Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update to Our Patients and Their Families

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update to Our Patients and Their Families

This page was last updated Friday March 20, 2020 by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD Santa Clara county and other counties in the Bay Area have issued a shelter-in-place order for all non-essential businesses: "Essential services are defined as those necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community. All Santa Clara County hospitals and health clinics continue to remain open." Our most recent announcement and update can be

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Mild Scoliosis: What it is and what to do about it

Mild Scoliosis: What it is and what to do about it

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on March 10, 2020. Mild scoliosis commonly refers to any idiopathic scoliosis curve that is less than 20 degrees. Traditionally, kids and teens with mild scoliosis were told to “watch and wait”, having x-rays taken every 6 or 12 months to keep an eye on the curve and make sure

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Surgical Release: What Happens During Scoliosis Spinal Fusion Surgery

Surgical Release: What Happens During Scoliosis Spinal Fusion Surgery

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on February 27, 2020. There are many animations of spinal fusion surgery available online as well as actual videos of surgery which describe what happens during spinal fusion surgery. While in actual videos of surgery it can be difficult to see what is happening, 3D animations of spinal fusion surgery

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Is scoliosis hereditary, genetic, or both?

Is scoliosis hereditary, genetic, or both?

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on March 10, 2020. Genetic testing seems to be all the rage right now with Ancestry, 23andMe and many other providing insight into your family history and health using genetic testing. But what does it mean for a disease or problem to be genetic? Is scoliosis hereditary or is it

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Scoliosis Surgical Risk Calculator

Scoliosis Surgical Risk Calculator

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on February 27, 2020. First published December 14, 2019. What This Calculator Does There are two major questions everyone asks about their child's scoliosis curve: will the curve get worse, and will the curve get worse enough that it requires surgery. Based on the most current research, you can estimate

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Why Does Scoliosis Get Worse With Growth?

Why Does Scoliosis Get Worse With Growth?

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on March 10, 2020. For children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, both parents and kids with a curve will worry whether or not the curve will get larger and worsen over time. Worrying about a curve progressing is completely understandable as many curves rapidly get worse as a child grows, especially

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Is bracing for scoliosis effective?

Is bracing for scoliosis effective?

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on March 10, 2020. First published October 30, 2019. "An old man turned ninety-eight, he won the lottery and died the next day." This may be a lyric from Alanis Morissette's song Ironic, but think about it in the context of scoliosis bracing: if we wear a brace just for

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Do the effects of bracing last?

Do the effects of bracing last?

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on February 27, 2020. First published October 16, 2019. For someone who has been diagnosed with scoliosis, or for parents who just learned their child has scoliosis, the topic of bracing can be an emotional one. Considering the amount of time and money that goes into making and wearing a

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Fact Checking Scoliosis

Fact Checking Scoliosis

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC. Last reviewed/edited on February 27, 2020. First published October 16, 2019. Whether you, your child, your friend, or your family member has scoliosis, the first place people go when they need to learn about something is online. Even for someone without scoliosis who wants to learn more, perhaps during scoliosis awareness month,

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How Are Scoliosis Braces Made?

How Are Scoliosis Braces Made?

Written and reviewed for scientific and factual accuracy by Dr. Austin Jelcick, PhD and Dr. Matthew Janzen, DC Scoliosis Brace Problems and How to Fix Them Bracing has been proven by science to not only prevent surgery, but also help straighten the spine of people with idiopathic scoliosis 1, 4. But how are scoliosis braces made? What does the process involve? Who makes scoliosis braces? Why do some doctors say

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