I’m 32-years old and have had scoliosis since I was 12. I did exercises and wore a brace all through high school. Once I stopped growing, I stopped doing anything. As I get older, I notice my back bothers me more. Would a brace help me now?

Bracing for scoliosis (curvature of the spine) is not recommended for adults. There’s no proof that it reduces the size of the curvature. The spine is stiff and some muscle contractures have developed. And wearing a brace may inhibit muscles that are already weak and in disuse.

Recent studies have shown that uneven muscle strength may be contributing to scoliosis in young people. An exercise program to strengthen the trunk rotator and lumbar extensor muscles has shown improvements in the scoliosis curvature.

The same exercise program may still be helpful for adults with scoliosis. Reports are that a program of progressive resistance exercise (PRE) can help control back pain in older patients with this problem.

It’s best to seek out a place where equipment is available that provides PREs to the spine. Measuring your progress and giving you feedback is very important in helping you stay with the program long enough to see results.