The interview
Anna Kusturova, Moldavia
What is your profession:
I am orthopedist-traumatologist, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, State Medical and Pharmaceutical University "Nicolae Testemitanu", Chisinau, Moldova
How is the rehabilitation treatment of spine diseases managed in your country?
Spine diseases are very common in my country. Many patients don't pay attention to existing problems and usually come to the doctor when complications appear - pain, deformity, neurological deficiency, etc. Complex conservative treatment is possible only in the capital of the republic and in some small towns. The majority of the patients can't obtain the necessary medical help in their locations. Rehabilitation treatment in these cases is performed too late and seems to be less effective either in children or in adults.
Scoliosis: how is it treated?
Unfortunately, there are no protocols and guidelines for scoliosis treatment, no spinal screening programs, no scoliosis rehabilitation schools. Many patients are missed in the initial stage of the disease when conservative treatment can help. They come to the doctor with severe curves telling they never heard about specific exercises or bracing. The surgery is very expensive. There is a waiting list for scoliosis patients to obtain this operation covered by the state. To obtain a good brace is difficult - many patients go to other countries and pay a lot of money for it. There are some private rehabilitation centres but not all patients can pay for this prolonged treatment
What would you like to improve on the clinical practice currently followed in your country?
What can the Scoliosis Online Master Course PPSCT give you and how do you think you can apply this knowledge in your daily clinical practice?
I hope this course will give me a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge about spine deformities and especially scoliosis - its aetiology, biomechanics, clinical and radiological evaluation, new technologies and software applications that will help me in my daily practice to examine the scoliosis patient, to monitor visible changes using some scales, to understand the pathological mechanisms and to find the proper treatment tactics individually for each patient.
