Organised by the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), June is internationally recognised as Scoliosis Awareness Month (SAM).

SDO® Original Suit in No. 15 Marshmallow theme with scoliosis panels

The goal of the campaign is to 'highlight the growing need for public education, early detection and awareness about scoliosis and its prevalence within the community'. In addition, SAM exists to provide a platform to bring together patients and their families with expert clinicians, institutions and organisations to create 'collaborative partnerships'.

The SRS is an international non-profit organisation that was founded almost six decades ago in 1966, at which time it has just 37 members. Growing in both scale and importance with every passing year since then, the SRS now boasts a membership of more than 1,300 clinicians, physicians, spinal surgeons and allied health personnel representing no less than 41 countries from all over the world. The primary focuses of the SRS are to provide education for healthcare professionals and to generate support and funding for crucial research.

The vast majority of cases of scoliosis (80%) are described as idiopathic, meaning that the cause is not known. Though the condition can affect anyone, it most frequently develops in adolescents (from 11 to 18 years of age) and is found 10 times more often in girls than in boys.

The term 'scoliosis' is ultimately derived from the Greek skolios, which means 'bent'. This is due to the fact that scoliosis causes a sideways curvature of the spine which exceeds and angle of 10°, resulting in the patient experiencing a leaning posture to one side. Other symptoms include protrusion of the rib cage, pain in the back, problems with eating and/or breathing and an uneven level to the shoulders, hips and/or waist. In severe cases, the rib cage can press against vital organs like the lungs and heart, seriously impairing their function.

Among the many methods of treating scoliosis is the wearing of dynamic compression garments, such as those from the leading SDO^® Original Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ range designed and manufactured by the expert design team here at Medigarments Ltd. The garments deliver numerous benefits, from reducing pain and discomfort to helping limit progression of the spinal curvature. Easy and comfortable to wear, SDO^® Original garments are designed to provide constant and consistent compression for sensory and proprioceptive feedback. They also provide musculoskeletal alignment and resistance whilst allowing movement thus aiding motor learning and neural integration. The aim is to optimise and enhance functional performance by improving motor control and fluency of movement. These garments are Class 1 medical devices and are made to the patient’s specific measures.

SDO® Original Body Suits in a variety of popular camouflage themes

Please browse the Medigarments website to discover more about how garments from our SDO® Original and SDO® Lite collections can help patients with scoliosis. As always, our clinical team is available to offer authoritative assistance and advice if you need it so please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Medigarments Ltd is the company behind the internationally recognised brands Jobskin^® and SDO^®. We lead the way in rehabilitation therapy and are the largest UK manufacturer of specialist custom compression garments supplied through therapy and orthotic professionals.­ Our reputation for the design and supply of technically advanced garments has been built over 40 years supplying the highest quality made-to-measure products. Our garments are used to manage scarring as a result of burns or traumatic injuries. In the field of dynamic compression, they are used to increase sensory and proprioceptive feedback as well as provide musculoskeletal support.

We are dedicated to providing the ultimate in therapy management, with a focus on improving patient quality of life.

If you are interested in Medigarments Ltd or any of our products, please contact us via telephone on 0115 973 4300 or email at customerservice@jobskin.co.uk

The World of SDO^® Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ range of dynamic Lycra^® compression garments by Medigarments Ltd. SDO^® and Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ are trademarks of Medigarments Ltd.