Within the first 8 months of treatment on my personalized treatment plan of exercises my annual scoliosis X-ray showed an amazing seven degrees of improvement!
As a child my back always hurt when I ran. In my mid-thirties my primary doctor mentioned that he thought I had a “bit of scoliosis.” As the decades passed my back became more painful and began to limit the types of nursing duties I could comfortably perform as an RN. Finally, in my early 60’s I began noticing a rapid decrease in mobility and increasing back pain. I found myself frightened and overwhelmed about my future independence. It was time to see what suggestions a neurologist might have to offer. I received no suggestion on how to stabilize the deterioration of my back. I did receive annual scoliosis X-rays for three years consecutively. Each of those three years my back curvature progressed seven degrees along with increasing pain. The neurosurgeon decided it was “time for surgery.” I decided there had to be a better way. In researching scoliosis I, fortunately, discovered the Schroth Method for nonsurgical treatment of this disease that was robbing me of being actively involved in life at the then age of 67 with an active husband and 6 very active grandchildren. My research also discovered that of the six certified Schroth therapists in the mid-Atlantic Region at that time there was luckily one in Northern Virginia. That therapist was Downey Hinrichs MSPT, CLCP. My life changed so much for the better from the first visit to Downey.
Downey made me feel at ease from my first visit. She paid very close attention to the X-rays and medical reports that I brought with me and addressed how she planned a client’s comprehensive home exercise program based upon their individual areas and degrees of curvature. She asked questions about my goals and addressed my number one goal of decreasing the back pain. Within the first eight months of treatment on my personalized treatment plan of exercises, my annual scoliosis X-ray showed an amazing seven degrees of improvement! I was also having a significant decrease in pain. Adult scoliosis is more difficult to improve than in childhood or adolescent years so I was thankful and delighted beyond words!
Downey has an immense level of knowledge about scoliosis which allows her to have excellent skills in providing flexibility of treatment. Over the course of my thus far 17 months of treatment with Downey, I have had some discomfort with a knee that has been replaced and some aging deterioration of a shoulder. Downey was able to switch my scoliosis exercises to others that were equally effective for my back but eliminated the stress on the joints with discomfort.
To me one of the very consistent hallmarks of superior treatment of a health problem is empathy in treating the disease and the patient. Since Downey herself has scoliosis she instinctively understands your fears, the peaks, and valleys of the commitment needed to your treatment plan and when you need accolades or encouragement. To me, there is no more qualified or empathetic practitioner for scoliosis treatment than Downey, period!