My daughter’s friend has scoliosis and uses a full body brace. Her mother said that she may have to have traction before she has surgery to fix her back. Would the brace not be the same thing as the traction?

Scoliosis, curving of the spine from side to side, can be mild and left untreated, or it can be severe. If it is severe, treatment is usually needed because the curved back can cause the chest cavity to be too small and there isn’t enough room for the lungs to expand and for the heart.

Bracing is usually the first treatment that is tried but this is usually to stop further curving, it doesn’t usually reverse the curve. Surgery can be done to help straighten the spine. The surgeons use rods, wires and screws to stabilize the spine and keep it from curving further. Because spinal surgery is delicate, doctors are always looking for ways to decrease the risks of complications. One method many surgeons use is traction. Their patients will have traction for a few weeks to try to soften the curve so it’s not as severe. Then, the doctor will do the surgery.

There is debate as to whether using traction before surgery is better than just surgery alone and research is continuing.