If you or someone you care about has been told they have scoliosis, one of the first questions is usually: Can you straighten the spine again?
The answer is more complicated than yes or no. Depending on your age and the severity of the curve, treatment may focus on preventing scoliosis from getting worse, reducing pain and improving function – or, in more severe cases, surgically correcting the curve.
Here’s what doctors can do about scoliosis, and what patients should expect from treatment plans.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a C- or S-shaped curve of the spine, and there are different types and causes. The most common type is called idiopathic scoliosis and is most commonly diagnosed in children and teens starting at age 11, according to the National Institute
of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Adults can develop the condition as well.
"Scoliosis can be corrected surgically and sometimes with bracing. So, we treat small curves with bracing to try to prevent them from progressing. We treat the bigger curves with surgery, not only to prevent it from progressing, but we can also correct a large component of the scoliosis," says Dr. Michael Albert, chief of pediatric orthopedics at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.
A 2021 analysis found that non-surgical treatment success can vary based on brace type, while 2025 research found that 40% of people who treated scoliosis with bracing ended up needing surgery anyway.
Considering surgery is a decision your medical team might present as well. "Treatment depends on the magnitude of the curve and the maturity of the patient," Albert says.
Sometimes growing itself can worsen scoliosis. "We try to avoid surgery in children by trying to use bracing and physical therapy techniques to prevent the curves from worsening while they continue to grow," Albert adds.
The prognosis for people with scoliosis
Dr. Archie C Perry Jr., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon for the Spine Institute of Nevada affiliated with Desert Orthopedic Center in Las Vegas, says a common misconception is that "fixing" scoliosis means taking the spine from a significant curve to perfectly straight, which isn’t likely, though "great corrections" are possible and common.
"As long as people have realistic expectations, they are usually overwhelmingly pleased and satisfied with the postoperative results," Perry says, especially for children. He adds that it's unrealistic that people with a ton of pain from scoliosis will suddenly feel pain-free after surgery, and that "the expectation would be a 50% or greater reduction in pain relief."
The odds of fixing scoliosis greatly depend on the severity of your case and your age, and for a specific prognosis, talk with your own health care provider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to treat scoliosis
