Treatment for children
Back brace
A back brace is custom-made to fit an individual body.
Normally, a back brace is made of rigid plastic, but there are
also flexible braces. A back brace helps push the spine into
certain directions, straightening it out. The purpose of a
brace is to decrease the risk of scoliosis worsening and to
prevent surgery. In the back, brace pressure is placed onto
the curves in the spine, this will stop the curves from
worsening, their progression will be controlled like this. A
back brace could be worn for years and can only be worn
when the spine is still growing. It is often prescribed for
curves of 20 or 30 degrees. There are different types of
braces like the ones worn throughout the day for 16-
hours: the Wilmington brace, the Milwaukee brace, the
Boston brace. Braces can also be worn throughout the
night for 8-10 hours like the Providence brace, the
Charleston bending brace. The difference between a day
and night brace is that a night brace only works when lying
down, the night brace would put pressure on the spine
bending it past the midline of the back.
Most kids with scoliosis have mild curves and mostly would
not need to wear a brace or do surgical therapy. Children
who have moderate scoliosis often need frequent checkups
to see if the curvature of their spines has changed as they
grow.