I happily stumbled across this fantastic publication today. Published quite recently (early 2012), it is a study on the use of corsets (in conjunction with wearing weighted backpacks and regular physiotherapy/ exercise) to considerably improve the scoliosis in this adult patient.
NB: these results may not be typical (especially since there’s a variation in the severity of scoliosis from the start) and the use of corsets (either standard sized or custom) may not work miracles. But as the author mentioned, corsets or “textile braces” may provide a method of reshaping the ribs (and through this offer some secondary effects such as improved breathing) to a point, which is not normally possible through surgery.
Depending on one’s personal situation, a scoliosis patient may find wearing a corset more discreet, more comfortable and more affordable than wearing a rigid brace of hard plastic or steel plates. However, effectiveness in treatment may vary. A skilled corset maker should be able to take measurements of each side of the body and create a special asymmetric corset made to stabilize (and in some cases, as you can read in the article, even possibly correct) the curvature of the spine.
You can view a gallery dedicated to asymmetric corsets here!
Edit: a number of scoliosis patients have confirmed that some medical braces are very similar in shape and form to a corset (medical corset or otherwise). Do click the picture on the right to see more examples of back braces, some of which give up to 5″ reduction in the waist in order to keep the spine immobile.
Edit: June 2nd, 2023: a news article has recently been published interviewing two orthopedic specialists in Turkiye (Prof. Dr. Ahmet Alanay and Assoc. Dr. Çağlar Yılgör) regarding myths and truths of corset use for scoliosis.
“According to research, regular corset use can reduce the necessity of surgery by half.”
*Please note that this article is strictly for information purposes and not intended to replace the advice of a licensed medical professional. Please talk to your doctor if you’d like to start wearing a corset for any reason.*
Hi! I would like to know how fast you can see results with wearing a corset every day.
Hi Ester, there are so many different factors to seeing results, including what your starting measurement and shape is, whether you’re combining it with core training, etc. If you would like to learn more, I have an article about how quickly you can see results here.
My name is nevaeh. I’m fifteen and my scoliosis is about a 36/37. I also have a left rib flare. I’ve been to scoliosis specialists, and when I was younger they refuse to brace me although it has increased by 7 degrees since then. I’m wondering if I could correct my rib flare by wearing a corset or waist trainer.
Hi, my name is Shoug and I’m 16 years old. I just discovered that I have scoliosis a few months ago, the amount of spinal curve that I have is not severe, I don’t have enough information regarding the exact degree but I’ll say maybe about 20 degrees in the lower back area, I don’t have any ribcage or pelvis rotation, and I have never worn a brace before. When I saw my doctor he said that there is nothing to worry about, and to just keep exercising, but this doctor knows my father and my family, and my father wasn’t so happy about the news, he was so serious while talking to me about it, because he had slipped disk spine surgery, and I could tell that he didn’t want me to go through what he had gone through, so I don’t think what the doctor said was true about the “not to worry” part. do you think that by wearing a corset I could help my scoliosis a little? and would it help me with posture while standing, sitting or walking?
Hi! I’m 15 years old, I live in Hungary and I have had my corset for about 9 months now. I was diagnostized with scoliosis over a year ago. They said that I had about 21-24 degrees, which means not very bad but in my age it’s quite hard to fix. In June I had an x-ray and it showed that when I have my corset on it is 6 degrees better, and without the corset it was only 20 degree. I was a bit disappointed than but the doctors said that every small degree counts and I should be happy for it isn’t getting worse. So I probably have to wear it for 1 year or more but if it’ll help me to live a full life I’m sure I won’t regret it.
Hi I am 49 year old man with scoliosis, have had rod implants for over 30 years. Have had several operations and another one probably in the next year. I am in constant pain when I walk and do things, like my dishes. I am thinking of trying a real corset as I have done the medical ones but I’m not a fan at all, they suck.
My problem is I have tried to do this before and to get one custom built up here in Canada there way to expensive and being on disability pension I can’t afford to spend 400 dollars. I’m just wondering if you know of any people that builds them at a reasonable cost? I am looking for an over the bust corset as the go higher up the back. I have thought about buying one off like amazon but no idea of what size as lady sizes are way different. Any help you could give me would really be appreciated. Thank you
Hello Dave, there are a few specialist corset makers in Canada who can make a medical grade corset for you, like Lace Embrace in BC, Bone & Busk in Toronto and L’Atelier de LaFleur (also in Toronto) but they will very likely charge more than $400 for their expertise. If you’d like to see some men’s waistcoat corsets (they are high back, high on the chest and go over the shoulders) you are welcome to see my shopping guide on men’s corsets here and see if any of these fit your style and budget (even if they’re not specifically built for stabilizing scoliosis).