Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the stress level in children and adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) treated conservatively using the Dobosiewicz Method (DoboMed) approach in correlation with the clinical parameters and brace therapy.
Methods: The study group (SG) comprised 63 patients (54 girls), in mean age 14.7 years. DoboMed approach was used in all studied patients (31 of them had also a brace (orhosis)). The clinical analysis included also body mass index (BMI) z-scores, age at diagnosis, spinal curvature location and the duration of brace correction. The patients completed the Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire Deformity (BSSQ-Deformity) and Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire Brace (BSSQ-Brace) questionnaires twice, ie., at the beginning and at the end of the hospitalization.
Results: IS patients experienced low or moderate deformity-related stress (58.7% and 36.5% respectively). A significantly higher stress level (BSSQ-Deformity) was revealed in the combination therapy group compared to kinesiotherapy group (p<0.05). In brace wearers, the orthosis-related was higher than the deformity-related stress (p<0.0001). A significant correlation was observed between the BSSQ-Deformity score vs. age, BMI z-score and number of hospitalizations (p<0.05). Deformity stress level was significantly related to the Cobb's angle in both analyzing subgroups.
Conclusions: Stress level in IS patients is related to the severity of the disease irrespectively to the method of treatment. Brace wearing is a factor provoking and increasing stress level. Stress level related to bracing is higher than trunk deformity related. Higher stress levels were significantly correlated with age, BMI z-score and number of hospitalizations. Complex therapy should include also psychological support for young patients with IS.
Keywords: brace; idiopathic scoliosis; stress level.