Scoliosis FAQ

Scoliosis is a condition that affects the neuromuscular system, causing the spine to bend in a C-shaped curve or S-shaped curve. About 80 percent of cases are adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), which means of unknown cause. AIS affects 2-3 percent of children. It’s most common in girls age 10 and older, yet boys get AIS, as well. Your child may not have obvious signs or pain if scoliosis is detected in its early stages.

For more information, see our page dedicated to answering “What is Scoliosis?”

• One leg longer than the other
• Shoulders hang unevenly
• Eye or hip line is uneven
• Forward head posture
• A rib hump

• Get a risk assessment test and a neurotransmitter test for your child. The first predicts the probability of progression. The second detects chemical and hormonal imbalances that contribute to progression.
• Talk to us about ScoliSMART™ Small Curve Camp to start Auto Response Training exercises. Learn more about these exercises below where we explain our unique approach to scoliosis treatment.

Observation, bracing and surgery are the three most common treatments for scoliosis. Often, doctors will recommend monitoring curves that measure less than 25 degrees, scoliosis braces when curves reach 25 degrees, and surgery if curves progress to 40 degrees or greater. It is not the intention of ScoliSMART™ doctors to condemn the efforts of sincere and caring medical professionals who have dedicated their lives to helping people with scoliosis, but we cannot support any of these historic treatments because they all have poor outcomes.

The Cobb angle is a two-dimensional angle a doctor draws based on an x-ray, MRI or CT scan. The Cobb angle fails to give doctors all the necessary information, however, because it’s a two-dimensional measurement of a three-dimensional spine. A Cobb angle doesn’t account for spine rotation. Newer methods of evaluating your child’s spine structure give us more reliable information. These include methods such as the Scoliometer and both the Nash-Moe and Perdriolle measurements for vertebral rotation.

The chances your child’s scoliosis will progress are much lower when the curve is mild, measuring less than 20 degrees. The probability of progression with mild curves is 22 percent. The chances of progression skyrockets to 68 percent after your child’s curve reaches 20 degrees. The chances scoliosis will advance rises to 90 percent once the curve exceeds 30 degrees. For this reason, the ScoliSMART™ doctors emphasize the importance of early intervention when possible.

Starting neuromuscular retraining as early as possible provides the best outcomes. Plus, the probability of scoliosis progression increases exponentially as the curve becomes more severe, as mentioned above. We want to keep your child’s curve from reaching 20 degrees — or reduce it to less than 20 degrees — whenever possible.

One-sided sports, deep backbends and activities that alter the spine’s position can trigger scoliosis progression. (They won’t cause the condition, however, because it’s genetic.) We recommend limiting activities ranging from high-impact running to frequent texting. It’s important to let your child be a child, while protecting the spine. See our recommendations of scoliosis dos and don’ts for more information.

A high-quality firm or medium-firm mattress is ideal if you have scoliosis. We recommend you don’t sleep on your stomach, which puts stress on your neck and spine. Using small pillows or rolled towels under your rib cage or shoulders to support your curve while you sleep on your side may be the most comfortable. You may also put a pillow or rolled towel between your knees. For more information, see our article on scoliosis sleeping tips.