Latest / Scoliosis with Dr. Chris Gubbels / Best Scoliosis Specialist in Denver (What to Look For Before You Book)

Transcript

Best Scoliosis Specialist in Denver (What to Look For Before You Book) · Scoliosis with Dr. Chris Gubbels

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Before you book with any scoliosis specialist in Denver, there are five things you need to know because most of them won't tell you.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: So what this video is going to do is give you the ability to walk into any clinic and tell the difference between a provider who really understands this condition and someone who doesn't.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Dr.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: Chris Scrubel, specialist on the non-surgical treatment of scolate and hyperkyphosis at Scholar Care Denver.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've been treating scoliosis exclusively for 18 years, and I've worked with over 6,500 patients.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to give you the exact criteria you should use to evaluate any scoliosis provider in the Denver area before you spend$1 or commit to any kind of treatment plan.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: One of my patients came to me after watching her curve progress from 13 degrees to 45 degrees over several years of just monitoring or watching and waiting.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: At the end of that process, she was told that surgery was the only option.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, just three months after starting treatment here at Skol A Care, her curve reduced down to 25 degrees, and surgery is no longer on the table.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now that same outcome was available to her years earlier.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: She just never saw a provider that actually knew how to deliver it.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what choosing the wrong specialist can cost.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I'm going to cover in this video.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to walk you through five criteria that separates a genuine qualified scoliosis specialist from a general provider who happens to just also see scoliosis patients.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Each one is specific, each one is testable, and you can apply every single one of them before you book your first appointment.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Criteria one, are they exclusive or a primary specialist in treating scoliosis?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: See, the first thing you want to ask any provider you're considering is what percent of their practice is scoliosis patients.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: You see, general orthopedic surgeons, general chiropractors, general physical therapists all may see scoliosis patients, but that doesn't make them a scoliosis specialist.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Scoliosis is a three-dimensional structural condition with its own measurement standards, its own exercise science, its own bracing technology, and its own research base.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: And any provider that treats it as one item along with the menu of their condition is not going to be current on any of that datum.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: You see, the field of scoliosis treatment has changed substantially in the last decade.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: And what a hospital orthopedist learned during their residency about brace design or exercise prescription is often not what the current evidence supports.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Ask this very directly.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Do you treat any other conditions or is scoliosis your only focus?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: You're listening for a provider whose entire clinical identity is built around this exact condition, not one who fits it in between back pain and sports injuries.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: At Scholar Cray Denver, scoliosis and hyperkyphosis are the only conditions we treat because that level of focus is the only way to stay ahead of the level of this condition's demands.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Now, criteria number two, full spine standing x-rays with complete measurements.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: You see, scoliosis affects the entire spine in three dimensions.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: And so it requires imaging and diagnostic tests that match that.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: You need full spine standing x-rays both from the back and front and from the side while the patient is weight bearing, and ideally with lateral bending too.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: You see, a cob angle measured on a single front x-ray tells you how much the curve bends to the side.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't tell you how much the spine is rotating, it doesn't tell you whether the spine is balanced when viewed from the front or back, and it doesn't give you accurate skeletal maturity data, which can change the entire treatment timeline for a young patient.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: You see, a provider working from partial imaging is building a treatment plan on an incomplete picture of what's really going on.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Ask any provider what you're evaluating.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: What measurements do they take from an X-ray?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: You're looking for cob angle, rotation at the apex, sagittal balance, and the current state of skeletal maturity.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if they're not measuring all four of these, keep looking.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, criteria three, scoliosis-specific exercises, not general physical therapy.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: After diagnosis, many families are referred to general physical therapy.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now the PT is competent and really well meaning, but there's no real published evidence that general physical therapy changes the trajectory of a scoliosis curve.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: General core work, general stretching, general posture exercises, none of that has been shown to reduce the severity of scoliosis or to meaningfully slow progression.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: The methods with actual evidence are scoliosis specific, shroth, C's, chiropractic biophysics.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: These are corrective protocols built around three-dimensional structure of scoliosis.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: And they also require a provider with specialized training in that method.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now at Scholi Care Denver, we use something called Scolabounce.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: Sculabs is a newer, more modern method, and it actually draws through all three of those approaches.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's easier for patients to do and for them to perform independently when they're outside of the clinic.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Much easier than traditional stroth therapy.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now the goal is ultimately curve correction.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: If a provider can't name the specific scoliosis exercise method they use, that's worth noting.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Because providers may say all the time that they have experience treating scoliosis.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: I hear this a lot from physical therapists that treat patients with scoliosis, but they don't have exact training in scoliosis specific physical therapy or exercises.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're finding this information helpful, be sure to subscribe and hit that bell icon so you're notified when we release new information on scoliosis, such as diagnosis, treatment, exercise, and bracing.