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Mount Sinai Spine Center
5 East 98th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10029

Mount Sinai Doctors Manhasset
1155 Northern Boulevard,
3rd Floor, Suite 300
Manhasset, NY 11030

Prevention and Treatment for Adolescent Scoliosis

Scoliosis can be a devastating diagnosis for any parent or adolescent. Being aware of certain prevention techniques can help reduce the risk of developing scoliosis.

Hong Kong Study on New Treatment Approach

According to the study, dietary supplements may be considered as a new approach to treatment for patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). This finding comes from a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. The Chinese University of Hong Kong study revealed that the combination of vitamin D and calcium may help prevent curvature progression in adolescent girls between the ages of 11 and 14 with a Cobb angle of 15 degrees, along with reduced bone mass.

During this study, 330 patients were randomly and equally divided into three groups. Participants in the group for low-dose vitamin D received a daily dose of 600 mg of calcium and Vitamin D 400 IU. The group for the higher dose of vitamin D received 600 mg of calcium, along with vitamin D IU each day. For the placebo group, placebo tablets were administered.

Following two years of treatment, further evaluation revealed significant evidence for bone health improvement in AIS patients who were undergoing supplementation.

Advancement for Physicians

Although preventing scoliosis is exciting for adolescents and their parents, physicians also share in the excitement since they can use this information to provide preventative care to their patients. Adding vitamin D and calcium to a diet of an adolescent with scoliosis should become a common practice. Thanks to this study, new avenues are opening up for physicians to explore.

New studies involving supplements and nutrition may be performed sometime in the future, in anticipation of preventing or treating other health conditions.