My niece will have to wear a brace for scoliosis but she told me that the doctors are deciding on her treatment plan. How does a doctor decide what kind of brace they should use and how long she should wear it every day?

Treatment of scoliosis with a back brace is done to prevent further curvature of the back. To do this, the patient must wear the brace for as long as the doctor recommends and in the proper manner. Failure to do so will result in the treatment failing.

To determine how and how long to brace the back, the doctor has to take into account many issues. These include:

the age of the patient

the severity of the curve

the number of curves

how quickly the curve seems to be progressing

After taking this all into account, the doctor will recommend the brace and the length of time for it to be worn. The patient must visit the doctor on a regular basis so the curve or curves’ progression can be monitored as the treatment may have to be adjusted if the scoliosis appears to be worsening.