Scoliosis Prevention!

This semester we took a class called Cure. Cure is the third STEAM class this year. In this class, we talked about how we can take preventative measures to stay healthy and avoid getting bad diseases. We also have learned about probability which I will be using to help us learn the chances of developing the In this class, we have taken a few FEs including a Yoga Nidra Meditation class which was a great example of a preventative measure which someone could take to prevent diseases. The reason this helps is that it calms the body and releases stress. We read about another preventative measure someone took where they had their breasts surgically removed to prevent breast cancer since she had a high probability of getting it. For this project, we needed to look at a patient and give them recommendations as to what they could do to prevent a disease. I decided to look into Scoliosis.

Example of Scoliosis

Name: Ólafur Andersson

Sex: Male

Gender: Male

Age: 36

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 370 lbs

Medical History: He has an extensive medical history including broken bones, concussions, surgeries and pulled muscles. The main problem we are seeing is that he has had back problems and even had surgery on his back. This is not a good sign considering what he is trying to avoid. The problems he has had in the past may weaken his body and cause other complications with him such as an increased chance of Scoliosis. For someone who is worried about Scoliosis it important that they have a strong back support.

Lifestyle Behaviors: Ólafur Andersson is a former NFL football player. Who eats relatively healthy but has recently been slacking off after leaving football. On top of not eating as healthy as he should he also has all but stopped exercising. Things he likes to do in his free time include, watching tv, playing with his kids and cooking pastries. The only exercise he gets is a walk around the park once a day, which is not a lot.

Medical Concerns/Family History:  His family has a record of Scoliosis which he is concerned about. He is personally concerned about his back which has been in pain for weeks and given his family's history he is concerned he has Scoliosis. Scoliosis is a disorder that affects the spine by making it bent sideways. Scoliosis can affect different people in different ways, some people may need surgery if its bad enough and others may never feel the effects of it.

Purpose of Consultation: He has consistent back pains.

Risk Assessment: 3/100 people in the world have some form of Scoliosis. This means that the experimental probability of a person getting scoliosis is 3% and that is without the factor of your family history. If you include the genes in his family you will see his chances of getting Scoliosis will rise to 47% since 9/19 people in his family have it.

Medications: The only medications for Scoliosis are painkillers such as Advil. The Advil will help relieve the pain that comes from the spine. Some side effects of Advil can be stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

Nutrition Plan: People with Scoliosis should not eat a lot of salt and sugar. Salt and sugar can slow communication transferring in the body which is a problem when the spine is not perfect. They should only eat moderate to little amounts of healthier versions like sea salt or Himalayan salt, stevia or raw honey. These are slightly healthier versions since they aren't processed. Eating healthier foods will be beneficial because when you are more healthy in general your body can work to the best of its ability. Things I would recommend are fish, smoothies, and lots of salads.

Lifestyle Recommendations: Stretching and daily exercise such as 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days a week will help. Some examples of aerobic exercises are swimming, running, and biking. The reason you want to be doing aerobic exercise is so that you can be healthy and your body is strong. Also strengthening the muscles in your back will help support you.

Alternative Therapies: There are a couple good alternative therapies that you can try that will help you. Yoga is the first one because it is known to stretch your body and it will relax you. Yoga will also lower your stress levels which means you will be healthier and your body will be able to heal itself better. Another option is acupuncture which relaxes and heals you in a similar way to yoga.

Goals:

Month 1-2: You're going to want to bike for 1 hour a day for two months. The reason for two months is because I want to ease you into the routine before we add more exercise.

Month 2-4: After the two months you need to add a 25-minute run after or before the 1 hour of biking for another two months.

Month 4-6: After those initial four months, you should add an exercise of your choice for another 35 minutes which will add up to two hours of total exercise.

Month 6-onward: I want you to do these exercises unless they start to hurt. Doing these exercises should strengthen your body and make sure there isn't excessive pressure on the spine. Doing these exercises will also give you a way to channel stress which will also help you in the long run.

Sources:

AboutKidsHealth, www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=2008&language=English.

“Ideal Diet for Scoliosis.” Mercola.com, Mercola.com, articles.mercola.com/scoliosis/diet.aspx.

“The Connection Between Spine Health and Blood Sugar.” Why Tobacco Should Be Banned From Your Life, www.thejoint.com/arizona/glendale/arrowhead-ranch-48016/the-connection-between-spine-health-and-blood-sugar.

Scupham, Beth. “Scoliosis Priority Protocols.” Flickr, Yahoo!, 24 Sept. 2017, www.flickr.com/photos/bethscupham/37430093115.

“Scoliosis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 Dec. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scoliosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350716.

Davis, Charles Patrick. “Scoliosis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Surgery.” MedicineNet, www.medicinenet.com/scoliosis/article.htm.