy to increase postural stability is theoretically correct, although a more accurate and detailed risk/benefits analysis is needed