You ask a very good question! A spondy at L4 usually happens due to degeneration at that level of the spine. This degeneration affects the disc, facet joint, or both; and the degeneration or "wearing out" often is asymmetric. When this happens the vertebrae will begin to tilt one way or the other (due to the asymmetric wearing of the disc) and this tilting of the vertebrae can resemble a scoliosis. Similarly when the vertebrae slip, the slippage can occur more on one side than the other which can also resemble scoliosis. Ultimately as degeneration continues, and slippage/wear continues, the curve can increase in size due to the additional tilt/slippage.

Hi Rashmi, if you are 25 you have reached skeletal maturity, so you cannot leverage growth to your advantage as a child would to help straighten your scoliosis. However as an adult, you can still take steps to reduce or prevent any pain, progression, or issues down the road. For adults, this typically consists of scoliosis specific exercises (physiotherapy) and sometimes a soft brace which can aid in strengthening the stabilizing muscles and can also sometimes reduce a curve to some extent, although this depends on the size of your curve, its location, etc. One on the biggest things helped by non-surgical treatment in adults is the aesthetics so your posture and appearance typically can be improved through physiotherapeutic exercises and soft bracing if needed.

Every curve is different, and even when reductions are achieved in 1 month, treatment needs to continue through the end of growth (skeletal maturity) with bracing being slowly weaned off so that the supporting muscles and tissue are able to hold the spine in its new position as well. While drastic and amazing results can be achieved in short periods of time, how much the curve improves is affected by many things including where the curve is located, its size, how "stiff" the curve is, and more. Plus, for results to be permanent and last 15-20+ years as described in the scientific research, treatment needs to continue until the spine has stopped growing. While we do not currently have any clinics outside of the US, we do have patients who travel from all over the world for treatment, and in the event you cannot come see us, our staff are happy to point you in the right direction of a non-surgical scoliosis specialist close to you that goes by the scientific research as our clinic does so that you can find the best care in your local area.

@@Janzenandjanzen Thank you for the informative answer. Is it possible to correct the spine in adulthood as well? I'm 25.

It is possible, however for adults the goal of treatment is more often reducing or eliminating pain, as well as improving aesthetics (ie. rib hump, posture). Some reduction to a curve can be possible as an adult, although how much it can be reduced depends on many things including where the curve is located in the spine, how big it is, how "stiff" it is, etc. Scoliosis specific exercises (also known as PSSE or physiotherapeutic scoliosis specific exercises) as well as a soft brace (ie. Spinecor) can help to strengthen supporting muscles, open up the curve, and potentially reduce the curve to some degree. All of these things would be good to speak with your doctor about so you can also gain a good expectation of how well your specific curve would respond to physiotherapy and/or soft bracing.

Don't give up. The only scientifically proven, non-surgical method to reduce a scoliosis that is as big as yours is a brace. It definitely isn't easy to wear your brace as prescribed, and you do need to make sure that your brace is straightening your spine when you wear it (not just keeping it where it is), but it DOES get easier with time. As you wear your brace more your body gets used to it as you "break in" your brace like a new pair of stiff shoes. Again, the biggest most important keys to success in bracing are making sure the brace is straightening your spine in the brace, and wearing it for 20+ hours a day so that as you grow, your spine is held in a corrected "shape" or posture. Schroth and scoliosis exercises can help strengthen your supporting muscles so that eventually when you are weaned off your brace your body can hold itself in the right posture. Don't give up. Talk to your doctor about the issues you are having, and let them know the problems; there may be small adjustments they can make to your brace to make it more comfortable while still being effective. Talk to other people who have scoliosis and are wearing a brace too as that support can make a world of difference. Something may be hard, but having other people who are going through it with you makes it just a little bit easier :)

Scoliosis Care Centers Thank you so much for this. I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow and make a few adjustments where they’re needed. I won’t give up.

That's the spirit! There is no shame in asking the doctor to show you how well the brace straightens your spine too since science shows that to be a good predictor of success. Never be afraid to ask questions or ask for support when the going gets tough!

Hi Mariam, you ask a very good question. While there is no "cure" for scoliosis, scoliosis is defined as any curve grater than 10º, and so reducing a curve to that range (or close) could arguably be called a "cure" in a loose sense of the term. However for adults this type of reduction is not usually attainable (compared to a young child) due to the fact that the spine has finished growing and the individual is skeletally mature; as well as other compounding problems such as changes in shape that occur in vertebrae over time due to the scoliosis (ie wedged vertebrae). That being said, an adult with scoliosis can certainly improve their daily life through non-surgical treatment by means of reducing pain, helping to prevent further degeneration, and possible reducing the curve to some extent through physiotherapy (scoliosis specific exercises) and sometimes bracing as well.

