Dr Nick Gentile is a trained and registered Chiropractor with a passion for supporting the developing spine through the adolescent years. With a history in sports Chiropractic and a love for improving Biomechanics through rehab, it was a natural fit for him to start to focus fully exclusively on the development and non-surgical treatment of Scoliosis and Hyper-kyphosis.
Describe the Types of Scoliosis Patients you see in your Clinic
I see a variety of Scoliosis patients in the Melbourne ScoliCare clinic. The vast majority of patients have Idiopathic Scoliosis. My caseload is approximately an even split between adults and teenagers.
It often surprises many practitioners that I speak to when I discuss the large number of adults we help to manage their Scoliosis, however it stands to reason that once a patient develops Scoliosis, it’s something that is with them forever. In fact, there are more adults with Scoliosis than there are teenagers.
When it comes to Scoliosis, there’s always SOMETHING we can do to help. Of course, the younger we see a patient with Scoliosis, the more impact we can have, and the more options we have for intervention.
Describe Common Challenges Faced by Patients with Scoliosis
I think the biggest challenge most Scoliosis patients face is understanding their own Scoliosis. There’s so much conflicting information available, it can often be hard for them to discern what information actually applies to them. This creates so much uncertainty and fear around a condition that is often very easy to manage.
Explain how you Help Patients to Overcome These Challenges
One of the biggest aspects of my role is to make sure that the patient understands what their Scoliosis means for them. The way that I do this really varies from individual to individual. Some patients need a scientific explanation, in which case I demonstrate through the use of the most up to date evidence. Some patients prefer a visual representation of information, so I will demonstrate with similar case studies that we have to show them. What is most important is that I make sure that the patient understands what is happening in their body, so that they can then make the most informed intervention choice possible.
Why did you Decide to Work in the Area of Scoliosis?
One of my closest childhood friends had Scoliosis. I remember him having to miss out on things like School camp because of his condition. Although his back pain wasn’t debilitating, it was always something that we needed to be aware of, and certainly limited his participation in a lot of the things our group of friends would get up to. That’s what piqued my interest in Scoliosis as a Chiropractor, but really what excited me the most was seeing the case studies that ScoliCare were publishing. Seeing Scoliosis not only be controlled in some cases, but actually improved, was just something I needed to learn about and be a part of!
