4/26/2023 0 Comments Insertpicture on cheerleaderbody![]() But in Bailey’s case, the backbone took a sharp turn to the left, 48 degrees and counting. When you’re looking at a spine from the back, it should be a straight line, zero degrees. She had headaches or migraines almost every day. The curve in her spine also created tension in her neck and head. Bailey tried physical therapy, and two different braces. Over the next several years, her doctors monitored its progression. And when she did, they noticed that she had a curve.”īailey’s curve was concerning. “They just did that simple test that we used to do,” Beth said. Her mom, Beth Pentz, said Bailey’s pediatrician detected her scoliosis when she was 9 years old. It’s the most prevalent spinal disorder in teens - as many as 5% have it. She has what’s called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, idiopathic meaning its causes are unknown. ![]() What’s keeping Bailey from her gymnastics is scoliosis. Scoliosis has made it hard for Bailey to participate in cheerleading and gymnastics. “It’s sad and kind of stressful, that you’re trying to do it but you can’t,” she said. Last fall, she had to drop out of gymnastics entirely. In recent years, gymnastics and cheerleading have gotten harder and harder for Bailey. “Because my back got so bad, and it hurts if I try to do it,” Bailey said. Two or three years ago, she could land several in a row.īut lately, she hasn’t been able to do a single back handspring. In video after video, she’s trying to master one move: the back handspring. The family has hours of footage of Bailey in cheer competitions and practicing tumbling routines. She and her family live in Parker, Pennsylvania, a town outside Pittsburgh that bills itself as “the smallest city in the United States.” (Image courtesy of Beth Pentz)īailey Pentz, 13, has been doing gymnastics and cheerleading most of her life. No more back flips Bailey Pentz, 13, has been doing gymnastics since she was 4 years old. How do you weigh one against the other? We followed one family as they made a decision. ![]() Though it seems to offer big advantages, its long-term outcomes are uncertain. But now, there’s another procedure available. Over the years, the operation has improved and become the gold standard. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.įor a long time, spinal fusion was the only surgery to treat scoliosis. This story is from The Pulse, a weekly health and science podcast.
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