When the Spine Curves: Treatments for Scoliosis

The Treatment of Scoliosis

Electrical Muscle Stimulation:
An Alternative to Bracing?

Most adolescent scoliosis patients with curves ranging from 25 to 40 degrees wear a back brace for at least a year. However, the drawbacks associated with bracing - wearing an uncomfortable brace around the clock, and feeling self-conscious while wearing the brace - prove to be insurmountable for some. These disadvantages prompted a search for alternative forms of treatment. Electrical muscle stimulation, a process involving the stimulation of back muscles through electrical impulses from a surface stimulator, was developed. Stimulator patches were applied to the convex side of a major curve and were generally used when the patient rested. Intermittent electrical impulses were thought to strengthen the muscles on this side of the curve, which in theory forces the spine into a straighter position.

This unobtrusive method was more acceptable to patients and increased the rate of compliance. However, electrical muscle stimulation has proven to be completely ineffective in preventing curve progression. It is used by some chiropractors, but is no longer used as a treatment by those who specialize in scoliosis.