My road (Bjorn method + vacuum bell + orthosis)

[Wojteus]

Hi there,

I am 24 years old and I'm having pectus. I am very encouraged by Bjorn method which I think is very interesting and might be great addition to correcting pectus without surgery. Since last summer I am using vacuum bell and for few weeks I am using ribs correction brace similiar to what Dr Haje is using. I think adding methods proposed by Bjorn could be very beneficial to non invasive treatment.

I am currently wearing my brace as long as I can with objective of wearing it 20-23 hours a day. Now I am using it throught a day but I am planning to sleep in it but it's a hard task because it's very uncomfortable. Earlier I was using vacuum bell to make pectus more elastic so the orthosis will have easier time to correct it. Vacuum bell is also great but I don't think it's a way to have permament results. One guy used it for over 5 years each day and results were not permament. Still it's a great tool to pump up pectus for few hours to go to a beach without shame.

My plan is as follows:

While wearing orthosis perform excercises both physical and breathing.

I am currently trying to build up some muscles so I am doing calisthenics excercises which are based on 3 core excercises: push ups, pull ups and squats. Push ups are not recommended for pectus (besides incline pushups) but when wearing orthosis they increase inter thorical pressure which helps in correction.

All excercises are done while wearing rib brace:

- variations of pushups, pull ups and squats for general excercise - this is done 3 times a week and is more demanding form of excercises targeting muscles and in some way pectus

- Bjorn exercises for pure pectus correction - done on rest days: wrestler bridges, kyphosis fixer, sternum lifter, incline pushups, chair pushups, rader chest pulls

- Each day stretching and breathing routine: cobra pose, general stretches from: http://hubpages.com/health/Pectus-Excavatum-Repair-Part-2 and bjorn breathing techniques + baloon pumping

General things I do each day:

- Zero drop shoes and walking each day

- Sleeping without pillow 

My main concern is my flared ribs but I think that with wearing brace for a year or so this will be corrected. 

Here are my photos after using vacuum bell for 4 hours and wearing rib brace:

Before using vacuum bell: 
front: http://imgur.com/a/6hwwU
sides: http://imgur.com/a/1vgnR http://imgur.com/a/YvMCw

After wearing vacuum bell for 4 hours: 
front: http://imgur.com/a/g3Osf
sides: http://imgur.com/a/2ikuZ http://imgur.com/a/cnl4R

Few hours after vacuum bell pectus is still elevated (but not permamently)
front: http://imgur.com/a/hdzLu
sides: http://imgur.com/a/quqVz

Orthosis on: 
http://imgur.com/a/w1Bbk

If you have any questions feel free to post them here I will gladly answer them! Good luck!

[Björn Åkerström]

Hi, thanks for posting this intersting things.

I have been looking around the internet to find evidences for the vacuum bell to fix pe but it is always the same answers i get: small or temporary results, but my methods combined with the vacuum bell may be agreat idea. Just to be clear, have never used the vacuum bell myself.

I wounder if you can tell how much you have improved you pe since you started?

/Björn Å.

[jj]

hey, where did you get your braceand vacuum  from? and how much was it? thanks!