Handbook for Patients

Answers to Questions Commonly Asked by Patients

  1. A lack of calcium will not cause scoliosis.
  2. Poor posture does not cause scoliosis.
  3. Carrying a heavy book bag does not cause scoliosis.
  4. Scoliosis is minimally painful in adolescence, but can become so in adulthood.
  5. Braces do not make the spine straight.
  6. Smoking does interfere with bone healing.
  7. The metal implant (spinal instrumentation) does not rust, and is not subject to rejection by the body.
  8. Surgery does not interfere with normal childbearing, nor does mild or moderate scoliosis.
  9. Spinal deformities are not contagious.
  10. At present, there is no known prevention for spinal deformities.
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The Scoliosis Research Society provides information on these web pages regarding research and links as a public service. The SRS believes that patients should contact their treating physician about the relevance of any information listed on the site prior to proceeding with any particular treatment. Just as no two individuals are exactly alike, no two patients with a spinal deformity are the same. Therefore, your spinal deformity surgeon will be the most important source of information about the management of your particular spinal problem.