Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative | Free Community Screening | Clear Life Charlotte

North Carolina no longer requires school scoliosis screening. That decision, made quietly and without public health justification, removed the only systematic detection mechanism most Charlotte-area families had access to. The result is predictable — curves that would have been caught at 10 to 15 degrees are now being discovered at 30 to 40 degrees, when the window for the most conservative non-surgical treatment has narrowed significantly.

The Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative is Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center's response to that gap. Quarterly free community screenings — open to children, adolescents, and adults, no referral required, no charge — conducted by Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC, the only scoliosis clinician in the Carolinas with eight peer-reviewed publications indexed in PubMed and a CLEAR Institute Fellowship and Board of Directors seat.

The screening takes 10 to 15 minutes. It does not require an X-ray. It does not obligate you to any further care. It tells you whether there is something worth evaluating more closely — and if there is, what the options actually are.

→ Register for the Next Screening   |   Call 980-368-0766

Why This Program Exists

Scoliosis affects an estimated 2 to 3% of the population — approximately 6 to 9 million people in the United States. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the most common form, typically develops during the growth spurt between ages 10 and 15. Left undetected, curves progress silently. A child who goes from age 11 to 14 without a scoliosis evaluation during a critical growth window can move from a 12-degree curve to a 35-degree curve in that time. The treatment options at 35 degrees are more limited, more intensive, and more expensive than at 12 degrees.

North Carolina's school system does not screen for scoliosis. Most pediatricians perform the Adams forward bend test at annual physicals, but the test's sensitivity in a brief office visit is variable and its limitations are well-documented. Specialty scoliosis screening — with trained clinical observation, postural assessment, and clinical triage — identifies presentations that routine physicals miss.

Dr. Justin Dick's published research — including a retrospective analysis of cervical mechanics in scoliosis patients recognized at the 2026 IRAPS symposium at Sherman College of Chiropractic — demonstrates that the clinical picture in scoliosis extends beyond the curve visible on a standing X-ray. Early detection allows intervention at a point where that full clinical picture can be addressed conservatively. Waiting until the curve is large enough to be cosmetically obvious means waiting until the most conservative options are already off the table.

What the Screening Includes

The Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative uses a structured clinical screening protocol — not a postural photograph or a general wellness assessment. Each screening includes:

• Adams forward bend test — the standard clinical screening tool for scoliosis, performed with trained clinical observation for rib hump, rotational asymmetry, and shoulder and waist unevenness
• Postural assessment — standing evaluation of shoulder height, hip level, head position, and overall coronal and sagittal balance
• Scoliometer measurement where indicated — objective measurement of trunk rotation angle for any presentation with visible asymmetry on the Adams test
• Clinical triage — each participant receives a direct clinical assessment: no finding, monitor at home, recommend evaluation, or recommend prompt evaluation
• Written finding summary — every participant receives a one-page written summary of the screening findings they can share with their pediatrician or family physician

The screening does not include radiographs. Radiographic evaluation — weight-bearing X-rays with Cobb angle measurement — is recommended for any participant where the clinical screening identifies a finding that warrants further assessment. That evaluation is a separate appointment at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center and is not part of the free screening.

Upcoming Screening Dates

The Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative runs quarterly — September, December, and March in addition to the June inaugural event. Listings for each screening are published in Natural Awakenings Charlotte and on this page as dates are confirmed.

About Dr. Justin Dick — Who Is Conducting Your Screening

Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC is the founder and treating clinician at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center in Charlotte, NC. He is the only scoliosis clinician in the Carolinas who holds all of the following simultaneously:

Dr. Dick's wife Kelly is a former scoliosis patient whose story anchors the founding of Clear Life. The practice was built specifically because the gap between diagnosis and appropriate non-surgical specialty care is too wide in most markets — including Charlotte. The Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative is the community expression of that same founding purpose.

What Happens After the Screening

Three outcomes are possible from a CSSI screening. Most participants fall into the first category.

• No significant finding — the screening reveals no meaningful postural asymmetry or clinical indicators of scoliosis. No further action is required beyond age-appropriate monitoring at annual physicals. You receive a written note confirming this.
• Monitor and re-screen — mild asymmetry is present that warrants observation but does not require immediate radiographic evaluation. We recommend re-screening at the next quarterly event or at your child's annual physical. You receive written documentation of the specific finding for your pediatrician.
• Recommend evaluation — the screening reveals findings consistent with a curve that should be evaluated with weight-bearing radiographs and Cobb angle measurement. We schedule a formal evaluation at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center. That evaluation includes radiographic measurement and a complete clinical discussion of findings and options. The evaluation is a separate fee-based appointment — the screening itself remains at no cost.

No participant leaves without a clear next step and written documentation of what was found. The written summary is specifically formatted to be shared with a referring pediatrician or family medicine physician.

For Referring Providers and Pediatricians

The Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative is designed to function as a community triage resource for primary care providers across the Charlotte metro. Pediatricians, family medicine physicians, and school nurses who want a reliable specialty referral pathway for scoliosis screening can direct patients to the quarterly CSSI events without requiring a formal referral.

