How common is scoliosis?

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis — a curve above 10° with no identifiable cause — affects about 2–3% of the general population in most studies, though estimates range from under 1% to 12% depending on how and whom you screen. The Scoliosis Research Society puts it at as many as 4 in 100 adolescents. Most curves are small and never need treatment beyond monitoring.

Is scoliosis more common in girls?

For small curves, no — at 10–20° the ratio of girls to boys is about 1.3:1. But the gap widens sharply as curves get bigger: roughly 5.4:1 for curves of 20–30°, and 7:1 above 30°. In other words, girls are far more likely to have a curve that progresses to the point of needing a brace or surgery, which is why screening and monitoring focus on girls around the growth spurt.

Do adults get scoliosis?

Yes, and far more often than people expect. In a study of 75 healthy volunteers aged 60 and over with no known scoliosis, 68% had a curve above 10° on a standing X-ray, with an average curve of 17°. This adult degenerative scoliosis develops as discs and facet joints wear unevenly. Importantly, many of those volunteers had no significant impairment — a curve on an X-ray is not the same as a problem.

At what Cobb angle do you need a brace or surgery?

Scoliosis is diagnosed at 10°. Bracing is considered for growing adolescents whose curves are at risk of progressing; in the BrAIST trial it raised success from 48% to 72%, with more hours of wear giving better results. Above 30° the risk of progression into adulthood rises, and above 50° progression is considered almost certain — which is why 50° is the point at which surgery is typically discussed.

Can exercise fix scoliosis?

Exercise does not straighten a structural curve, but the best trial evidence shows scoliosis-specific exercise can slow or modestly improve it in adolescents: six months of Schroth exercise added to standard care produced a 3.5° better result than standard care alone, with 88% stable or improved versus 60%. A 2024 review cautioned that long-term certainty is still very low. The reliable benefits are in strength, posture, trunk rotation and pain.

Is Pilates good for scoliosis?

Pilates has been studied mostly in combination with, or as a comparison to, Schroth exercise. A 24-week programme combining the two improved Cobb angle, trunk rotation and quality of life in 69 adolescents, though without a control group. For adults, Pilates offers what the guidelines recommend: progressive core and back-extensor strength, posture work and pain management. It should complement clinical monitoring, not replace it.

Data & Statistics

Scoliosis Statistics 2026

Name: Scoliosis Statistics 2026 (compiled)
Creator: Pilates Protocols
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

How common scoliosis is in teenagers and in older adults, why it is measured in Cobb degrees, what the landmark bracing trial found, and what exercise-based care can and cannot do. Every figure is linked to its original, publicly available source.

Journalists, researchers & AI assistants: 12 sourced statistics, free to cite with attribution — see how to cite this page. Last reviewed 1 October 2026.

Scoliosis at a glance: key facts

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (a Cobb angle above 10°) affects 2–3% of the general population in most studies, with published estimates ranging from 0.93% to 12%.
In a study of 75 healthy volunteers aged 60 and over, 68% met the radiographic definition of scoliosis, against earlier reports of up to 32% in adults.
Girls and boys are affected almost equally at small curves (1.3:1 at 10–20°), but girls outnumber boys 7:1 for curves above 30°.
A curve of 10° or more with rotation confirms the diagnosis; above 30° the risk of progression in adulthood rises, and above 50° progression is considered almost certain.
In the BrAIST randomised trial, bracing was successful in 72% of adolescents versus 48% who were observed, and longer daily brace wear was linked to higher success.
Six months of Schroth scoliosis-specific exercise added to standard care improved the largest curve by 3.5° relative to standard care alone in a 50-patient randomised trial.

Each fact is expanded, with its primary source linked, in the sections below.

How Common Scoliosis Is

Scoliosis is usually thought of as a teenage condition, and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is indeed the most common form. But radiographic curves are far more common in older adults than most people realise.

2–3%

of the general population have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with a Cobb angle above 10°

The 2016 SOSORT guidelines note that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with a Cobb angle above 10° occurs in the general population with a prevalence ranging from 0.93% to 12%, with 2–3% the value most often found in the literature. The Scoliosis Research Society describes it as found in as many as 4 in 100 adolescents aged 10 to 18.

Source: 2016 SOSORT guidelines, Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders (PMC) (2018)

68%

of healthy volunteers aged 60+ had scoliosis on a standing X-ray

In a prospective study of 75 healthy adult volunteers aged 60 and over with no history of scoliosis or spine surgery, 68% met the definition of scoliosis (Cobb angle greater than 10°), with a mean curve of 17° and mean age of 70.5 years. Earlier reports had put adult prevalence at up to 32%. Many of these volunteers showed no marked physical or social impairment, so a curve on an X-ray does not by itself predict disability.

