In making a good decision in scoliosis care, one should become comfortable with the verbiage often used to explain scoliosis. An understanding of the terms used may increase communication with your health care provider and ease some of the fear surrounding scoliosis.

We will begin with a small list and continue to increase as time moves on.

If you have any inquires or terms you would like us to define please e-mail Bradc@scoliosis.com  or visit www.Scoliosis.com

• Cervical: The neck region of the spine that is located between the head and the chest. Vertebral bodies known as C1-C7.

• Thoracic: This is the chest level region of the spine that is located between the cervical and the lumbar vertebra. Includes vertebral bodies T1-T12. The ribs are attached to these vertebrae.

• Lumbar: The lower part of the spine between the thoracic region and the sacrum. Includes vertebral bodies L1-L5. These vertebral bodies are the largest in width and height of all the spinal vertebra.

• Sacrum: Curved triangular bone at the base of the spine, the rest of the spine sits upon this area. Consisting of five fused vertebrae known as sacral vertebrae. The sacrum moves with the last lumbar vertebra and laterally with the pelvic bones.

• Ilium: The large, wing-like bones of the pelvis, connected by the sacrum. This is what we think of as the hip bones.

• Iliac Crest: Top edge of the hipbone (Ilium).

• Femur: This is what we think of as the thigh bone. It is the longest and thickest bone of the human skeleton; extends from the pelvis to the knee.

• Spinal Vertebral Rotation: This is the rotation of vertebral bodies clockwise and counter clockwise upon the long axis of the spine.

• Thoracolumbar: If a curve is defined as thoracolumbar it is any curvature starting in the thoracic spine and moving through the lumbar spine, such as a T8 through L3, a large “C” curve.

• Apex of the curve: This is known as the center of the curve and may be the greatest distance from the center line of the spinal gravitational line. The gravitational line extends from the center of the skull to the center of the pelvis. For example, a curve starts at T1 and moves to T5, the center would be T2, which is the apex of the curve.

• Lateral View: Side view, looking at the side of the body.

Please do not let the large terms scare you.

We Take the Fear and Worry Out of Scoliosis

Dr. Art Copes

The design of milk is to provide a food source for an infant to develop into three times their body weight in one year. This growth includes muscles, bones, and organs…right?

Regular cow’s milk is composed of carbohydrates or sugars, vitamins, water, minerals, fats, and protein. Human milk the same but, a little closer look reveals:

Would you be surprised that a human mother’s milk and cow’s milk may have a different make-up?

The fat, minerals, vitamins, colostrums and lactose content of a cow has different ratios than mom’s milk.

Would you conclude that milk has a special DNA design from its mother for its baby to develop?

Why, yes! In the last writings, milk is mother natures’ way of providing a safe food source for babies to triple body weight in 1 years time. A baby’s digestive system is not completely developed when first-born, lacking microorganisms (the good bacteria) and special enzymes.

Ok. Looking at a two independent prospective, a cow and her milk, provides her baby (calf) with the proper protein and nutrition ratio. At birth the calf weighs about 97 pounds, a year later the calf weighs approximately 300 pounds.

Let’s see, does pasteurization change milk? What is pasteurization and why?

The process was named after its inventor, French scientist Louis Pasteur. The first pasteurization test was completed by Pasteur and Claude Bernard on April 20th, 1862.

The process begins with a large quantity of milk that is held in a heated vat at 63 °C (145 °F) for 30 minutes, followed by cooling to about 4 °C (39 °F).

There are two types of pasteurization used today:

1.) HTST (high temperature/short time) and UHT (ultra-high temperature).

The HTST method of pasteurization is milk in a continuous flow process, milk is forced between metal plates or through pipes heated on the outside by hot water. Milk is held at a temperature of 72 °C (161 °F) for 15 to 20 seconds.

2.) UHT, is considered the batch process.

This is when a large quantity of milk is held in a heated vat at 63 °C (145 °F) for 30 minutes, followed by quick cooling to about 4 °C (39 °F).

The most important question is, Why?

What is the homogenization of milk? Will it affect scoliosis?

Well, milk is an oil-in-water mixture (emulsion). The oil is fat particles of milk and is known as globules. To better understand, if raw milk were left to stand, the fat would rise to the top and form a layer of cream.

Homogenization is a mechanical treatment of the fat globules in milk, brought about by passing milk under high pressure through a tiny orifice (hole), which decreases the average diameter and increases the number and surface area of the fat globules.

Some experts in the field consider this maneuver of decreasing the fat globules size increases the leaking gut problems, inflammation and yes, possible viral infections. Once again this increases the stress of the immune system of a person with scoliosis. This immune stress has strong possibilities of increasing the curve percentage rate.

Again, why homogenized milk?

Several reasons. The globules (fat) in raw milk cluster and clump together. We have become accustomed to the smooth texture of milk when we drink it.

Can you imagine clumps of butter in your milk?

Next, this action reduces the curdling of milk and increases the shelf time of the milk. After pasteurization, dead white blood cells and bacteria form a sludge, which sinks to the bottom of the milk (yuck).

Homogenization spreads the unsightly sludge throughout the milk and makes it invisible. Ironically, live white blood cells and live beneficial bacteria are one of the healthiest things about raw milk for a person with scoliosis. But once they're zapped with heat, they're useless and rightly regarded as a waste product. Once again, more stress applied to the immune system of the scoliosis person.

In part 5 of Got Milk, Got Scoliosis, Got Problems, I’ll explore the hormonal aspect of milk and the influences of cow’s milk on the scoliotic curves.

We Take the Fear and Worry Out of Scoliosis

Dr. Art Copes

If you or somebody you know has just been diagnosed with scoliosis, you are probably experiencing confusion, frustration, and fear.

You may feel like you don’t know where to turn or what to ask. You want to know what this diagnosis means and how it will affect you now and for the rest of your life.

You may be asking yourself questions like,” What caused it?” and “Can it be conquered?”

You are not alone.

The truth is, 4 out of 5 cases of scoliosis have no known cause – it just appears. It can affect you regardless of your gender, race or age.

So scoliosis just means that my spine is curved, right?

Wrong!

Oftentimes, when we hear the term scoliosis we think of somebody who has a curved spine, but most people are surprised to learn that there is actually more than one type of curvature that can occur in people with scoliosis.

If you are diagnosed with scoliosis, your doctor will use x-rays to determine how great the curve in your spine is, and to determine what type of curve you have.

If the normal rounding of your back is too great, then you have a condition known as kyphosis.

The term kyphosis means that there is a “hyper” or excessive forward curvature in your thoracic spine. Your thoracic spine is the part of your spine that is located in your chest and connects to your ribs. The normal degrees range from 30 to 40 average 35 degrees. In scoliosis, the spine column is also different in the basic mechanics, more to understand in the future.

If the curve in your lower back is too great, then you have a condition known as lordosis.