Posturetek

SpineCor® uses elastic resistance to create a corrective movement of the spine and its supporting structures every time the patient moves. In the long term, the movement reprograms the neuromuscular system and, depending on the case, can correct the curve, slow or stop its progression, and/or improve the patient's overall posture and pain status. 

Unlike rigid braces, which can cause muscular atrophy and therefore be harmful to a child's normal development, the SpineCor® has no undesirable side effects.*

*At the start of SpineCor® treatment, some patients may feel mild discomfort due to the body adjusting to the treatment. If the pain persists or gets worse, the patient should stop wearing it and consult his or her chiropractic doctor. Because the SpineCor® is a non-invasive treatment involving only elastics, it is very safe.  

Although SpineCor® was originally created to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, it has been used for other spinal deformities such as adult scoliosis, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis.

In fact, the brace has been used in preliminary clinical trials for people with different spinal deformities related to conditions, including:

•  Scoliosis or kyphosis measured at more than 50° in patients not eligible for or having refused surgery
•  Scoliosis or kyphosis "de novo" (developed as an adult)
•  Scoliosis or kyphosis after surgical spinal fusion
•  Scoliosis with lateral listhesis (joint instability)
•  Multiple sclerosis
•  Autism and attention deficit disorder (ADD)
•  Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
•  Noonan syndrome
•  Neurofibromatosis
•  Scheuermann's disease
•  Camptocormia
•  Poor posture not related to spinal deformity

The cost of the brace includes the orthosis itself, as well as the exams and x-rays required at the fitting, for a total of CAD $4,000 . (This price may be modified at any time.)

The cost of monitoring the patient's progress after the fitting depends on the number of visits required by the treatment. As the number of visits varies depending on the age and condition of the patient, please refer to the CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FAQ or to the ADULT FAQ.

It's important to note that the brace is not covered by any public health insurance plan in Canada.  

Most private insurance companies reimburse between 80 and 100% of the cost of the orthosis. They will always require a prescription from a family doctor* that must read "daily use of SpineCor® brace for at least 18 months".

In addition, they usually require an explanatory note describing the nature of the brace, which can be acquired from your certified SpineCor® chiropractor. 

The patient must be sure to make a copy of all these documents before sending in a claim application. 

The brace for children and adolescents is made up of a fully adjustable, thermo-malleable plastic pelvic base, a reinforced cotton vest and four corrective elastics.

In the adult brace, the thermo-malleable base is replaced with reinforced fabric shorts, as there is no need to adjust it to the patient's growth.

This being said, for adult patients, the choice of using the adult or the adolescent style of brace is left to the patient's discretion.

Please note that the SpineCor® brace is latex-free.

No. The SpineCor® brace is unisex. 

Yes. Unlike rigid braces, which have been proven ineffective for obese patients (49), the SpineCor® brace can produce results in obese people because the surplus of weight does not inhibit the dynamic action of the elastics. (16)

No. One of the advantages of this brace is that it is a non-invasive and painless treatment. It is possible to feel mild discomfort at the start of the treatment, but the pain will disappear as the body grows accustomed to the brace. In the long term, the brace should diminish or even eliminate pain. If the patient notices an increase in their pain wile wearing their brace, they should simply refrain from using it and call their chiropractic doctor in charge of the SpineCor treatment.

With a bit of practice, it takes less than two minutes. 

Yes. There is an opening in the crotch for this purpose.

The SpineCor® brace is machine washable on delicate cycle using a laundry bag. It should simply be hung to dry. When the brace is fitted, detailed instructions are given to the patient along with a care instruction brochure.

The SpineCor® dynamic brace can be prescribed to a child from age 5. However, it has been used by a 2-year old patient. The main setbacks to very young children wearing the brace are the size of the parts.

The SpineCor® dynamic brace should be worn for 20 hours a day. The four-hour break should be seperated into two or more periods corresponding to the least active times of the day. However, the brace MUST be worn overnight while the patient sleeps.

The duration of the treatment depends on the angle of the curve and its progression, as well as the age of the patient at the start of treatment. However, it is never less than 18 months. For adolescents, the brace is worn for an average of 24 months. For younger children, the treatment generally takes more time. 

Usually, young patients are seen after the first four to six weeks, and then every three to four months until the brace is removed. 

Each monitoring exam costs $150. Every six months, an extra $150 is charged for monitoring x-rays. (The cost of the monitoring exams may be modified at any time and remain at the discretion of your chiropractor.)

In general, the results are excellent!

