While I was in the process of sharing my blog with several international scoliosis support groups, I received an email from an wonderful woman named Megan Glahn. Ms. Glahn is the founder of Scolios-us, a web-based platform intended to empower scoliosis patients with the tools and resources they need to be successful bracers. She earned her Master's degree from Baylor College of Medicine's Orthotics and Prosthetics program and currently works as a Certified Orthotist, specializing in scoliosis bracing. I asked Ms. Glahn for the story behind Scolios-us and her perspective as a medical professional; her response is below. I have always loved working with the adolescent population. I grew up as a competitive gymnast, and at the ripe old age of 16, I retired and began coaching. I coached for the next six years and worked with girls ranging from ages 4 to 16. I watched these girls experience all of the struggles that accompany growing up, so I was immediately drawn to scoliosis bracing while attending Baylor College of Medicine’s Orthotics and Prosthetics program.
Our curriculum was set up so that spinal orthotics was our first major orthotics class. After spending a few weeks learning about bracing for spinal fractures, low back pain, etc., we reached our scoliosis lecture. The first thing that stood out to me about scoliosis was the word “idiopathic.” By definition, idiopathic means of unknown cause. With the majority of scoliosis cases being idiopathic, the question arose is my mind about why scoliosis is so difficult to figure out. The next thing that stood out to me was perhaps more perplexing. We learned that scoli kids and teens should wear their braces for 23 hours a day. It was mentioned nonchalantly in our lecture, as if it were just the fact of the situation. Looking back, that day may be the most influential day of my life because that lecture single-handedly inspired me to purse scoliosis as a specialty. The wheels began turning in my head, and they haven’t stopped since – only gotten faster. Adolescence is hard. Adolescence wrapped in a giant piece of plastic is even more difficult. Although Dr. Seuss has a point when he asks, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”, standing out can be difficult when you are standing out because of something you did not willingly choose. So what? I began my research and found that while there are wonderful organizations, companies, and scoliosis warriors fighting to help scoli kids and teens feel supported along their scoliosis journey, most healthcare providers are unaware of these resources and do not actively recommend them. One study reported that “only 5% of those with scoliosis declared that they had opportunities to discuss their feelings and problems with health professionals, while 90% of them declared that they wanted to have more opportunities to do this.”1 The result is scoli kids and teens feeling isolated by their experiences. As an effort to bridge the gap between providers and patients, I began Scolios-us. Scolios-us is a web-based platform intended to empower scoliosis patients with the tools and they need to be successful brace-wearers. As a healthcare provider myself, I know it can be difficult to stay up-to-date with the ever-changing resources available for the many patient populations we treat. Scolios-us was created to do just that for the scoliosis patient population. We find the latest and greatest websites, blog pages, organization, Facebook groups, and companies that are fighting to support scoliosis kids and teens and put all of their websites onto one page. As a result, physicians, orthotists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other healthcare providers are able to recommend one resource and know that patients can find their way to the scoliosis support that suites their specific wants and needs. The deeper I dive into scoliosis, the more I realize how much there is to learn. The world of scoliosis is incredibly complex, both biomechanically and emotionally. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in scoliosis bracing while completing my clinical residency at Baylor College of Medicine. There is much to be learned, but as long as the wheels keep turning, we’ll get there. Resources 1. Sapountzi‐Krepia, DS, Valavanis J, Panteleakis GP, et al. Perceptions of body image, happiness and satisfaction in adolescents wearing a Boston brace for scoliosis treatment. J Adv Nurs. 2001;35(5):683-690. I would like to thank Ms. Megan Glahn for her time and support. Her breath of knowledge regarding scoliosis is astounding, and her unwavering devotion to helping others is extremely evident. Please check out Scolios-us by clicking the button below; it's an amazing resource for anyone battling scoliosis.
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