Conditions
Scoliosis
Scoliosis affects millions worldwide, but is often misunderstood.
7 million
Americans are living with scoliosis (2-3% of the population).1
Girls are
8x more likely
to progress to a magnitude that requires treatment.2
10-15 years old
Primary age for the onset of scoliosis.1
Treatment can help.
Scoliosis is sometimes treated with observation or bracing. Sometimes corrective surgery is advised.
Meet Josephine
Josephine is Medtronic's scoliosis patient mascot. She's here to help patients and families like you navigate your scoliosis journey. Check out her resources to learn more about how to not let scoliosis stand in the way.
Hi, I'm Josephine!
"I have scoliosis and I'm waiting for an operation to make it better. If you have scoliosis, or you know someone else who does, check out my handy guide to learn more about what scoliosis is, how doctors can treat it, and more!"
2025 featured patient story
The information in this article is not a substitute for talking to your doctor. Always talk to your doctor or other qualified health care provider about your medical condition and the risks and benefits of available treatments.
This patient's story is based on one individual's experience. Not all patients will experience similar results.
Monica’s story
As kids go, Monica was always on the move.
“She absolutely loved swimming, volleyball, decorating and painting,” said her father Roberto. “Her passion was contagious. She wore us out in a good way. We never saw any hints of physical problems. She was perfectly healthy.”
That all changed when Monica turned six.
Her parents noticed that her body curved to the left when she walked, and a similar curve began forming in her back. Doctors in Monica’s hometown of Managua, Nicaragua did a variety of tests and eventually diagnosed her with scoliosis, a painful condition that sometimes afflicts children, generally girls, during growth spurts.
“We had never heard of scoliosis and so the news was devastating,” Roberto remembers. “The more we learned the more frightened we became.”
Monica experienced many symptoms: back pain, pain in her lower limbs, cramps, fatigue, headaches, and trouble sleeping. Suddenly the girl with so much energy and love for sports couldn’t participate in gym class or play games that might hurt her back.
“I felt sad because I had so much fun doing those things but then I couldn’t,” Monica said. “Sometimes I had to play by myself because the teachers didn’t want my classmates to hurt me accidentally.”
Through a Nicaraguan specialist, Monica and her father learned about the medical missions of SpineHope who perform surgeries on adolescents suffering from scoliosis in Nicaragua. Monica’s case was presented through the U.S Hub Program of SpineHope and she was approved for spinal fusion surgery in Austin, Texas.
When the time finally came for surgery, Monica, now age 12, and her family felt confident.
“Yes I was afraid before the surgery, but I was mainly worried that I wouldn’t actually be able to have the operation,” Monica said. “I just knew this would help me.”
Monica wore the halo-gravity traction device, which is a way of gently stretching the spine before surgery. A metal ring is attached to the head and weights are slowly added to a pulley system to apply traction to the spine. Monica wore this for a month before her surgery in November of 2024. Doctors added up to 35 pounds to the halo-gravity traction, almost half her body weight, but it reduced her spine curvature by almost 50%, from 127 degrees to 73 degrees, and prepared her for the surgery.
Monica’s surgery lasted eight hours where doctors straightened her curved spine using a system of metal rods and screws to hold them in place.
Monica’s recovery started almost immediately.
“The medical assistants helped her stand up the day after surgery and she took her first steps,” Roberto said. “It was incredible. Amazing.”
Seven days later, Monica left the hospital, no longer in pain and walking on her own. "It didn’t hurt anymore and I could do the things I liked to do again,” she said.
Monica's favorite activities now include swimming, volleyball, skating, and painting—activities she always loved but had to limit due to her condition. Her mood changed drastically; her smile is back and she’s happily looking forward to a life full of new possibilities.
“I’m so grateful to everyone on my care team for everything they’ve done for me,” Monica said. “They gave me my life back.”
About SpineHope & Medtronic
SpineHope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing advanced spine treatment to children around the world in underserved communities with the goal to reduce pain and improve quality of life for children with spinal conditions. Learn more about SpineHope.
For years, Medtronic has stood beside SpineHope as a partner in the mission to bring life-changing spinal surgeries to children in underserved communities around the world.
As a medical device market leader in spine surgery, Medtronic provides sponsorship and donations of specialized surgical equipment and spinal implants to support these scoliosis surgeries.