Specialized Physical Therapy Is Foundation of Scoliosis Journey   

Specialized Physical Therapy Is Foundation of Scoliosis Journey

May 19, 2021

Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Piscataway Provides Highly Specialized Physical Therapy for Adolescents with Scoliosis

For people with scoliosis, especially young people, their most common question rarely has an answer. Why me? Why is my spine growing in a "C" or "S" shape, and not straight?

Caitlin Smith, PT, DPT, who has specialty training in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, or AIS, tells her patients that "idiopathic" means "cause unknown." Smith is a physical therapist at Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute Outpatient Center in Piscataway, where she treats, encourages, and supports adolescents with this challenging condition.

For some adolescents, completing physical therapy designed specifically for AIS can prevent the need for a brace. For patients who still need a brace, physical therapy may help them avoid surgery. And for those who still need surgery, physical therapy can help them obtain the best outcomes possible.

Physical therapy is the foundation of the AIS journey regardless of the severity. The condition is the most prevalent spinal disorder in teens, and affects as many as five percent of them, girls more often than boys.

"We begin treatment for the patient that's specific to their curve type," explains Smith. "We use ladder positioning and tractioning. We also work on breathing techniques and building strength."

The JFK Johnson program follows the Schroth method, which uses exercises customized for each patient. Scoliosis can be more complex than just a sideways curve; the vertebra may also rotate as the spine forms a curve.

"The spine can twist not just like and "s" or a "c," but also like a corkscrew, twisting on itself," Smith explains.  The Schroth exercises work to de-rotate the spine as well as elongate and stabilize the spine. A German woman named Katharina Schroth pioneered the exercises to treat her own scoliosis and then created a clinic in the 1920s to spread her ideas. The Schroth method used today is updated and modernized.

Smith works closely with her patients in intense, one-on-one therapy sessions. Each patient is given specific exercises to complete at home. "We address the curve in a three dimensional way," Smith said.

The scoliosis program also works with adults with scoliosis.

Smith and JFK Johnson are working to get the word out that early detection and treatment of scoliosis can improve outcomes and reduce potentially serious complications. Spinal curvature, if left untreated, can continue to get more severe as children grow. Severe curvature can reduce the amount of space in the chest and affect organs, especially the lungs.

"Our scoliosis program exemplifies our efforts to provide the highest level of rehabilitative care for patients throughout the continuum," said Sara Cuccurullo, M.D., medical director and vice president of JFK Johnson. "Our focus always is on creating individual treatment programs personalized for each patient and working closely with them until they reach the best outcomes possible."

JFK Johnson is a nationally ranked institute for physical medicine and rehabilitation that facilitates the recovery of patients with a range of illnesses and conditions, including traumatic brain injury, spasticity, amputations, orthopedic injuries and chronic pain. JFK Johnson provides inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.

For more information on the scoliosis program, call 848-230-6655.

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