May I travel to Germany for schroth and a brace?

[giulio_b]

Hello, sorry for speaking english but I can't utter a word in german...

I live in turin (north of italy), have a 60° sheuermann kyphosis (with compensatory lumbar lordosis and forward-pointing head).

I know it's not too much, but It has been creating a lot problems with my life in general and education specifically, in the sense that i can't study properly because of back and neck pain (that most of the times turns into headaches). I also would want to go to meditations retreats, but i currently can't because i can't manage to sit up straight and still for more than a hour or so, while that kind of routine requires several hours of that for several days. Studying requires a similar feat. The pain is in the form of a constant nausea/bother, that peaks into actual pain by afternoon and there's no way I can study in this condition (actually, it's pushing me to the brink of insanity...).

The health care in italy is somewhat poor and I thought about travelling to germany for a month or so in order to apply to train with the schroth method and get a good brace i can use to study with and go to retreats. This is quite urgent because school starts again in late september, it will involve a lot of classes, labs, and studying for most of the day and i would like to begin in a good shape.

I came here to ask because I've read a post in another forum (http://www.scoliosis-support.org/showthread.php?t=6970) by Toni, that looked extremely interesting. So what I'd do is to get to Stuttgart (for example) to enroll for the schrot training (here: http://www.skoliose.tv/) and ask the Rahmouni-clinic if I can buy a brace.

May I ask, do you think this is possible? Not residing in Germany, do you think I would be entitled to have any reduction of the costs? I shall inform myself whether the Italian health care would cover part of the costs too...

Thank you very much... sorry for the intrusion and the requests.

Giulio

[BarneyStinson122]

Hi Giulio!

Welcome to the community.

I've read your message and think it is not possible to get all of the things done by the end of september.
Actually you have at least a waiting time of about 4-6 months to get a place on a treatment program at Bad Sobernheim or Bad Salzungen.
I don't know how the health care system in italy works but may the pay you the treatment.

The costs for 3 weeks Schroth therapy are approximately 3500€ at the Katharina Schrothklinik Bad Sobernheim (http://www.asklepios.com/klinik/default ... Sobernheim)
Maybe it is the best thing you first travel to a doctor in Germany and ask what he advises to you. Many of the community members are going to Dr. Hoffmann in Stuttgart. (http://www.dr-hoffmann-leonberg.de/)

When you have further questions you could ask every time.

Yours
Barney

[giulio_b]

Thank you Barney,

May I ask: Do you think I could be able to get a brace from Rahmouni in a shorter time (even without enrolling in a schroth program before date)? and are there eventually other schroth-clinics that have a shroter waiting time?

Thank you very much!

I will be moving to warwick, england in late september and classes will begin the first of october. In the case I won't manage to get the brace I'll be counting on custom physical therapy, but i'm really looking forward to it.

[Força]

Hi Giulio.

Great to hear from other Europeans in this forum.

I'm not too familiar with the regulations in other EU countries in terms of health care coverage but I do know that it is possible to at least try.

If you are willing to pay for the brace and physiotherapie I'm sure it can be done quickly but I doubt you would get your money returned this way, not even partially. Are you that rich?

If you are about to move to the UK I would also look into their methods for kyphosis treatment, though they may be worse than in Germany in covering costs, not sure. Also, I do not know their methods for treating adults with kyphosis and how well their braces usually correct but I do know Schroth and similar physiotherapy is also common over there now. And I think as soon as you work or study over there and are part of their health care you should be able to apply for a brace and physiotherapy in the UK? Again, I am lacking knowledge completely in this department so your best try is in the forum you've already linked to.

Whichever way you choose to deal with it, kyphosis is a life long condition and sitting for several hours a day will not become easier any time soon. I would recommend trying with different sitting positions and wobbly pillows filled with air. I suppose 'heavy' medidation will also enable you to block pain from your brain, I however doubt this being beneficial for your spine.

If you come from Turino you may get cheap flights to Berlin from Milano with AirBerlin, Dr. Wilke is also an experienced scoliosis and kyphosis specialist with an excellent reputation (inter alia in this forum) so far. He works together with cctec, a company which builds high quality kyphosis braces , also for adults, and sort of shares the "number one" position next to Rahmouni in brace reputation here in Germany. I also know they have a few customers from I believe Russia who pay themselves so this is possible. There is cheap hostels in Berlin or you could couchsurf, and the city itself is always worth a visit. Just an idea...perhaps you could ask this brace builder or ring the medical assistant's at the orthopaedist's desk how the procedure is with potential patients from other EU countries.

All the best

[giulio_b]

Thank you,

I have just sent this email to praxis.removethis.andthis.@gwz-steglitz.de, asking for an appointment with Dr. Wilke (a little more at hand in terms of traveling).

Gentle,

My name is Giulio Bergamini from Turin, Italy; I have the spine
condition called Sheuermann Kyphosis (60° Cobb angle) with moderate
associated pain, and I have been referred to Dr. Wilke and the "cctec"
as good options, since I'm (more or less urgently) looking for a
proper diagnosis and to purchase a back brace to manage the pain. I'm
really looking froward to this because I will be enrolling for an
intensive study and working period starting from this october, at
which I fear my back won't be able to cope; Also, the bracing
solutions we have in Italy are rather retrograde..

