What is Mild Scoliosis?
Show: Life Beyond the Curve | Episode: 24 | Date: 2022-03-25 | Duration: 12min
Dr. Justin Dick of Clear Life Scoliosis discusses mild scoliosis — Cobb angle thresholds (10–20 degrees), progression risk, why individualized care matters even at mild severity, and the CLEAR approach. Episode 24, Life Beyond the Curve.
Topics Covered
- Definition of mild scoliosis — 10° to 20° Cobb angle
- Progression risk — why mild does not mean safe to ignore
- Why no two scoliosis presentations are identical
- Traditional watch-and-wait vs CLEAR proactive approach
- How CLEAR treatment is individualized to each patient
- Patient outcomes and Dr. Dick's clinical experience
Episode Transcript Excerpt
HOST: And today's topic is "What is Mild Scoliosis?" — when we're talking about mild scoliosis, what are we actually referring to?
DR. DICK: When we're at mild scoliosis, 10 degrees to 20 degrees, it's a lower risk of progression. But again, historically it will progress. It's very tough to say if yours exactly is going to progress or not because you're an individual. There is no scoliosis that's the same. There is virtually almost an infinite number of scoliosis presentations. This is why even with mild scoliosis, you still have to adapt care specific for that patient because their body is different and will adapt differently.
HOST: What is the traditional approach to treatment if someone is diagnosed with mild scoliosis?
DR. DICK: The allopathic medicine — the typical medical community — is a watch and wait until you can do surgery. There really isn't much treatment option in allopathic medicine. This is why CLEAR is so important in what we do. At CLEAR, we combine condition-specific chiropractic care, including scoliosis-specific exercises, corrective care bracing, along with a series of chiropractic adjustments specific to that patient, and remodeling.
HOST: Is it ever too late for CLEAR treatment?
DR. DICK: I've seen lives transformed and restored through the work with Clear Life Scoliosis and the CLEAR Institute. When modern medicine says that it's impossible, we've seen overcomers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mild scoliosis?
Mild scoliosis refers to a Cobb angle between 10 and 20 degrees. A Cobb angle of 10 degrees or greater is required for a scoliosis diagnosis. While mild curves carry a lower immediate risk of progression, they are still progressive by nature and require monitoring and often proactive care.
Does mild scoliosis always get worse?
Historically, scoliosis tends to progress. While the exact trajectory varies per patient, mild scoliosis carries a real risk of progression — particularly in skeletally immature adolescents entering the growth spurt. There is no such thing as a universally safe mild curve.
How does CLEAR treatment differ from watch-and-wait for mild scoliosis?
Traditional medicine typically observes mild curves until they reach a threshold warranting surgery. CLEAR treatment intervenes proactively — combining scoliosis-specific chiropractic adjustments, corrective exercises, and bracing — to address the structural condition before it progresses to a more severe classification.
Is no two scoliosis presentations the same?
Correct. Each scoliosis presentation is unique in terms of curve location, Cobb angle, rotation, sagittal profile, and patient biomechanics. This is why treatment must be individualized to each patient rather than following a generic protocol.
