More than 7 million Americans live with scoliosis and a Tri-Cities based prosthetics and orthotics clinic says until recently there wasn't much help for these patients.
Orthotists at Victory say many of them aren't candidates for surgery and their only option was a traditional back brace. However, now patients are Victory Orthotics in Bristol, Tenn. have another option.
It's a new brace called SpineCor.
Victory is the only clinic in the entire region--from Chattanooga to Richmond--trained to use the technology.
Patient Marjorie Hallenbeck's back began hurting 7-years ago.
"I had scoliosis but we were hoping it was as far as it was going to go," said Hallenbeck.
Unfortunately her scoliosis progressed and to make things worse her double-curve scoliosis wasn't a candidate for surgery.
"I'm 79 and I didn't want to go through my '80s perhaps in a wheelchair," Hallenbeck said.
She decided to try out a new brace called SpineCor.
"It provides an option for patients who previously really had no option" orthotist Chad McCracken said. "They were not surgical candidates and the prefabricated brace doesn't offer support that they need."
While there's no cure for adult scoliosis, this new brace doesn't take away mobility like traditional braces.
President of SpineCor Andrew Mills says their goal is to half scoliosis from worsening, improve posture and minimize pain.
Only two and a half weeks later, Hallenbeck's already noticed change.
"I would have been hurting by the time we had dinner, and I was not last night," Hallenbeck said. "I was fun."
SpineCor officials say the brace has only been around for 2-years and the training to provide it to patients is extensive.
SpineCor also makes a brace for children. Typically after two years of a child wearing it their backs are fixed.
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