Back Bracing Proven Effective Scoliosis Treatment

For well over 50 years, physicians have been recommending bracing for scoliosis. However, studies have largely shown mixed results of its effectiveness - until now. A new study on youngsters ages 10-15 provides the very best evidence yet that wearing a back brace can slow the progression of the most common form of scoliosis in adolescents. It can even help them avoid painful spine surgery later in life.

During the middle of the study, something that is virtually unheard of happened - the study was stopped early because of the apparent efficiency of bracing! Results showed that the bracing yielded a 72 percent success rate and the benefit actually increased the longer the brace was worn.

Dr. B. Stephens Richards, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas says this new study “proves that brace treatment works for adolescents with scoliosis that are at risk of curve worsening to the point of needing surgery.” Teenagers are often anxious about their appearance in school as many are self-conscious about what their friends and other people are thinking of them.

More than 90 percent of the children who were successfully treated wore their braces for more than 13 hours a day. How would your teen react to back bracing as a treatment option if it meant possibly avoiding surgery down the line?