BrAIST

     In 2007, a study was started to decide whether or not bracing was actually effective.  Up until this study there was never any hard evidence to say that if a person wears a brace it will prevent their scoliosis from progressing further.  The study was conducted by the University of Iowa and officially called Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial or BrAIST for short.  There were a total of 242 participants.  The participants could be either male or female between the ages of ten and eighteen.  Each participant was randomized to either the Boston Brace or observation.  Throughout the study participants had doctors appointments every six months where they had x-rays taken to measure any change in their curves.  The study ran until September of 2013.  After the results from all the participants were studied the doctors came up with a conclusion.  Based on the progression of all the curves from both those in the brace and observation they came to the conclusion that bracing is an effective method of treatment.  Wearing the brace twenty-three hours a day, seven days a week kept the curve in the position it was or in some cases it actually pushed the curve back towards the correct position.  This was rare but in almost all cases the curve did not progress further.  This is huge news in the world of scoliosis treatment because there is finally evidence that wearing a brace will help!  When I was starting my treatment the BrAIST study was in full swing.  I was actually one of the patients randomized to wear the brace.  Knowing that the brace was effective for more people than just me is very comforting to me.  I went into wearing the brace with no idea if it would help or not.  Knowing that someone else will be able to choose to wear the brace and know that it will help them means a lot to me.