If you have recently been diagnosed with scoliosis, you may know that bracing is a method that's commonly used to treat curvatures of the spine. As you research which bracing options are available to you, you may come across the Gensingen brace for scoliosis. Here's all the information you may need about this option:
What is a Gensingen brace?
A Gensingen brace works differently to more traditional 'hard' braces such as the Boston brace, the Charleston brace, the Milwaukee race and the Wilmington brace. The Gensingen brace for scoliosis works to improve scoliosis through corrective movement instead of through immobilising the patient like the hard brace alternatives. Although the Gensingen brace is a hard brace, it is less restrictive and provides more flexibility for patients.
The creator of the Gensingen scoliosis brace is Dr. Hans-Rudolf Weiss. After working on brace development since the 1990s, Weiss was inspired to create this new bracing method when he realised that other scoliosis treatment methods were simply not serving the patients as well as they could. The Gensingen brace was created to ease the symptoms of scoliosis and to provide real, long-term improvement.
How does a Gensingen brace work?
The Gensingen brace works by positioning the patient's back in the opposite position to the curvature, creating a sort of mirror image. This means that the patient is placed in an exaggerated corrected position that effectively works to realign the spine. Each Gensingen brace is designed for the individual patient by Dr Hans-Rudolf Weiss himself and then created by orthopedists to ensure that it fits the patient correctly. Gensingen braces have been shown to halt the progression of spinal curvature and improve long-term quality of life without the need for surgery.
Gensingen braces form part of the Schroth Best Practice Academy, a complete treatment package of bracing and physiotherapy. Here at Scoliosis SOS, we can provide Schroth physiotherapy to complement a Gensingen brace. Prior to brace fitting, this involves increasing trunk flexibility and correction to enable the best in-brace correction result. Then, during brace wear and after the patient ceases to wear their Gensingen brace, Schroth physiotherapy can aid in maintaining trunk strength to ensure that positive results are sustained in the long term.
How long should a Gensingen brace be worn?
A Gensingen brace for scoliosis needs to be worn 22 hours a day to be effective. It may also need to be worn for as long as the patient continues to grow, so in the case of young children or adolescents, this could be a number of years. As the curve improves, the 22 hours a day may be reduced to 12-16 hours per day.
The Gensingen brace for scoliosis is a great method of combating spinal curvature, but while it isn't quite as uncomfortable as other scoliosis braces, it can still be a little restrictive, especially when you can only take it off to bathe/shower. Additionally, if you’re looking for an alternative to bracing, our ScolioGold course can help improve your scoliosis through physical therapy alone. We treat scoliosis patients using exercise methods that help to realign the spine and reduce the Cobb angle. Our 4-week course provides an effective method of improving the Cobb angle significantly - you can see the results here.
If you think our ScolioGold course might be for you, please get in touch with us today to book an initial consultation.