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And if scoliosis is something that you're currently actively managing, whether for yourself or for a family member, you're gonna want to watch the rest of this video.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Criteria four, three-dimensional corrective bracing.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Brace design has advanced significantly over the last 10 to 15 years.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And if the only brace your provider offers is a Boston brace or a generic soft brace, you're not assessing the current standard.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: You see, traditional braces like the Boston brace, they work through three points of compression.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: They work to try and squeeze the spine and hold it in place almost like a cast.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: They don't actually crep the spine in three-dimensionals and they don't really address the underlying rotation, which is really what's driving the scoliosis.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: And ultimately, and maybe most importantly, they do not aim for curb reduction.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: The goal historically has been to try and slow or stop scoliosis progression.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Many hospitals tell patients, all right, you cannot reduce the size of scoliosis, but we do it all the time.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Current brace technology works in three dimensionals.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: See a Scolicare Demmer, we use the modern SCOLID brace.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's custom designed using 3D body scanning technology called CAD CAM technology.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: And the braces are built specifically for each individual patient.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And the goal is frequently to reduce the curve, not just stabilize them.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: We have published case series showing curves between 45 and 60 degrees that were all recommended for surgery, where the curves are able to be dramatically reduced to size to the point where they were no longer candidates for surgery.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: And we also brace adults, which many hospitals tell you is not possible and not warranted.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: You see, but bracing adults is possible and it's highly effective.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Ask any provider what brace they use and how it's manufactured.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if they have outcome data that they can actually show you showing the effectiveness of the brace.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: You want a custom, three-dimensional, corrective design, and maybe most importantly, a provider that can actually show you true results that they've achieved.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: And criteria five, a goal of reduction and a consultation before commitment.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: And the fifth criteria is the one that's going to tell you the most about any provider's philosophy in under just two minutes.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: Ask them what the goal is for a curve like yours or your child's spine.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: Is the answer only to stop the curve from getting worse?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: See, that's old school thinking.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Halting progression is like the baseline.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: That should be your bare minimum acceptable results.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Reduction is the standard you should be trying to achieve for any growing spine or many times even in young adults.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: You see, the best scoliosis providers aren't just telling you to manage the curve that you have, they're working to actually try and reduce it.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: That applies to children, adolescents, and many young adults with flexible spines.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: I had one adult patient that came in with a 52 degree scoliosis and she was told she had to have surgery.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: She was in such severe pain that she could barely lift anything with five pounds or more.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: And after just three months of treating her, her curve is down to 34 degrees.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: She's 100% pain-free, and surgery is no longer an option.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: She literally went from being able to not even pick up five pounds to now working out with a personal trainer multiple times a week.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: And she was told those kind of outcomes were not possible without surgery.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, beyond just the goal question, any specialist worth booking should offer some form of free consultation before you commit to full trim plan.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: That tells you if the provider is confident enough in what they do to let you actually evaluate them first.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, at School A Care Denver, we offer a free discovery call before initial appointment if wanted.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: So you can ask questions about your scoliosis, how severe it is, what treatment options you may be a candidate for, and how likely is it to progress if you don't do proper treatments.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: You see, the gap between what most school has patients are offered and what's actually achievable with modern scoliosis treatments is much larger than what most gamblers realize.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Curves that were headed to surgery are now frequently reduced below those surgical thresholds.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Adults that were told they weren't canna for bracing have been treated successfully and are now pain-free and have improved quality of life.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: The standard of care for scoliosis has clearly moved.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Your job is to provide it that has moved with it.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now, here are three things you can do right now.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: First, look up any Denver scolosis provider you're considering and find out whether scoliosis is their exclusive specialty or if it's one among many other things.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Two, call or email and ask specifically what measurements they take from x-rays.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Listen for cob angle, rotation, spinal balance, and skeletal maturity.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: Three, ask what brace they use and whether it's custom manufactured with 3D scanning technology.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And if the brace has a chance to reduce the curve.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Those three questions will tell you more than any website bio will.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: And now that you know how to evaluate a specialist, the next question is how do you evaluate the brace they recommend?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: The type of brace that your provider provides is one of the most important decision making factors in the whole entire process.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now, most families have no idea how to compare them.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my next video ranks the most common scoliosis braces from the best to the worst.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: And it gives you an honest breakdown of what the evidence actually says.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: The link can be found in the description and at the end of this video.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you there.