I wore a hard plastic brace around my torso from ages 8 to 16 to treat scoliosis, or spinal curvature. Bracing has been standard treatment in children for the past five decades, and I wore my brace diligently, if awkwardly, in the hope that it would contain my S-shaped curvature and stave off the need for spinal fusion surgery. By the time I was 16 and full-grown — and no longer considered at high risk for curve progression — my most prominent spinal curve had stabilized a

The normal human spine is capable of many movement possibilities, specifically side bending, rotation, flexion and extension. Postural changes resulting in reversible curves happen all the time; bending over to pick something off the floor, reaching up high with one arm, carrying a baby on one hip. Even when these postural changes become habitual, they can be reversed so long as bony changes have not occurred (Hawes and O’Brien, 2006). Examples here might include a lower spin