Treatments - Scoliosis (Page 3)
Back Braces
Bracing is designed to stop the progression of the spinal curve, but it does not reduce the amount of angulation already present. The majority of curve progression happens during a child's growth phase, and once the growth has ended, there is little likelihood of progression of a curve. Therefore, bracing is continued until the child is skeletally mature and finished growing.
Curves that tend to continue to progress after skeletal maturity are those that are greater than 50 degrees in angulation, so the treatment objective is to try to get the child into adulthood with less than a 50 degree curvature.
There are two types of commonly used scoliosis braces: a thoracolumbar sacral orthosis (TLSO) and a Charleston bending brace.
- The TLSO is a custom molded back brace that applies three-point pressure to the curvature to prevent its progression. It can be worn under loose fitting clothing, and is usually worn 23 hours a day. This type of scoliosis brace can be taken off to swim or to play sports.
- A Charleston bending back brace applies more pressure and bends the child against the curve. This type of scoliosis brace is worn only at night while the child is asleep.
