Common questions about scoliosis and bracing
When is a brace needed? How many hours a day? Will my child need surgery? Short answers to the questions parents ask most.
A brace is usually prescribed when the Cobb angle is roughly 20–25° up to 40–45° and the child still has growth potential. Below that range, monitoring is often enough; above it, surgery may be considered.
Standard wear is 16–23 hours a day depending on the curve. The closer to full-time wear, the better the control of progression. Modern braces are thin and ventilated, so they can be worn discreetly under a uniform.
The goal of bracing is not always to "straighten" the spine but to stop the curve progressing during the rapid growth years. When detected early, many cases achieve meaningful correction.
The child still needs exercise and review every 3–6 months for an X-ray check and brace adjustment. Once the skeleton matures, the clinician plans a gradual reduction in wear time.
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