Scoliosis Awareness Ottawa

02/22/2026

What is your postal code? It is very important when scoliosis treatment is needed in Canada. When to start bracing, which brace, how long will be braced and how much it will cost the family, it will all depend which province you live in. More Canadian teens are falling through the cracks than before and end up in surgery. Scoliosis progression can be prevented in most cases with early diagnosis and timely treatment, consequently spinal surgery can be avoided. Long wait list for surgery and getting spinal fusion is free in Canada but preventative care comes with a high cost for families. Bracing remains the cornerstone of non-surgical management for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with an aim to minimize the risk of progression and to avoid spine surgery. In Canada however, one third to half of patients present with curve magnitudes too severe for optimal brace treatment, resulting in higher than necessary surgical volumes. High-cost spine surgeries are fully funded while non-surgical management is not. This Professional Opinion article highlights systemic barriers to early detection that limit opportunity for non-surgical management in Canada and ultimately drive up healthcare spending. In Canada, there is an urgent need for a coordinated national strategy to re-establish routine scoliosis screening, ensure equitable public funding for treatment and expand professional training in non-surgical spinal care. Article PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/46590/34720 How To Cite: Lebel A, Kline M, Boucher J, Carberry J, Adulovic N, Dermott JA. Bracing and non-surgical management of scoliosis in Canada: Early detection, access inequities, and the need for interdisciplinary reform. Canadian Prosthetics & Orthotics Journal. 2025; Volume 8, Issue 2, No. 9. https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v8i2.46590 Corresponding Author: Andrea Lebel, MSc, PT Affiliation: Scoliosis Physiotherapy & Posture Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada. E-Mail: scoliosisphysiotherapy@gmail.com ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9488-4291 schrothmethod scoliosisbrace

02/14/2026

Short & simple: Happy ValenSpine Day to all who have had tough conversations with their spine at some point. 💚

A complicated relationship at times, yet love sure does conquer all. 💕

Gift a lil chocolate for your spine today. 😉

Gift a lil support for yourself for life: tangledinthecurves.com 📗

02/10/2026

Curvy or not, love that spine this ValenSpine month! 😻💚

Spines do SO MUCH for us every day. It's time we do a little something for them, too. 💕

Comment your spine self-care to give others in the community some ideas!

02/06/2026

If you're a patient of the Scoliosis Physiotherapy & Posture Centre and have been looking to join one of their group schroth sessions, give them a call.

First time in a year we have openings for Saturday Intensive Schroth Group sessions no wait list this week! Call 613-233-1235 to book. You must be a patient if this clinic to join.

01/24/2026

For more information visit: https://www.scoliosisphysiotherapy.com/Contact: scoliosisphysiotherapy@gmail.comCredits:Edited by Leo CugnonRoyalty Free Music fr...

01/20/2026

✍️Authors love words.

🦾This is one of my faves.
(Possibly biased since I created it... 😅)

👀Fusioneers are the warriors with metal rods and screws in the spines. Whether for scoliosis or other spinal conditions, this surgery is absolutely no joke... And your life undoubtedly changes afterwards: usually for the better, but also...just.... CHANGES.

🫂Your spine is the center of everything you do, so your brain and the rest of your body then needs to re-adapt. So much goes into this surgery and then so much comes from it that this term needs its own spotlight!

Overcoming all of this leads to an unbelievable life change and develops a surreal amount of courage. 💚💚💚 Sometimes I myself find it hard to believe we underwent that. 😳

01/12/2026

Sharing this publication to raise awareness about unequal access to scoliosis care in Canada. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj

Whether a patient receives a brace often depends on the province they live in and the clinician they see. In some regions, bracing is only offered at surgical thresholds, while in others, offer day and night brace with small curves, and other province bracing may not be accessible at all. Many provinces do not fund braces, yet spinal surgery is fully funded, with waitlists of up to two years.
Implementing scoliosis screening, providing bracing, and supporting scoliosis-specific physiotherapy can help halt curve progression and reduce the need for surgery. Patients will wear the brace and complete home exercises when given the opportunity.
For example, a patient with a 56° Cobb angle who refused surgery obtained a privately funded brace (not covered in their province) and followed daily scoliosis-specific home exercises. Over time, Cobb angles reduced, and at the last check-up, the patient was no longer a candidate for surgery. This approach not only improves patient outcomes but also represents significant potential savings for the Canadian healthcare system. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj

01/07/2026

Andrea Lebel is an international SSOL Schroth Certified instructor, and we're so fortunate to have her right here in Ottawa, training the next generation of schroth physiotherapists not just here but around the globe. We need more professionals trained in certified scoliosis specific physiotherapy! Thank you to Andrea for your passion and devotion to your profession and your patients!

12/26/2025

12/25/2025

Christmas is not just a date on the calendar, it is a state of mind where peace, love, and gratitude find a home in our hearts."