Could simple exercises replace braces for mild scoliosis?
NCT ID NCT05138393
First seen Aug 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether scoliosis-specific exercises can stop mild spinal curves from getting worse in children and teens. Participants with mild idiopathic scoliosis will either perform daily self-corrective exercises or just follow standard observation. The study tracks how many children experience a significant curve increase, aiming to see if exercise offers a non-invasive way to manage the condition.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Scoliosis-specific exercises with an active self-corrective approach
- What this could lead to
- If effective, these exercises could offer a non-invasive way to slow or stop curve progression in mild scoliosis, potentially reducing the need for bracing or surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial, and previous findings on exercise for scoliosis have been mixed. The exercises may not prevent progression in all children, and adherence to daily activity could be challenging.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2022
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2037
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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9 to 15 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Cobb 15-24 degrees * Skeletally immature, Sanders score of 4 or less and Risser \< 2. * No menarche for females * Aged 9-15 years * Apex of the primary curve at T7 or caudal Exclusion Criteria: * Non-idiopathic scoliosis (i.e. neuromuscular, syndromic or congenital scoliosis) * No previous surgical or brace treatment for scoliosis
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Karolinska university hospital
RECRUITINGStockholm, Sweden
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Linköping university hospital
RECRUITINGLinköping, Sweden
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Which Anti-Nausea drug wins for scoliosis surgery? a Head-to-Head test
- Standing within hours of spine surgery: a new test for teen recovery
- 3D exercise therapy: a new weapon against scoliosis?