A curve that severe may be able to be reduced to some degree without surgery, however at 14 years old it would be important to also see if it is truly idiopathic scoliosis (and not neuromuscular or congenital) as well as how skeletally mature your child is. If they still have growth left (skeletally immature) then it would be possible to reduce the curve to some extent, however the likelihood that it could be reduced significantly, below surgical threshold (less than 40-50 degrees) can vary depending on these factors as well as others (ie. how many structural changes have taken place in the spine, etc.).

Hello Donna, you ask a really great question. It isn't so much as the chronological age (how old you are) but how skeletally mature you are that is important. The younger the child the less skeletally mature they are, however kids will go through puberty at different times and reach skeletal maturity at different times; thus two kids the same age could have adifferent levels of skeletal maturity. This is assessed by the Sanders or Risser scale which uses x-ray of the hand (sanders) or pelvis (risser) to approximate how much growth is left. Ideally bracing should begin when a child is skeletally IMMATURE so that their growth spurt can be leveraged as a "corrective force" meaning that as they hit their growth spurt, the spine is held in a straight position by the brace allowing their body to grow straighter, as opposed to this growth spurt causing a rapid worsening of the curve. There is a good paper from 2005 that talks about this concept: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16129750 If you have any additional questions please feel free to reach out!

Hi Sibasundar! Sorry for the delay in responding! If you would like one of our care directors to evaluate your case and speak with you about options available and potential outcomes, please send us an email or complete our short form: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-us/

Hi April! All of our braces are custom made for each patient based on their specific curve and body, here in our clinic in Campbell, CA. You can contact our clinic for additional information regarding our comprehensive program and also speak with a care director specifically about your case :) scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-us/

Hi Sam, the two most common published methods for performing the Adam's forward bending test are standing and sitting. The nervous system is arranged in such a way that the seated position would alleviate tension. If nerve tension is the cause of the rib hump, one would expect the seated position to have less of a rib hump than the standing position. This is is fact the finding of at least one published paper comparing the standing versus sitting Adam's forward bending test where there was a ~10% increase in trunk symmetry when the individuals were sitting as opposed to standing: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17137516

Hi Pallavi, it depends on your age (how skeletally mature you are). As adults (who are skeletally mature) treatment is more a question fo reducing pain and sometimes being able to straigth a curve slightly depending on the structural changes which have already occcurred. Our care directors are happy to speak with you, review any x-rays or MRIs you may have and offer a chance to speak with one of our doctors as well to discuss any help we might be able to provide. If this is something you would like to you can contact one of our care directors here: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-a-care-director/

Scoliosis Care Centers - I want to share my x-ray n seek an advise whether it can be corrected n if yes than how

How can I share my x-ray n Mri

@@artninjapr8310 Hi Pallavi, the link provided previously links to our contact form on our wbepage where you can also upload your MRI/xray images as part of your inquiry. Please let us know if you have any trouble uploading them and we will be happy to send you a contact email :)

Thank you so much for tuning in! We have two videos posted now and will be posting more over time until all 12 things are available for you to watch. Be sure to check back soon for our next video :)

More specifically, would schroth or SAS could help to release the spinal cord tension and what’s the theory? I read through the comments below and found someone mentioning “Advanced Spinal Mobilisation Instrument”. May I also ask ASMI’s impact on spinal cord tension?

Hi Hilary! Nerve tension (spinal cord tension) is treated non-surgically through routine stretching but is done in a way to prevent any worsening of the scoliosis. This is primarily for children and teens as it is the nerve tension driving the formation of the scioliosis due to the spine buckling, curving and rotating to accompdate the tight spinal cord. The stretching we use solves two problmes: (1) it is done in a position where the spine is supported from any further collapse as simply stretching a tight cord would cause the spine to try and collapse further in an effort to relieve the tension. (2) we elimate any "escapres" where the body will again try and relieve the tension from the strech. Think of "escapes" as like when you bend a kneww during a stretch to mkake it less intense. By gradually and safely strecthing the tight cord, we reduce nerve tension and reduce the driving force behind the scoliosis, while also enabling the spine to be straigthened to a greater degree in brace. Again, this is primarily for children and teens as adults who are already skeletally mature already have undergone the curve and rotation that is the hallmark of scoliosis. You can learn more about how nerve tension drives a scoliosis to develop here: scoliosiscarecenters.com/nerve-tension-and-scoliosis/

@@hilarylien829 From what we can tell the ASMI does nothing to treat spinal cord tension as spinal cord tension needs to be treated in a way that (1) prevents the body from trying to adapt from increased tension (increased even more during a stretch) by collapsing or rotatating even further while (2) preventing any "escape" from the stretch. Just like with stretching a muscle, stretching nerves or the spinal cord needs to be done safely, and over time to increase the length of the tissue. There are many published scientific articles and research regarding stretching of nerves, connective tissue (ie ligaments), muscles, etc. which can provide a useful "guide" to the principles of nerve stretching. We were unable to find anything within the published scientific literature regarding the ASMI.

