Scoliosis and Other Spinal Curvatures

Any condition affecting the spine’s structure, such as scoliosis or other spinal curvatures, requires highly specialized care. As Michigan’s leading spine care program, doctors at Henry Ford Health have the training and expertise to treat the most complex spine problems.

Scoliosis care: Why choose Henry Ford?

The comprehensive spine program at Henry Ford offers:

• Expertise: Our team includes fellowship-trained spine surgeons. This high level of expertise means they can treat major spine injuries and complex disorders like scoliosis.
• Collaborative team: Spine surgeons collaborate with neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, trauma specialists and other providers to ensure you receive the specialized care you deserve.
• Complete care: From our innovative Spine Prehab program to our post-surgical rehabilitation services, you get expert care before, during and after spine treatment.

Spinal curvatures we treat

An abnormal curvature of the spine can have a variety of causes. It may be congenital, which means it’s present at birth.

Curvature can also develop due to degeneration. Over time, the vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the spine can weaken and become misaligned, resulting in curvature.

Traumatic injuries, such as spinal fractures, or previous spine surgeries can also lead to curvature.

Spinal curvatures can occur anywhere along the spine. However, older adults are more likely to develop degenerative scoliosis in the lower back (lumbar spine).

Our spine specialists treat the full range of spinal curvature disorders in adults, including:

• Scoliosis, an S-shaped or C-shaped sideways curve
• Kyphosis, an abnormally rounded upper back
• Multiplanar deformity, or a curve that bends in multiple directions

Children with congenital spine abnormalities can receive treatment from Henry Ford’s pediatric orthopedics program.

Scoliosis diagnosis

Our spine experts typically diagnose scoliosis and other spinal curvatures starting with a physical exam. However, imaging tests can help us determine if an underlying issue is contributing to the curvature. For instance, an X-ray, CT scan or MRI can identify back injuries, degenerative disc conditions or areas of nerve compression.

Nonsurgical scoliosis treatment

Mild to moderate forms of scoliosis can often be managed conservatively. Our board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians specialize in nonsurgical treatments for spinal curvatures. Whether you need physical therapy to regain spinal strength and flexibility, or pain therapy to temporarily relieve discomfort, Henry Ford has the services you need.

Scoliosis surgery

Severe spinal curves may require surgery. The fellowship-trained spine surgeons at Henry Ford specialize in correcting spinal curvature while preserving as much mobility as possible. Few spine centers in the region have experts with this level of training and experience.

Revision surgery

We can treat spinal curvatures caused by previous spine surgeries. In addition to the traditional approach of accessing the spine from the back (posterior), our surgeons are experts in nontraditional techniques. We can perform spine surgery from the side (lateral) and from the front (anterior). These different approaches minimize damage to surrounding tissues and prevent the need to access the spine through a previous scar.

Fusion surgery

For a severe spinal curvature, we may need to stabilize the spine at several levels. Our spine surgeons excel at performing complex, multilevel fusions. Robotic technology and the guidance of live CT scans help us place hardware with pinpoint accuracy.

Realignment surgery

Our surgeons can reshape the spine by performing highly specialized osteotomy procedures. By strategically removing vertebrae and realigning the spine with hardware or implants, we can greatly improve scoliosis and other multiplanar curvatures.

Take the next step

Spine care for scoliosis and other curvatures is within reach. Request an in-person or virtual appointment with one of our experts.