The first week went great. Getting @w-Splatts’s dialed in, getting his core strengthened, learning to elongate the spine, stretching the spinal nerves... he has been pushing himself beyond what I had expected. That kid is a lot tougher than I thought. This treatment is not only physically demanding, but mentally too. Learning to fight through the pain and push oneself at 13 years old isn’t something that just happens. Yet letting him know that the pain he endures now will be nothing compared to the pain he would deal with the rest of his life after surgery.
The Chair
As a parent no one wants to see their child in pain. As they break, it breaks you. This chair has the ability to push, pull and rotate the spine straight... or nearly straight. It’s stretching all the tissues, ligaments, and muscles around the spine. Comfortable... not a chance. Discomfort... MEH It may seem like torture but when you are trying to get flexible it’s gonna hurt. Try holding a certain stretch for 21 minutes... I know I don’t want to. As he stands relaxed he has a 22.2 degree upper curve and a 20.2 degree lower curve. With a bit is rotation in his upper curve. Which is very common to happen.
Now while sitting in the chair, they are able to stretch him dang near close to straight. As we move forward these number will get better and better. Mind you this is taken at the 3rd day of treatment and there is still some fine tuning to be done with the chair. He has a 3 degree upper and a 4.5 on the lower. I feel a big part of that is do to the fact he is a stomach breather. He has to retrain himself how to breath while in the chair. Honestly... how much more can this kid handle?!?! Being pushed and pulled in all directions, then learning how to breath differently. Not to mention the sore spots that develop after a week. Those deep tissue bruises ain’t no joke. I’ve been there...
I had the opportunity to see a girl’s X-rays with and without the chair. She has a severe case. 64 degrees in the upper and 53 degrees in the lower. I can’t show you the images but they managed to reduce each curve by 50 degrees in the chair. I was absolutely blown away!! He told me that girls are naturally more flexible than boys. He also told me that scoliosis is more prominent in girls than boys. Maybe that is the reason why my son is the only boy here...
Week 2 seems to be when all the soreness comes out. Certain spots where the chair pushes and pulls, the spinal weighting pushes and pulls becomes unbearable!! Just the slightest touch will receive a painful reaction.
Yesterday and today my son reached his breaking point. Barely able to get 1/3 of the way through his time in the chair and the spinal weighting was the same story. Those tender spots were just too much. Feeling helpless I tried my best to encourage and strengthen him. But deep down I was breaking too.
We had to take a little time out and go outside at one point. The pain brought him to tears and the feeling of failure began to overcome him. I could sense it. I could even sense myself getting frustrated. Which doesn’t help a damn thing. I had to regain my composure before I could help and encourage him. I don’t know exactly what I said but that little soldier got in there and held strong for 8 minutes with his spinal weighting exercise!! Solid as a rock and focused!! WOW!!!
Spinal weighting is used to strengthen the muscles on the side of the spine. The muscles on the inside of the curve aren’t doing their job to hold the spine straight. Activating and strengthening those muscles is key. So you stretch in the chair and workout with the Spinal Weighting... makes sense right?
It’s the morning of our last day and we are praying for a good quality day full of positive attitudes, focus, decreased discomfort, and new records in his time holding that spinal weighting.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!!
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