Understanding Scoliosis: What Parents and Patients Should Know After a Diagnosis

Oct 22

Written By Dr. Rosemary Carvajal, PT, DPT

Hearing the word scoliosis for the first time can be overwhelming. Whether you’re a parent learning your child has a spinal curve or an adult discovering one yourself, it’s normal to feel uncertain about what comes next. The important thing to know is that you are not alone, and scoliosis can be managed effectively with the right care and education.

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional curvature of the spine. It can range from mild to more noticeable, and each person’s curve is unique.

For many children and teens, scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning the cause isn’t known. For adults, scoliosis may change with age-related changes or previous spinal issues.

What Causes Scoliosis?

The most common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, where the cause is unknown but often appears during growth spurts. Other causes include:

Congenital scoliosis – present at birth due to spinal development differences.

Neuromuscular scoliosis – linked to conditions like cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.

Degenerative scoliosis – develops in adults due to age-related changes in the spine.

What Happens After a Diagnosis?

After a scoliosis diagnosis, your care team will look at several factors including age, curve size, and growth potential to decide what’s best. Common recommendations may include:

Bracing: If your child is still growing, a brace can help prevent curve progression.
Scoliosis-Specific Physical Therapy (PSSE): A specialized form of exercise that uses a customized, three dimensional approach to manage curvatures.
Surgery: Reserved for more severe or progressive curves.

Support for Parents

Parents play a vital role in the scoliosis journey. Encouragement, patience, and small reminders to stay consistent with home exercises or bracing make a big difference. If your child feels discouraged or self-conscious, remind them that having scoliosis doesn’t define them; it’s simply something they have, not who they are.

Support for Adults

Adults with scoliosis might often notice stiffness, asymmetry, fatigue, or discomfort. Physical therapy can help manage pain, improve mobility, and prevent further progression of scoliosis helping you stay strong and active at every stage of life.

Moving Forward with Confidence

A scoliosis diagnosis can feel like a big moment, but it’s also a starting point — not a stopping one. With early detection, guided care, and specialized exercise, patients and families can face scoliosis with understanding and confidence.

✅ If you or your child have recently been diagnosed with scoliosis, ScoliSource offers individualized scoliosis-specific physical therapy to help you move better, and live confidently. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an initial evaluation.

Dr. Rosemary Carvajal, PT, DPT

Dr. Rosemary Carvajal, PT, DPT is a board-certified Doctor of Physical Therapy and scoliosis-specific rehabilitation specialist. She has dedicated her career to helping children, adolescents, and adults with scoliosis and other spinal conditions move with greater ease, manage pain, and achieve lasting improvements in posture and function.

Rosemary is certified in the Rigo Concept BSPTS (Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School) method (L1, L2, L3 Advanced Certification) and SEAS (Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis) method, both internationally recognized systems of Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercises (PSSE) that evolved from the original Schroth Method. These advanced certifications allow her to design individualized treatment plans rooted in the most current research and best practices in scoliosis care.

Her passion for scoliosis rehabilitation is deeply personal. As a teenager, Rosemary wore a scoliosis brace and later underwent spinal fusion surgery. She has experienced firsthand the physical, emotional, and social challenges that scoliosis can bring. Today, she continues to practice scoliosis-specific exercise herself, which fuels both her empathy and her belief in the effectiveness of the methods she teaches. This lived experience allows her to provide not only clinical expertise but also compassionate, understanding care that truly connects with patients and families.

Rosemary provides scoliosis-specific physical therapy across the lifespan, including pre- and post-surgical care, brace management support, and long-term exercise programs. Her clinical practice is complemented by active involvement in research.

Beyond clinical care, Rosemary serves on the Communication Committee of SOSORT (International Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment), where she helps advance global education and collaboration in scoliosis treatment.

Her approach blends advanced clinical expertise with personal experience and compassion. By combining evidence-based scoliosis-specific exercise methods with a hybrid practice model- offering both in-home and private clinic sessions, Rosemary ensures that every patient receives personalized care designed to support both spinal health and quality of life.