Scoliosis Specialist

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine. When you look at a person’s spine from behind, it should follow a straight line. With scoliosis, it has a C-shaped or S-shaped curve. In a severe case of scoliosis, the spine may also rotate or twist.

Although scoliosis can develop in younger children, it frequently appears between the age of 10 and the time a child is fully grown. The curvature progresses more rapidly during growth spurts. As a result, it often first develops during the growth spurt just before puberty.

About 80-85% of all cases are idiopathic scoliosis, which means there’s no identifiable cause. Scoliosis may also be caused by a congenital deformity or neuromuscular conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.

What are the symptoms of scoliosis?

Most children develop a mild case of scoliosis and don’t experience pain or discomfort. They do have some degree of body asymmetry, however, so their shoulders, waistline, and hips are uneven.

Scoliosis may also affect the way a person walks and diminish their ability to bend and twist because the spine is more rigid. A severe curvature could cause painful muscle spasms.

What are the benefits of the scoliosis center?

The Scoliosis Center at Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center was founded by Dr. Bederman, who specializes in scoliosis and has more than a decade of experience treating childhood and adult scoliosis.

The Scoliosis Center is dedicated to helping all patients with scoliosis find the expert treatment they need. To meet that goal they offer:

• No-charge scoliosis screening for children and adolescents
• Full-length spinal X-rays

With full-length X-rays, your doctor can precisely determine the amount of curvature and the flexibility of the curves, which is important information for making treatment recommendations.

How is scoliosis treated?

In young children with a mild curvature, the doctor may closely monitor the spine until they’re fully grown to be sure the condition doesn’t worsen. Once their bones are mature, the curvature won’t change.

The doctors at Restore Orthopedics treat most cases of scoliosis without surgery. They may prescribe exercise therapy or a brace. Surgery may be recommended when the bones have stopped growing, the scoliosis is severe, or the doctor determines it’s needed to improve long-term outcomes.

When surgery is necessary, you can rely on the proven quality, effectiveness, and accuracy of robotic spinal surgery using the Renaissance® Guidance System by Mazor Robotics. Dr. Bederman has used the Renaissance for over five years and is world-renowned for his success in scoliosis correction.

If you or your child have scoliosis or suspect a problem, call Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center or book an appointment online.