If you are reading this, then it is likely that you, or a loved one, are faced with a difficult decision. On one hand, it is possible that your medical physician is telling you that the only option, depending on the severity of the scoliosis, is either bracing or surgery. These options are to avoid scoliosis from progressing and, in younger patients, to reverse the scoliosis and bring down the curve to ‘normal’.

On the other hand, you have browsed the web and found sites like ours, and would prefer, if you could only have some confirmation of success, to go with a non-surgical approach to scoliosis correction. There are natural alternative scoliosis treatments options as well.
Having studied scoliosis for over 30 years and, as importantly, having had an orthopedist tell my wife and me that “surgery is the only solution to your daughter’s severe scoliosis”, I feel I am in a uniquely qualified position to rationally discuss these options. Having raised my family on chiropractic care as well as various alternative treatments for different health considerations, my observations are the following:
First options should always be the least invasive, not the most invasive to the body.The body, and it is so in the case of scoliosis, does want to correct this serious disorder, but it needs the proper mechanical force vectors and proprioceptive re-education with which to do it.Consider the following medical reference with regard to scoliosis surgery:Curr Opin Pediatr 2001 Feb;13(1):36-41 “[Complications] include the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, Pancreatitis, superior mesenteric artery syndrome, ileus, pneumothorax, hemothorax, chylothorax and fat embolism. Urinary tract infections, wound infection and hardware failure are not addressed.” [They were not addressed because they happened so often!] (i.e. hardware failures).
Surgery is oftentimes considered a success, but that is only insofar as it is completed successfully at the end of the surgery without the patient having significant complications during the procedure. It does not avoid future problems. Unfortunately, these problems arise frequently.Consider another medical reference to scoliosis surgery: Results of Surgical Treatment of Adults with Idiopathic Scoliosis J Bone Joint Surg AM 1987 Jun;69(5) :667-75 Sponseller, Nachemson et al, “Frequency of pain was not reduced… pulmonary function did not change… 40% had minor complications, 20% had major complications, and… there was 1 death [out of 45 patients]. In view of the high rate of complications the limited gains to be derived from spinal fusion should be assessed and clearly explained to the patient.”
The surgeon will not give you these statistics. References to his success rate are only referencing the surgical procedure itself and its resulting reduction (at most 50%) of the original Cobb Angle.However, consider the following medical reference: Spine 2001 Mar 1; 26(5):516-25 “Initial average loss of spinal correction post-surgery is 3.2 degrees in the first year and 6.5 after two years with continued loss of 1.0 degrees per year throughout life.” [So, if a 50 degree Cobb angle is corrected by surgery to 25 degrees, it will return to its pre-operative condition of 50 degrees after roughly twenty years.]
It is wise to do your homework. The first decision to be made is whether or not to have surgery. Once that is made, it will thereafter allow you to take the next step. If surgery is your choice, then it will lead you to inquire about who, what, and where. Long term effects? Try to talk to persons who have had surgery over 10-25 years ago, not two years ago. The initial failures of surgery are not usually apparent till adulthood.
If you pursue a non-surgical approach, it is important to discuss your personal questions with the doctor involved in the scoliosis alternative treatment procedure, and to get comprehensive answers, to feel comfortable that the treating doctor has had years of experience in this field and understands all of your needs.Finally, make a choice; it is crucial to have complete faith in the final decision. Of course, always be willing to ask questions. The proper choice can mean the difference between a normal healthy life for you or a loved one or a debilitating future.Remember, the least invasive approach should always be tried first; you can always obtain surgery as a last resort. Do not let doctors scare you into rushing to the operating table due to being told that ‘it may become much worse so we need to operate right away’. There is almost always enough of a window of opportunity to make a rational choice.
Sincerely, Dr. Daniel S. Hersh