More than a curve: Living with scoliosis
By Admin | February 15, 2026
A young teenage girl reaches for the rigid plastic brace waiting on her desk. She slides it beneath her shirt, tightening the straps until they press against her ribs. It is part of her routine to prevent her spine from curving further. Before she even steps into the classroom, she’s already carrying a weight that most of her peers cannot see.
According to research published in StatPearls, across the globe, 1-3% of adolescents aged 10 to 18 have been diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).
“Most scoliosis is idiopathic, which means we don’t have a reason for why it developed,” said Dr. Erik McGoldrick, an orthopedic surgeon at Providence Medical Group in Eureka, California.
Despite its unclear origins, scoliosis affects more than posture. Emerging between the ages of 10 and 16, scoliosis alters how teens move and sleep, and may also affect their self-esteem. Beyond the physical discomfort that comes with AIS, many teenagers face emotional challenges like anxiety and depression.
The first signs of scoliosis often go unnoticed — an uneven shoulder, a tilted waistline, or clothing that doesn’t fit quite right. Diagnosis typically happens during a routine physical exam, sometimes catching families by surprise. If a teenager’s curve is more than 10 degrees, they have AIS, according to the University of Michigan. Teens with spinal curvatures between 25 and 45 degrees are fitted for a back brace, a treatment designed to prevent curve progression.
Life inside the brace
The brace, which is a hard plastic corrective device, can be very uncomfortable. According to Quinn Willis, a freshman at Hillsdale High School with AIS, the brace forces the individual to sit up very straight and feels significantly restricting. It limits torso movement, making simple tasks like grabbing a pencil difficult.
“When I’m in it for too long, I get a lot of pain. If it’s in the middle of a school day, I tough it out until I go home,” Willis said.
Willis first learned she had scoliosis during a routine checkup in sixth grade, when her pediatrician noticed a curve in her spine. Her curve measured in the 20-30 degree range, and...(More)
For more info please read, More than a curve: Living with scoliosis, by ScotsScoop.com