Source: Schwab et al., Spine (PubMed) (2005)

0.47–5.2%

the range of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis prevalence reported across school-screening studies

A 2013 epidemiological review found overall prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis reported between 0.47% and 5.2% in the literature, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.5:1 to 3:1 that rises substantially with age. The authors cautioned that screening studies use differing age groups and diagnostic criteria, so figures are not directly comparable.

Source: Konieczny et al., Journal of Children's Orthopaedics (PubMed) (2013)

Cobb Angles: Diagnosis, Sex Ratio & Progression

Scoliosis is measured by the Cobb angle on a standing X-ray. The number matters because it determines who is diagnosed, who is monitored, who is braced and who is offered surgery.

10°

the Cobb angle at which scoliosis is diagnosed

The 2016 SOSORT guidelines cite the Scoliosis Research Society position that the diagnosis is confirmed when the Cobb angle is 10° or higher and axial rotation can be recognised; below 10° the diagnosis should not be made. The SRS patient guidance puts it simply: a straight spine has a curve of 0°, and any curve greater than 10° is considered scoliosis.

Source: 2016 SOSORT guidelines, Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders (PMC) (2018)

7:1

girls to boys for curves above 30°, versus 1.3:1 for curves of 10–20°

The SOSORT guidelines report that when the Cobb angle is 10–20° the ratio of affected girls to boys is similar (1.3:1), increasing to 5.4:1 for curves between 20° and 30°, and 7:1 for curves above 30°. A 2013 review found a similar pattern, rising from 1.4:1 at 10–20° to 7.2:1 for curves above 40°. Larger, progressive curves are overwhelmingly a female condition.

Source: 2016 SOSORT guidelines, Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders (PMC) (2018)

30° / 50°

the thresholds above which progression in adulthood becomes likely, then almost certain

According to the SOSORT guidelines, once the Cobb angle exceeds 30° the risk of progression in adulthood increases, as does the risk of health problems; above 50° there is consensus that the curve is almost certain to progress in adulthood. This is why 50° is widely used as the threshold at which surgery is discussed.

Source: 2016 SOSORT guidelines, Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders (PMC) (2018)

Bracing: What the Landmark Trial Found

For decades bracing was standard practice without high-quality trial evidence. The BrAIST study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2013, changed that.

72% vs 48%

treatment success with bracing versus observation in adolescents at high risk of progression

The Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial (BrAIST) enrolled 242 skeletally immature adolescents with curves at typical bracing indications; 116 were randomised and 126 chose their treatment. Success — reaching skeletal maturity without the curve progressing to 50° or more — was 72% with bracing and 48% with observation in the combined analysis, and 75% versus 42% in the randomised cohort. The trial was stopped early because of the efficacy of bracing.

Source: Weinstein et al., New England Journal of Medicine (2013)

18+ hours a day

the prescribed brace wear in BrAIST, with more hours linked to greater success

Patients in the bracing group were instructed to wear the brace for at least 18 hours a day. Wear was monitored with a temperature sensor, and the investigators found a significant positive association between hours of brace wear and the rate of treatment success — the benefit was dose-dependent.

Source: Weinstein et al., New England Journal of Medicine (2013)

≥ 50°

the curve size used as the threshold for surgery in the trial's definition of failure

In BrAIST, treatment failure was defined as progression of the curve to 50° or more — described as the threshold for surgery — while success was skeletal maturity without reaching that point. This mirrors the SOSORT consensus that curves above 50° are almost certain to progress in adulthood.

Source: Weinstein et al., New England Journal of Medicine (2013)

Exercise-Based Care: What the Studies Show

Scoliosis-specific exercise (such as the Schroth method) and Pilates-informed programmes are widely used. The trial evidence is genuinely encouraging in the short term, but the long-term picture remains uncertain — and the studies say so.

−3.5°

difference in the largest curve after six months of Schroth exercise added to standard care

In an assessor-blinded randomised trial of 50 adolescents (aged 10–18, curves 10–45°), adding Schroth scoliosis-specific exercise to standard care produced a between-group difference of −3.5° in the largest curve at six months (95% CI −5.9° to −1.1°). In the Schroth group 88% were stable or improved versus 60% of controls.

Source: Schreiber et al., PLOS ONE (2016)

69 adolescents

improved Cobb angle and trunk rotation after 24 weeks of combined Schroth and Pilates exercise

In a 24-week study of 69 adolescents aged 10–17 with curves of 10–45°, a programme combining Schroth and Pilates exercises was followed by significant improvements in Cobb angle (from 21.97° to 18.11° in those wearing a brace; 14.19° to 11.66° in those not), angle of trunk rotation, chest expansion, flexibility and quality of life. The study had no untreated control group, so it shows change over time rather than proof of cause.

