Two Teen Girls, Two New Scoliosis Braces

Oct 1, 2026

Two Teen Girls, Two New Scoliosis Braces

Two 13-year-old girls, Anissa and Nora, were recently diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) and both are excited about their new back braces. They are just two of the more than 10,000 scoliosis patients that are cared for by pediatric orthopedic surgeons throughout the Shriners Children's healthcare system. John Ghazi, MD explains that AIS is a curvature of the spine with no known cause or underlying disease. It is often discovered during teenage growth spurts after the age of 10.

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[Shriners Children's Chicago Logo] Narrator: Two 13-year-old girls, two new scoliosis braces, one similar attitude.

Anissa: Don't let it um discourage you to do anything you want to do.

Nora: The brace isn't that scary. Just takes a little getting used to.

Narrator: Anissa can hardly contain herself.

Anissa: It's so pretty.

Anissa: This is my first time getting a bag and I love it so much.

Speaker: Arms up for me.

Narrator: Anissa had unexplained severe back pain. After she was diagnosed with scoliosis, her family brought her to Shriner's Children's pediatric spine team.

Anissa: Sometimes when it would hurt my back, I will have to sit out from certain activities I do.

Narrator: She will wear her new brace only at night to manage a 22-degree curve in her spine.

Shriners Children's Logo; John Ghazi, MD; Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon: The most common is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, [music] which occurs after the age of 10.

Narrator: Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. John Gazi says idiopathic scoliosis is a curvature of the spine with no known cause or underlying disease. It's often discovered during teenage growth spurts. Dr. Gazi shows us Anissa's X-ray.

John Ghazi, MD: So, she has this left thoracic-lumbar curve and then when she's in her brace, it corrects that curve.

Nora: I really hopeI get the pink striped one.

Narrator: Nora received her brace from her hospital's on-site POPS clinic. She will wear her pretty and pink brace for 20 hours every day.

Nora: It's not that bad right now, but it's also like my first ever time.

Narrator: Kids with idiopathic scoliosis typically wear braces to manage their curve until they're done growing.

Nora: It's a little like tight [music] and might take some getting used to.

Narrator: Shriner's Children's Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons treat more than 10,000 patients with scoliosis every year across our health care system. The care for most teens like these two starts with a brace and sometimes progresses to surgery.

Shriners Children's Logo; Kristin; Nora's Mom: There's just a peace of [music] mind that has come with being a Shrine nurse.