Spinal surgery should be considered as a last option for treatment of scoliosis. Some patients refuse surgery despite advanced scoliotic deformity.

Surgery entails permanently fixing the spine into rigid alignment. Typically metal rods (Harrington Rods) are inserted bilaterally along each side of the spine. Normal spinal function is compromised forever afterwards, where patients can continue to suffer from chronic back pains, nerve impingements and spinal arthritis.    

Dr. Goldberg, MD:

“Surgery, while an effective method of improving a cosmetic deformity, is a major undertaking with significant risks, and, rather than reinstituting normality, replaces one abnormality (a flexible, curved spine) with another (a rigid, straighter spine).”

                                  Spine, 2001