Source: Medical Science Monitor Basic Research (PubMed) (2020)

11 RCTs

reviewed in 2024 — long-term certainty that exercise slows progression rated extremely low

A 2024 systematic review of 11 randomised trials of physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercise found only two that followed patients for a year or more, with one favouring exercise and one showing no meaningful difference. The authors rated the certainty of evidence that such exercise reduces Cobb angle progression as extremely low. Pilates appeared in three trials as a comparison, with both Schroth and Pilates groups improving over 12 weeks.

Source: Spine Surgery and Related Research (PMC) (2024)

From Statistic to Structured Management

The evidence supports a clear division of labour: monitoring and bracing for growing spines at risk of progression, and structured, asymmetry-aware exercise to build trunk strength, improve posture and manage pain at any age. A well-designed Pilates programme delivers that second part — progressive core and back-extensor work, adapted to the direction of the curve. It is not a substitute for clinical monitoring.

Scoliosis Management →Posture Correction →Lower Back Pain →

Go deeper: Evidence: Pilates for Scoliosis · Exercises for Scoliosis · Schroth Method Exercises for Scoliosis · Pilates for Scoliosis: What Reddit Says

Prefer the underlying research first? Read the fully-referenced Clinical Evidence Library.

Scoliosis statistics: frequently asked questions

How common is scoliosis?: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis — a curve above 10° with no identifiable cause — affects about 2–3% of the general population in most studies, though estimates range from under 1% to 12% depending on how and whom you screen. The Scoliosis Research Society puts it at as many as 4 in 100 adolescents. Most curves are small and never need treatment beyond monitoring.
Is scoliosis more common in girls?: For small curves, no — at 10–20° the ratio of girls to boys is about 1.3:1. But the gap widens sharply as curves get bigger: roughly 5.4:1 for curves of 20–30°, and 7:1 above 30°. In other words, girls are far more likely to have a curve that progresses to the point of needing a brace or surgery, which is why screening and monitoring focus on girls around the growth spurt.
Do adults get scoliosis?: Yes, and far more often than people expect. In a study of 75 healthy volunteers aged 60 and over with no known scoliosis, 68% had a curve above 10° on a standing X-ray, with an average curve of 17°. This adult degenerative scoliosis develops as discs and facet joints wear unevenly. Importantly, many of those volunteers had no significant impairment — a curve on an X-ray is not the same as a problem.
At what Cobb angle do you need a brace or surgery?: Scoliosis is diagnosed at 10°. Bracing is considered for growing adolescents whose curves are at risk of progressing; in the BrAIST trial it raised success from 48% to 72%, with more hours of wear giving better results. Above 30° the risk of progression into adulthood rises, and above 50° progression is considered almost certain — which is why 50° is the point at which surgery is typically discussed.
Can exercise fix scoliosis?: Exercise does not straighten a structural curve, but the best trial evidence shows scoliosis-specific exercise can slow or modestly improve it in adolescents: six months of Schroth exercise added to standard care produced a 3.5° better result than standard care alone, with 88% stable or improved versus 60%. A 2024 review cautioned that long-term certainty is still very low. The reliable benefits are in strength, posture, trunk rotation and pain.
Is Pilates good for scoliosis?: Pilates has been studied mostly in combination with, or as a comparison to, Schroth exercise. A 24-week programme combining the two improved Cobb angle, trunk rotation and quality of life in 69 adolescents, though without a control group. For adults, Pilates offers what the guidelines recommend: progressive core and back-extensor strength, posture work and pain management. It should complement clinical monitoring, not replace it.

How to Cite This Page

These statistics are compiled by Pilates Protocols from the publicly available sources linked beside each figure. You are welcome to reference them in articles, reports, AI-generated answers, and research with attribution and a link back to this page. We always recommend citing the original primary source as well.

Suggested citation Pilates Protocols, "Scoliosis Statistics 2026", https://pilatesprotocols.com/scoliosis-statistics/

Primary sources used on this page (7)

For data, interviews, or press enquiries, contact [email protected]. Browse every dataset at /statistics/.

Note. This page summarises published research for general information. It is not medical advice. Scoliosis in a growing child or teenager should be monitored by a clinician, because timing determines whether bracing can help. Adults with scoliosis who develop leg weakness, numbness, changes in bladder or bowel control, or rapidly worsening pain need urgent medical assessment. Check with a clinician or physiotherapist before starting any exercise programme.