In the preliminary comparative studies carried out in 2007 on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, based on the Scoliosis Research Society's new criteria for brace research, the following results were observed (3,40):

• The SpineCor® brace is 4 times more effective than a Boston dorso-lumbo-sacral brace in stopping the progression of the curve. 
• The SpineCor® brace allows patients to avoid surgery in 76.5% of cases, compared to 40% for the Providence brace and 21% for the dorso-lumbo-sacral orthosis.
• Although 40.6% of the patients in the SpineCor® group experienced slight progression of their curve (>5°), only 1.2% of the group developed a curve of more than 45°. In addition, the majority of patients whose curves progressed ended up avoiding surgery (unlike the group using the dorso-lumbo-sacral orthosis).
• The SpineCor® brace is 71% more effective in reducing risk of surgery than the Boston dorso-lumbo-sacral orthosis.
• According to a follow-up two years later, the SpineCor® brace is 95.7% effective in maintaining or improving correction of the curve.
• According to other long-term studies, 93% of cases do not experience an increase in their Cobb angle 5 years after removing the brace.  This means that for 93% of patients, the brace produces perfect neuromuscular integration of the correction. 

For spinal conditions other than scoliosis, preliminary clinical trials are leading us to hope that results will be just as conclusive.

Probably yes, depending on your treatment objectives. Although the brace was designed to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, some doctors have reported seeing great potential for remodeling a patient's posture, and have been prescribing it regularly for several other conditions.

Although an adult spine affected by scoliosis or other spinal deformities is permanently deformed, it is possible with the SpineCor® brace to improve postural alignment. It offers dynamic support against the force of gravity and creates a corrective movement, resulting in pain relief for the majority of patients. Because it reinforces the supporting spinal structure, the effects of the SpineCor® brace are also likely to be sustainable if the brace is worn regularly. In addition, the abnormal curvature can be reduced while the orthosis is worn for some younger adults with smaller curves.

Scoliosis and other spinal deformities in adults react very differently to treatment than the same conditions in adolescents. The main factor is growth potential.

While it is possible to permanently correct or stabilize the progression of a curvature in a growing spinal column, the deformity is unfortunately permanent in adults. In other words, although the brace can cause a few degrees reduction of a curve in an adult patient while he wears it, the improvement is likely not to be permanent if the patient stops wearing the brace completely. 

Preliminary trials have shown that:

By reinforcing the spinal support structure, the SpineCor® brace can slow the deformity's progression and, in the most favourable circumstances, stop it.

Research indicates that scoliosis can progress from .5° to almost 4° per year in adults, with the progression deteriorating especially quickly in curves of more than 30° (see ADULT SCOLIOSIS). The SpineCor® brace, when used in the long term, can in fact be an effective tool to prevent the abnormal curve from progressing, allowing patients to experience a higher quality of life.

It is recommended that adults wear the SpineCor® brace for approximately 10 hours a day, or for as long as they feel it is providing them relief. 

Although a few people wear it also at night, is it more realistic for most adults to wear it only during the day.

Whatever the patient decides, the basic principle remains the same: the more a patient wears the brace during active periods, the more he or she will feel the beneficial effects. Because the brace creates a corrective movement in the spinal column and provides dynamic support against the compressive force of gravity, wearing it only at night might not be the best option if the patient decides to wear it less than the prescribed number of hours.

Some patients choose to wear the brace only during painful episodes. In the end, it is the patient's decision how many hours a day he or she is willing to wear it.

Because spinal deformities are permanent in adults, continuous treatment should be considered. The more the brace is worn, and the earlier the treatment starts, the better the results will be on the spine and nervous system and, as a result, the patient's general health.

Some patients choose to wear the brace only during painful episodes. In the end, it is the patient's decision how many hours a day he or she is willing to wear it.

Usually, patients are seen after the first 4 to 6 weeks, then after 4 to 6 months, and then, after the condition is stabilized, around once a year. 

Each monitoring exam is $150. Every year, an extra $150 is added for monitoring x-rays. (The cost of the monitoring exams may be modified at any time and remains at the discretion of your chiropractor.)

For adults, it is also necessary to pay for replacing worn parts of the brace, the frequency of which will depend on how often the brace is worn. 

The use of the brace by adults is relatively new, but the results of preliminary trials are extremely promising. 

In fact, in a preliminary trial (6) with 30 scoliosis-affected adult patients (aged 18 to 69) suffering chronic pain, the subjects were fitted with the brace according to the SpineCor® protocol. Data was collected for patients wearing the brace for a duration of 18 to 26 months from 10 to 130 hours per week. 

The results show average general pain relief of 77%. In addition, this relief remained constant over time, with rates of 78%, 83% and 76% over subsequent visits. Finally, half of the patients reported that their symptoms had completely disappeared.