Meet Stephanie Romero
Stephanie is an accomplished WCR Certified Orthotist with over a decade of experience treating pediatric scoliosis. Her expertise and patient-focused approach have led her to work at top hospitals such as Boston Children’s Hospital and Carrie Tingley Hospital for Children.
Currently, Stephanie serves as the Clinical Education Manager for Align Clinic LLC, training new orthotists worldwide how to specialize in the WCR Brace.
Both adult and pediatric scoliosis patients can see Stephanie at the monthly scoliosis clinic in Boulder at Avanti Therapy.
She also has appointments daily available at the Align Clinic office in Aurora, with evening appointments by request.
The Align Clinic Aurora location can also accommodate WCR bracing with expedited turnaround times for out of state patients who travel to Colorado for their bracing treatment.
Recently, she has also started a quarterly scoliosis bracing clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona in coordination with Scottsdale Scoliosis and Spine Therapy.
Stephanie is available at all three locations to evaluate, measure, fit, and follow up on scoliosis patients who chose the WCR Brace.
We look forward to seeing you soon at one of our locations!
The WCR brace involves a team of scoliosis professionals from around the world working on the patient’s classification of curve. The patient curve type is individually classified from the Classification of Rigo using the x-rays and clinical photos of each patient. Based on this classification, an individual brace design from the Classification of Rigo brace designs is selected for each patient. Dr. Manuel Rigo is personally consulted on WCR brace cases for verification of the patient’s curve type and scoliosis brace design when necessary. This is a multi-disciplinary approach using feedback from the patients prescribing MD and Schroth or Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School (BSPTS) physical therapist in combination with the orthotist’s skills. Subsequently, the measurements, x-rays, and clinical photos are used to design and fabricate a custom-made Wood Cheneau Rigo brace.
All stages of treatment (clinical photos in and out of brace, X-rays and team notes) are posted on a secure orthotic and prosthetic database (OPIE). We discuss the fittings, follow-up photos, and in-brace x-rays between the MD, Schroth Therapist (PT) and orthotist, which optimizes the treatment and results. Treating adults with Scoliosis is a specialty that we have been doing at Align Clinic for many years.
Adult bracing is really nothing like the braces used in treating growing children and it requires a special expertise and technique that we have honed over the last 15 years to be both effective and comfortable. The braces are much softer and more flexible than the braces of the “old days”. Each case is handled individually and no two cases are identical. So it doesn’t matter whether you have had untreated scoliosis all your life or whether you developed scoliosis later in life, we might be able to help. The objective of adult scoliosis bracing is to support the spine, unload deforming forces, reduce pain and slow progression of the curves. Just call to make an appointment and we will provide you with a free evaluation as to whether we can help.
Few options exist in the United States for the effective management of scoliosis. Anxious parents are told to just watch and wait to see if the curve progresses enough to warrant bracing and/or surgery. Adults experiencing increased pain and curve progression are told that the only option is surgery. Traditional Physical Therapy has not been shown to impact curve progression. We at Avanti Therapy have a Boulder, Co, Schroth-based scoliosis program to aid management of scoliosis.
For years Europeans have been using an approach shown to be effective for scoliosis management, based on the work of Katrina Schroth. The training program used at Avanti Therapy was developed by Manual Rigo, MD, PhD, a world renowned advocate for the conservative management of scoliosis, and Director of the E. Salva Institute for Rehabilitation of Spinal Deformities, Barcelona, Spain. Scoliosis is a three dimensional condition, which progresses due to a vicious cycle. It starts with vertebral wedging and becomes self-perpetuating as the spine is loaded asymmetrically from the wedging at one or two levels. We work to break this cycle through the use of spinal elongation exercises, isometric strengthening and rotational breathing. Each person receives a program designed to address their specific curve pattern, goals and functional limitations. We will also consult with you regarding brace options if needed.
The primary goal of Schroth-based Physical Therapy is to halt the progression of the curve, although curve reduction is achieved for many patients. Pain relief, improvement in posture and trunk symmetry, improved lung function, increased strength, mobility, and ability to participate in an active lifestyle are also achievable goals.