She’s 10 years old and 8 months. 2 months ago it just happened for her to have scoliosis and she was kept in constant view in the summer by my mom and she never had it before.

Hi Donato. Surgery is typically recommended once a curve reaches "surgical threshold" which is usually 40 or 50 degrees depending on the doctor/clinic. However, for children and teens there is still room to prevent surgery by utilizing their adolescent growth spurts to our advantage through bracing in conjunction with nerve stretching and physiotherapeutic exercises for scoliosis. The idea begind the comprehensive treatment being to reduce nerve tension to reduce the driving force, restore range of motion and allow the spine to be straightened as much as possible, utilizing a hyper corrective brace to hold the spine straigth during adolescent growth spurts and use them to our advantage, and then hold the spine in a corrective position until skeletal maturity and then slowly wean off the brace so that the results are permanent and the spine's supporting muscles are strong. We are happy to rveiew any xrays or mris your sister may have and suggest next steps, even if we cannot directly help. You can contact one of our care directors and doctors here: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-a-care-director/

I just had an appointment today and I was told that my scoliosis has worsened from 13 to 24 degrees in the last 2 years. I'm gonna have a brace and I'm really afraid of it not working or people bullying me and giving me weird looks because of it...

Don't be afraid! A lot of our patients find that when they tell their friends about their brace that their support group "has their back". If you are sensitive about your appearance while wearing the brace, there are a ton of ways to make it less noticeable or turn it into a fashion accessory. We have an older blog post that talks about this: scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-bracing-is-beautiful/ As far as the brace working, the key to successful bracing is making the spine as straight as possible in the brace, and continuing bracing until you reach skeletal maturity. Physiotherapy has also been shown to enhance the results of bracing when done during bracing. One more key aspect to getting the best results with bracing is addressing any underlying problems that would limit how straight the brace can make your spine: nerve tension and contractures. Both can be treated non-surgically to restore mobility to the spine and allow it to be straightened more in the brace. You can learn about how we do this in our clinic here scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-treatment-scoliosis-flexibility-trainer/ and also here scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-root-cause-treatment/

@@Janzenandjanzen Thank you ❤

Hi Ben, the Adam's test isn't an exercise but is a method of measuring the "rib hump" that is common with scoliosis. It may also be useful for detetcting nerve tension, but including it with schroth breathing isn't necessary

Hi Vicky! You can contact our clinic via email at [email protected] Alternatively you can also fill out our contact form and one of our care directors will get back to you as soon as possible: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-a-care-director/ If we can do anything else to assist just let us know!

Hello Catherine! While our staff has attended two training seminars related to the Scoliosis Activity Suit, this video as well as our opinions on the device also stem from the scientific literature. There is an international group of doctors, clinicians, orthotists, and researchers: Scientific Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) that meets annually to discuss past, present and future research and treatments in order to continually improve the quality of care for scoliosis patients of all kinds (idiopathic, congenital, neuromuscular, etc.). This group regularly publishes guidelines for treatment in peer-reviewed scientific/medical literature to guide treatment and ensure what we and other clinics do is supported by science and research. The most recent guidelines published by SOSORT (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29435499) indicate that (1) Bracing is recommended to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; but more importantly that (2) for kids with curves greater than 25 degrees who are still actively growing, bracing is recommended AND that exercise (physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises) should NOT be used by itself (it should be used in addition to bracing) as a treatment. These recommendations by SOSORT are based on multiple randomized controlled scientific studies (you can learn how this type of study is objective and impartial on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomized_controlled_trial) and should be applied to most patients, but is not necessarily required for all patients. The SOSORT guidelines also state that braces should be worn full time at least 18 hours a day. This suggestion is based on a single randomized controlled study. It is important to note that there are many scientific studies that confirm bracing as an effective treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; not just to prevent surgery but also reduce the curve sizes as well. A few of these include a 2011 study by Dr. Bialek et al (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22122964); Dr. Aulisa et al who also showed that curve reductions achieved through bracing can last 15+ years (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29094108); and a study by Dr. Clin et al. showing the straighter you make the spine in a brace (and hold it there) the better the long term result of bracing treatment (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21330954). Ultimately the goal of treatment is not only to stop progression and prevent surgery, but to help straighten the spine for a better long term quality of life. This can be done non-surgically as is supported by the scientific and medical literature :) This is precisely why we mention in the video that the Scoliosis Activity Suit should not be used by actively growing children with curves 25 degrees or above. We are not saying that the Scoliosis Activity Suit has no use in treating scoliosis, but rather the activity suit has its own applications and circumstances where it can be useful for treatment; BUT it should not be used without a brace for children with curves of this size (>25 degrees) who are still growing.