Although I don't speak German, I'm a very good English speaker and I'm
able to sustain any given cost (in monetary terms).

May I ask how could I contact you to arrange an appointment in Berlin
with Dr. Wilke (if it is possible), at the first available date
starting from now?

Thank you very much,

Giulio Bergamini
(phone number)

Waiting for a reply. If I don't get a response within monday I'm going to give them a call.

I don't know how much a brace would cost, but up to 4500-5000 euro would be still OK - hope I'll be able to arrange for cost-covering by my health care though.

Thank you two and everyone infinitely again, i'll update in some time.

[Dolphingirl94]

Ich habe das Thema ins richtige Board verschoben.

I switched the board for this thread because it is more suitable.

[BarneyStinson122]

Thank you,

I have just sent this email to praxis.removethis.andthis.@gwz-steglitz.de, asking for an appointment with Dr. Wilke (a little more at hand in terms of traveling).

Gentle,

My name is Giulio Bergamini from Turin, Italy; I have the spine
condition called Sheuermann Kyphosis (60° Cobb angle) with moderate
associated pain, and I have been referred to Dr. Wilke and the "cctec"
as good options, since I'm (more or less urgently) looking for a
proper diagnosis and to purchase a back brace to manage the pain. I'm
really looking froward to this because I will be enrolling for an
intensive study and working period starting from this october, at
which I fear my back won't be able to cope; Also, the bracing
solutions we have in Italy are rather retrograde..

Although I don't speak German, I'm a very good English speaker and I'm
able to sustain any given cost (in monetary terms).

May I ask how could I contact you to arrange an appointment in Berlin
with Dr. Wilke (if it is possible), at the first available date
starting from now?

Thank you very much,

Giulio Bergamini
(phone number)

Waiting for a reply. If I don't get a response within monday I'm going to give them a call.

I don't know how much a brace would cost, but up to 4500-5000 euro would be still OK - hope I'll be able to arrange for cost-covering by my health care though.

Thank you two and everyone infinitely again, i'll update in some time.

Hi!

The costs for a brace are approximately 3500€.
Every change of the brace cost about 150-200€ or more when there are many things to change.
Try to get as much as possible from the health care, maybe you also could get money back by tax return.

Yours Martin

[Thomas]

Hello Giulio,

Dr. Wilke is a good address, but if you don't get a quick answer from there: Do you have sent already an email to Dr. Hoffmann (he works together withe the bracemmaker Rahmouni, email: Skoliose-Hoffmann-Leonberg@t-online.de), or directly to the Rahmouni company (email: info@rahmouni.de)? Dr. Hoffmann ist a medical expert specialized on scoliosis and kyphosis, Rahmouni manufactures the well known Rahmouni-braces.

They both also speak English, so it schould be no problem to communicate with them. Dr. Hoffmann also work's together with the Schroth-Klinik in Bad Sobernheim and the Schroth-Klinik in Bad Salzungen. Direct flights from Turin to Stuttgart are -as far as I know - also available.

The manufactering of a Rahmouni-brace takes about 2 to 4 weeks from making of the cast to the delivery of the brace. But you should be prepared that you should visit the bracemaker at least twice a year to make corrections to the brace.

Regards

Thomas

[giulio_b]

Thank you gentlemen for all the informations. Forca even offered to intercede on my behalf in the case something goes wrong with future communications, and really I couldn't have asked nor imagined for a fraction of the assistance I received here, so TY.

Now, I'm going to try anything I can to make my damn health care to cover for the fees, because now that I think about it a little more deeply, the total cost including travels, accommodations, adjustments and various bills could well jump up to the 6000-7500 range considering everything. But I've made some research and due to an EU regulamentation that's to be ratified by every country the 28 of october (a sort of "schengen" of health care, they call it) that will be possible, so I'll probably resisting for a month or two more than I planned (as usual, btw), and eventually have the brace built almost for FREE, gently offered by the IT governament.

Going to update here.

Thank you.

[Silas]

Good morning Giulio,

Of course, you can ask your health insurance for a treatment in Germany - we have here in the forum some successfull cases.

The law project, you are referring to, has rough edges...

You will be allowed to undergo a treatment even in other EU states, but this does not mean, any treatment and not for any price.
In Germany, there are 2 types of accounting systems: 1 for compulsory health insurance and 1 for private. For foreigners, the private cost rate is used and usually, you only will get back the amount, your health insurance would have payed in Italy.

In addition to that, you have to ask first your health insurance for greater health projects.

Any treatment out of the scope of services, may possibly be not be refunded.

So, the best way is to clear your problem up with your health insurance.

Buena domenica.
Silas

[mariner97]

I'm in a similar situation temporarily in Germany but a US citizen. I'm curious how you made out with getting the brace directly from Rahmouni?