Spine & Spinal Cord

Spine and Spinal Cord Care Locations

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Spine and Spinal Cord Conditions We Treat

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Becoming a Patient

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Families seeking specialty spine and spinal cord care for children come to Shriners Children’s.

Our healthcare system offers a full spectrum of pediatric spine and spinal cord care and services. These range from non-surgical serial casting for infantile scoliosis to tendon and nerve transfers that can bring back function and sensation to children with spinal cord injuries.

Pediatric spine and spinal cord care can require a number of different services at Shriners Children's. These services can include low-dose radiology, motion analysis, bracing, casting, therapy – including physical, occupational and speech therapy – and prosthetic and orthotic services .

Families appreciate the convenience of a single source for treatment, and children benefit from the continuity of care and collaboration. With this collaborative approach, parents, patients and providers can all support the total care plan.

Personalized Spine & Spinal Cord Care

Every child deserves a treatment plan that is personalized to their needs and utilizes advanced and innovative techniques. Families who choose Shriners Children's for their child's spine and spinal cord care can feel confident they've made the best decision for their child. We are internationally known and respected for our expertise in pediatric spine and spinal cord care, providing transformative, compassionate and life-changing care to children to support them physically and emotionally.

Learn more below about the pediatric spine and spinal cord conditions we treat.

Specific treatments and services may vary by location. Please contact a specific location for more information.

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Spine Conditions We Treat at Shriners Children’s

Our pediatric spine and spinal cord physicians are among the most highly skilled and specialized in North America. The conditions we treat vary by location.

Some of the conditions we treat:

Abnormal posture
Cervical instability
Curve progression after spine surgery
Hemivertebrae with fused or absent ribs
Kyphosis, including Scheuermann's kyphosis
Scoliosis
- Congenital scoliosis
- Early onset scoliosis (up to age 10)
- Idiopathic scoliosis, including infantile, juvenile and adolescent (10 or older)
- Neuromuscular scoliosis associated with:
  - Cerebral palsy
  - Spina bifida
  - Spinal cord injury
  - Tethered spinal cord
- Scoliosis after thoracotomy
- Scoliosis with syndromes including:
  - Klippel-Feil syndrome
  - Marfan syndrome
  - Neurofibromatosis
  - Thoracic insufficiency syndrome and other rib cage impairments
  - VACTERL
Spondylosis and spondylolisthesis
Torticollis

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Spinal Cord Conditions We Treat at Shriners Children’s

Our pediatric spine and spinal cord physicians are among the most highly skilled and specialized in North America. The conditions we treat vary by location.

Some of the conditions we treat:

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) including Incomplete and Complete
Congenital defects of the spine
Sacral agenesis or caudal regression syndrome
Spina bifida
Tethered cord
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Transverse myelitis
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)
Acute traumatic spinal cord injuries
Congenital spinal cord injuries
ADEM (Acute disseminating encephalomyelitis)
Spinal cord infarct
Oncology/radiation necrosis spinal cord injuries

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How We Support Your Child’s Total Health and Well-Being

Families and patients say that Shriners Children’s feels like home to them, and it's no wonder to us. We know that a child's needs go beyond the physical. Our care teams support their social, emotional and developmental health with patient programs and activities.

A few examples include:

Not all programs are available at every location. Contact your child’s care manager or any member of your child’s care team to learn more.

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I feel so grateful to have found such an amazing team to give my daughter, Julia, the very best chance at recovery.
Melissa, Philadelphia

Share Your Story

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male patient and female therapist during physical therapy

Putting Children on the Path to Better Health

Our motion analysis centers (MACs) use some of the same technology used in movies and video games. Motion capture cameras collect information that guide treatment decisions for patients with a range of conditions. This includes cerebral palsy, scoliosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and other conditions that affect a child’s movement.

Learn About our Motion Analysis Centers

Services We Provide

Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic therapy helps children improve mobility, strength, stamina and balance in a safe, supportive environment.

Care Management

The care management team at Shriners Children's consists of registered nurses and social workers who act as resources for families throughout their plan of care.

Motion Analysis

The specialists in Shriners Children’s motion analysis centers collect and analyze movement-related data, like gait analysis, to help treat children with neuromuscular, acquired or congenital disorders.

Neurology Services

Physicians at Shriners Children's can provide early diagnosis, intervention and treatment for neurological disorders as well as ongoing care for a neurological component of a child's condition.

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Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS)

Shriners Children’s Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) designs, fits and manufactures orthotics and prosthetics for children from infants to young adults.

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Radiology and Imaging

Shriners Children's radiology and imaging services are a noninvasive way for physicians to see what's going on inside a child's body. Our radiology and imaging professionals work to do this in the safest way possible.

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Speech Therapy

The speech therapy services available to patients at Shriners Children’s benefit children from birth through adolescence who have difficulties with communication and swallowing.

Wheelchair and Seating

Shriners Children's wheelchair, seating and mobility program is a custom seating clinic available to children with seating needs. Practitioners, technicians and volunteers use tools like seat simulation, pressure mapping and hands on adjustments.