No, it is not just a “sideways curve of > 10 degrees”. (This is my pet peeve- lacks so much nuance). Vertebral rotation/torsion is the foundational component. It is a 3-dimensional change (very important distinction) affecting the shape and orientation of the vertebra, the spatial relationship between the head, spine, & pelvis, and the movement qualities of the ribcage.

This is not a straight forward answer, I’m afraid. It depends on a lot of factors including your age, skeletal maturity, Cobb angle, comorbidities, overall health status, and what you are doing right now to halt/reverse progression. Luckily, if we have all this information, we can pretty accurately predict what your future will hold.

Excellent question, I’m glad you asked. We generally don’t recommend bracing for curves < 20 degrees, although there are some exceptions. Cheneau-style braces consistently outperform Boston braces on just about every measurable metric.

Almost always no. This recommendation was misinterpreted to begin with an no one ever bothered to double check. I’m not sure I know of any other medical conditions where your doctor tells you “lets wait until this is way worse before we do something about it”. Mind blowing, really.

Like crack your back and put your bones back in place? No. That’s not how bones work. We would be in deep trouble if it was. With scoliosis, the bones change shape in such a way that would prevent them from just stacking in a better alignment anyways, even if it did work that way. But can a chiropractor still use diligently researched, up-to-date evidence-based, treatments like anyone else? Yes. Just make sure to pick a good one.

I think “need” is the wrong term here. Curves > 45 degrees meet the criteria for surgical intervention, but that’s not to say you need to do it. Age, the type of surgery in question, likelihood of further progression, pain & symptomology, overall health, and perhaps aesthetics will all play a role in that choice.

This is a legitimate concern that has derailed more could-have-been-a-success stories than I can remember. In these cases, we talk through what the best return on investment, low risk high reward interventions might be to implement in order to avoid burnout and total disengagement