New Evidence Reveals Exercise Offers Alternative Treatment for Adolescent Scoliosis

Doctors in Los Angeles, San Diego and New Zealand Use Medically-Based Spine Strengthening System to Successfully Provide Non-Surgical Relief to Children.

Core Torso Rotation Has Been Shown to Halt Progression of Adolescent Scoliosis with Most Cases Resulting in Curve Reduction.

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents of children with adolescent scoliosis will do whatever it takes to avoid surgery and help their child live a normal life. Unfortunately, in the past, this meant wearing a corrective brace for 23 hours a day.

Recently, new evidence that exercise is a successful alternative treatment for adolescent scoliosis has been compiled in Los Angeles, San Diego and New Zealand. Unfortunately, many parents and physicians are not aware that an alternative treatment is available.

Following the successful results of two preliminary reports (2000, 2003) by Vert Mooney, MD on the effect of measured strength training in adolescent scoliosis, the company that makes the exercise machine used in the study, The Core Spinal Fitness Systems, has continued to compile results of children who have reduced or completely reversed the curvature of their spine.

Below you will see one example of a success story from the United States explaining how the Core Spinal Fitness Systems Core Torso Rotation exercise machine reduced or successfully reversed curvature of the spine.

No Surgery and No Braces -- How Did One Teen Do It?
In the winter of 2003, at the age of 15, Giovonne Vernacchia, a competitive gymnast and varsity track athlete, was diagnosed with Adolescent Scoliosis. Like millions of other teens, doctors told Giovonne she needed to begin wearing a brace to arrest the progression of the 36-degree curvature of her spine.

Following more than a year of diligent brace wearing, dozens of brace adjustments, and constant discomfort, Giovonne's spine showed her scoliosis had worsened to 39 degrees. Frustrated and wanting to avoid surgery that would end his daughter's athletic career, Fred Vernacchia, MD and his wife Anne started searching for answers.

Luckily, hours of exhausting research led them to the preliminary study, conducted by Dr. Vert Mooney, on the benefits of measured strength training in adolescent scoliosis. Following several conversations with Dr. Mooney, Giovonne and her parents were convinced that strength training could be the answer.

"We couldn't just sit back and watch our daughter struggle without examining every option available," states Dr. Vernacchia. "Teens that suffer from Adolescent Scoliosis are given two options - braces or surgery. Giovonne is proof that a successful alternative existed for her. It's time that the medical community takes a serious look at enrolling patients in a strength training program and conducts a full study on its viability."

In August 2004, Giovonne threw the braces out and started exercising for less than ten minutes, three times a week on the Core Torso Rotation machine developed by The Core Spinal Fitness Systems. Today, Giovonne's spine curvature is at 36 degrees and she is about to begin her freshman year as a member of the NCAA Division I Track and Field team at Colgate University.

"To not see positive results after wearing braces for more than a year was very upsetting," said Giovonne. "The braces were so uncomfortable and I hated having to wear baggy clothing to try to look normal. I am just so glad my parents didn't accept what the doctors were telling us. Surgery was never an option for me. This machine is so easy to use. I just wish we had found out about it before I had to go through the agony of wearing a brace."

Please note: Other success stories similar to the Vernacchias' and results similar to Dr. Mooney's findings have been duplicated worldwide.

Adolescent Scoliosis Treatment & Prevention Studies: The Role of Measured Resistance Exercises in Adolescent Scoliosis
Orthopedics, February 2003, Volume 26, Number 2
Vert Mooney, MD and Allison Brigham, BS
http://www.corespinalfitness.com/downloads/research/measuredresistanceinscoliosis.pdf

A Preliminary Report on the Effect of Measured Strength Training in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Journal of Spinal Disorders, 2000, Volume 13, Number 2
Vert Mooney, Jennifer Gulick, Robert Pozos, US Spine & Sport Center, Worldwide Clinical Trials, and San Diego State University http://www.corespinalfitness.com/downloads/research/prelimadolescentscoliosis.pdf

The Equipment: The Core Spinal Fitness Systems Core Torso Rotation Machine
While using this machine, strong oblique muscles rotate the spine and help maintain proper posture and spinal curvature. This machine neutralizes the shoulder, arm and chest muscles by a unique padded restraint system to isolate and strengthen the rotational muscles of the spine.

If you are interested in talking to the doctors involved in the studies, Giovonne, Dr. Vernacchia or an expert from The Core Spinal Fitness Systems, please contact Jeff Vaughan at 610-533-4264, email him at JV@voncom.com, or visit http://www.corespinalfitness.com.