@@Janzenandjanzen It sounds like you are implying that the Scoliosis Activity Suit is a brace, but the name itself belies that. Very confusing!

We understand that it can be confusing whether or not the Scoliosis Activity Suit could be thought of as a brace, even with its name. Some doctors out there do try and utilize the Scoliosis Activity Suit to support a scoliosis into a corrective position. Similarly it is most routinely utilized to “challenge” the scoliosis; meaning that the patient would be actively resisting the device to self-correct (as an exercise) to help strengthen the supporting muscles. If you think about it, these are our two options with a device to treat scoliosis: we can use a device to support a scoliosis and hold it into a corrective position, or we can “challenge” the scoliosis to help condition the patient’s muscles and train the body to self-correct. Thus, this is why the Scoliosis Activity Suit is referred to as an exercise; however we have heard from users of the scoliosis activity suit that they sometimes will use it as a form of brace so that it pulls them in a direction that supports their spine. *** We love innovative ideas, and the SAS suit is without a doubt an innovative idea. We also use innovative and not-yet-published ideas in our clinic. The main point we are trying to make, is that the SAS is still untested by adequate research, and it is potentially harmful to use the SAS by itself, without a brace in a growing child that has a curve over 25 degrees. ***

He needs to hire body guard remember what happened to all those poorhomopathicnaturalists!

Hello Kavya. Some individuals who undergo spinal surgery for scoliosis ultimately require second or "revision" surgeries to correct issues, deal with infection, etc. Depending on what region of the spine was fused, issues can occur in other regions (ie. fusion in the thoracic with issues encountered in the lumbar following surgery). One of our doctors would be happy to review your case and provide more detailed feedback; you can contact one of our care directors below and they will put you in touch with one of our doctors ASAP: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-us/

Sir, IAM consulted my doctor till my 18th age after surgery but he don't told me about a second surgery even if he found my posture was not good.what was it's reason?

​@@kavyarajankavya6031 Hello again Kavya. Revision surgeries are not always required as their need is determined by each individual case. Poor posture can be corrected to a certain degree through physiotherapeutic scoliosis specific exercises (PSSE) and typically does not require a second/revision surgery. PSSE should be performed under the guidance of a physician/physical therapist to ensure they are assisting and not ineffective or making the scoliosis worse. We discuss various scoliosis specific exercises here for your further reading: scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-treatment-exercises/

Hello! All of our braces are custom made based on an individual's curve type, body, and treatment program. If you contact one of our care directors we would be happy to evaluate your curve and provide a customized treatment plan: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-a-care-director/

Hello @ceatlove; depending on where in your upper thoracic area the curve is it may be relatively stable. If it is occurring within the T1-T6 region these tend to be stable. However if your curve is more in the T4-T10 region it may be helpful to look into exercises, breathing techniques, etc. If you have an x-ray, MRI or other image of your curve one of our doctors would be happy to review it and provide some additional evaluation: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-a-care-director/

Hello! Kylee utilized our comprehensive treatment program which was individualized and included bracing as well as scoliosis specific exercises such as Schroth. You can read more about our methods here: scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-treatment-sv-method/

Hello! While we unfortunately do not have a clinic in Sydney, we do have a case manager located in New Zeland who would be able to speak with you on a more local time zone. Our patients come to us from all over the world as well, so please let us know if we can help to put you in contact with your more local case manager

Hello Hossain! Please visit our contact page which contains phone, email and other methods of contact so one of our care directors can get in touch: scoliosiscarecenters.com/contact-us/

Hi Lizzie, many people experience uncomfortable and ultimately ineffective bracing for a few reasons: The spine, just like most other bones in your body is connected with many ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissue. This tissue can become stiff and inflexible over time if your body has not been utilizing them or moving in those manners; just like how you lose range of motion after removing your cast when you break a joint such as a wrist, ankle, etc. If the tissues are stiff, then utilizing a brace can have limited effect and be painful as you are exerting pressure but are not able to exert enough pressure to stretch or loosen those tight connective tissues. A brace, just as with braces for teeth has two purposes: bring something into the correct position, and hold it there while that position change becomes permanent. Just as with braces for teeth, when the brace is first tightened, there is some discomfort while things are being pulled/pushed into place; however over time this dissipates as the position is held and the position more or less becomes permanent. For the spine, we restore the functionality to these connective tissues by stretching these tissues that have become tight and reduced in mobility over time while also training the body (through exercise) to strengthen muscles and stabilize the spine. We have some great educational resources on our site that go further into detail about this topic: scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-treatment-scoliosis-flexibility-trainer/ scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-brace-silicon-valley-brace/ scoliosiscarecenters.com/scoliosis-treatment-exercises/