Participants who screen positive receive a written clinical finding summary formatted for the referring provider's records. Dr. Dick is available for provider-to-provider consultation on complex presentations. For formal referrals, see the For Attorneys and Referring Providers page or call 980-368-0766.

Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center serves Charlotte, Huntersville, Ballantyne, Matthews, Concord, Mooresville, Rock Hill SC, and Fort Mill SC, and nationally for intensive scoliosis programs. The CSSI quarterly screening events are open to patients from across the Carolinas region.

The Research Basis for Community Scoliosis Screening

The argument for community screening is not generic wellness advocacy — it is grounded in specific published findings. The window for the most effective conservative intervention is widest when curves are small. Published research in the non-surgical scoliosis literature consistently shows that outcomes from bracing, exercise-based correction, and multimodal rehabilitation protocols are strongest in patients who enter treatment before skeletal maturity and before curves exceed 25 to 30 degrees Cobb angle.

Dr. Dick's published research at Clear Life documents specific outcomes from the CLEAR Institute multimodal protocol and addresses clinical dimensions of scoliosis — including the cervical spine's role as a neurological driver of global spinal compensation — that most community screening programs do not assess. The CSSI screening is built on the same clinical framework that produced those published outcomes.

• Non-Surgical Multimodal Approach to Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis — Two-Week CLEAR Protocol · Cureus / PubMed
• Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis of Abnormal Cervical Mechanics in Scoliosis Patients — IRAPS 2026 Recognition · Cureus / PubMed
• Reduction of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis — 13-Month Follow-Up · Cureus / PubMed
• Reduction of AIS Utilizing the Labyrinthine Righting Reflex · Cureus / PubMed

→ View All Published Research

Frequently Asked Questions — Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative

What is the Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative?

The Carolinas Scoliosis Screening Initiative is a free quarterly community scoliosis screening program hosted by Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center in Charlotte, NC. It was established in response to North Carolina's elimination of school scoliosis screening requirements. Screenings are conducted by Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC — CLEAR Institute Fellow and Board Member, ISICO World Masters, and author of eight peer-reviewed publications indexed in PubMed. Call 980-368-0766 or register at clearlifescoliosis.janeapp.com.

Is the screening really free?

Yes. The community screening events are provided at no cost to participants. No referral is required. There is no obligation to schedule a follow-up appointment or purchase any service. If the screening identifies a finding that warrants radiographic evaluation, that evaluation is a separate fee-based appointment at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center — but the screening itself is always free.

Who should attend the CSSI screening?

Children ages 8 to 16 who have never had a scoliosis evaluation. Adolescents who have been told to observe and wait. Adults with a prior scoliosis diagnosis who have not had a recent evaluation. Parents who have noticed postural asymmetry in their child. Anyone in the Charlotte metro or greater Carolinas region who wants a specialist clinical assessment rather than a general wellness screen.

Why doesn't North Carolina require school scoliosis screening?

North Carolina discontinued mandatory school scoliosis screening requirements, leaving detection dependent on annual pediatric physicals. The Adams forward bend test at a brief office visit has variable sensitivity — it misses presentations that a trained specialist clinical screening identifies. The CSSI was established specifically to fill this detection gap for Charlotte-area families.

What happens if the screening finds something?

Every participant receives a written clinical finding summary regardless of outcome. For participants with positive findings, we recommend a formal evaluation at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center — 8814 Rachel Freeman Way, Suite 103, Charlotte, NC 28278 — which includes weight-bearing radiographs, Cobb angle measurement, curve classification, and a complete clinical discussion of findings and treatment options. No finding obligates any particular treatment path.

How often does the CSSI screening run?

Quarterly — June, September, December, and March. Event listings are published in Natural Awakenings Charlotte and on this page as dates are confirmed. To be notified of upcoming screening dates, call 980-368-0766 or register at clearlifescoliosis.janeapp.com.

Does Clear Life serve patients from outside Charlotte?

Yes. Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center serves patients from Charlotte, Huntersville, Ballantyne, Matthews, Concord, Mooresville, Rock Hill SC, and Fort Mill SC, and nationally for intensive scoliosis programs. The CSSI quarterly screening events are open to families from across the Carolinas region.

Related Pages at Clear Life Scoliosis

• About Scoliosis — understanding the condition, curve types, and progression risk
• Scoliosis Screening in Charlotte — What Parents Need to Know — the 30-second home screening check
• CLEAR Scoliosis Care Program — the full non-surgical scoliosis treatment program at Clear Life
• CLEAR Protocol Charlotte — what the five-component CLEAR protocol involves
• Treatment Options — full overview of non-surgical approaches available at Clear Life
• ScoliBrace Charlotte — custom 3D scoliosis bracing
• SpineCor Charlotte — flexible dynamic scoliosis bracing
• BackGenius Charlotte — functional medicine integration for scoliosis
• Chiropractic BioPhysics Charlotte — structural correction and ligament remodeling
• Why CLEAR Institute — Not General Chiropractic or Physical Therapy
• Research and Evidence — the published basis for care at Clear Life
• Dr. Dick's Published Research — eight PubMed-indexed studies
• In The Press — media coverage and institutional recognition
• Patient Reviews and Testimonials