Pectus ExcavatumDanny's Story - view a personal account made by a mom of her son's PE development and subsequent surgery. Contains before and after photos. Recommended Resources on PE -Pectus Excavatum Non Surgical Treatment Using Exercises and BracesThe Pectus Excavatum Listserve - run by a person called Trainer Joe, who develops exercises programs and special braces for people with sunken and barrel chests to attempt to improve appearances. Interesting before and after pictures. Also includes discussion group about all aspects of PE include surgery and emotional aspects. Almost 2,000 members as of this writing. This is an MSN Group so you need a .net password to join plus moderator approval to join. There is a mailing list with highlights of the past week's posts. Information on the pioneer study of the conservative orthopedic treatment of the anterior chest wall deformities can be found at Dr. Sydney Haje's web site-. Pediatric Orthopedic Clinic specialized in non-surgical treatment of pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum deformities, also known as "pigeon breast" and "shoemaker chest," plus spinal and inferior limb deformities of children and adolescents. Adult care is also provided. Very interesting before and after pictures of non surgical treatment of PE and Pectus carnitum. Preliminary results of orthotic treatment of pectus deformities in children and adolescents. Haje SA, Bowen JR. Alfred I. duPont Institute, Wilmington, Delaware 19899. - Fifty-five children and adolescents with different types of pectus deformities and a minimum follow-up of 1 year were assessed to determine the effectiveness of nonoperative treatment with a dynamic chest compressor orthosis. Thirty-seven patients were treated and compared with 18 untreated patients. The treated patients had a better outcome. Reshaping of the contour of the chest wall was observed in 21 patients with inferior and lateral types of pectus carinatum. The dynamic chest compressor has minimal morbidity and is a valuable treatment option of pectus deformities in the growing period. Exercises for rounded shoulders and sunken chests - alternative health information from the Connective Tissue Disorder site focusing on posture and yoga poses. Yoga Exercise Increases Chest Wall Expansion - From the Thai Journal of Physiological Sciences
Bone Health and Nutrition LinksFood and Our Bones by Annemarie Colbin, C.H.E.S. Acid and Alkaline Diets - tips for balancing your body's pH for stronger bones and better health. Alkaline and Acid Food List - from the Connective Tissue Disorder Site. For an interesting article from the Price-Pottinger Association, view this article by Virginia Worthington, ScD on Acid-Alkaline Balance and Your Health. On a study from researchers in Japan, rats with their ovaries removed were given a dose of vinegar each day, and the study results showed that the vinegar helped impove bone turnover. Currently, many allopathic doctors scoff at the notion that the pH of food impacts your health, which I think is incorrect. There are many studies that prove otherwise. Yet many alternative health practitioners, while understanding the value of pH in foods, take a simplistic view that an acid diet is bad for your health and an alkaline diet is good for your health, especially your bones. This article is interesting because vinegar is an acid, and an acid forming food in the body, yet the rats given vinegar each day had improved bone status. See Alkaline diet and Osteoporosis for more information on this study and other posts regarding pH balance and your health. Book reviews - Reversing Osteopenia, Food and Our Bones, and Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis are the books recommended at this site for increasing bone health and osteopenia treatment and prevention. A recipe for strong bones: Diet strategy - there's more to dietary calcium than just bone health: this vital mineral also may play an important role in weight loss. 'Boning Up' on Vitamin K Source: Tufts University Here is an interesting study on acidosis being induced by diet. In this case an acid diet decreased the bone density of the animal test subjects: Dietary-induced metabolic acidosis decreases bone mineral density in mature ovariectomized ewes.
Discussion GroupsThe Pectus Excavatum Listserve - see above for more information. Connect with other people who have PE and parents of children with PE. Share stories, compare surgeons and surgical outcomes. PE Info Site Forum - 609 members as of this writing. Sub forums include Open Forum for general posts about PE, Surgery Problems/Concerns/Experiences, Pectus Carinatum, and Pectus Excavatum in the U.K. What Causes PE?From Dr. Haje's Site - Many factors may be involved in its formation: heredity, respiratory disturbances like asthma, and spine malalignment like an increased thoracic kyphosis and/or scoliosis. Cardiac problems may eventually be present. Pectus Excavatum - Nutritional and Genetic Factors - diet and genetic factors that may lead to sunken chests from the Connective Tissue Disorder Site. Personal StoriesScott's Pectus Page - includes before and after photos. Surgery was done by Dr. Eric Fonkalsrud at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. A personal story of a young man with pectus excavatum. Before and after surgery photos can be found at www.fixpectus.com. Association with Mitral Valve ProlapsePectus excavatum in children: diagnostic significance for mitral valve prolapse. Park JM, Varma SK. Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock 79430. Resources |
