Adult Scoliosis Care - Mayo Clinic in Arizona

At Mayo Clinic, you’ll have the expertise and support of a whole multidisciplinary team of specialists in neurophysiology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, sports medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

With all this expertise, we can help you:

Avoid unnecessary procedures. We recommend surgery only when necessary and after ruling out less-invasive approaches. Mayo Clinic experts are paid a fixed salary. They are not paid based on the number of procedures or tests ordered.
Reduce hospital stays. Many people who undergo spine care at Mayo Clinic leave the hospital in one or two days, thanks to our advanced technology and ability to perform minimally invasive procedures.
Lower complication rates and shorter recovery times. When appropriate, we use technology like robotic-assisted surgery for greater precision, which leads to smaller incisions and scars, lower complication rates, and a quicker return to everyday activities.

Your team will work with you on a comprehensive care plan to meet all your needs. For example, if osteoporosis is contributing to scoliosis, then your treatment will include an endocrinologist specializing in bone health, and your plan will include treatment for that condition.

All of Mayo Clinic’s campuses have highly trained neurosurgeons who specialize in treating adults and children for spinal deformities, including scoliosis. All members of your care team will have spinal deformity expertise, including nurses and anesthesiologists dedicated to caring for patients during complex spinal procedures.

Your team will work with you on a treatment plan that might include:

Physical therapy
Stretches
Weight-bearing exercises like walking
Adjustments to diet and nutrition
Medications
Surgery
Post-surgery therapy

Scoliosis usually can be managed without surgery. If the spine is overly tilted or involves arthritis, surgery can be effective in relieving symptoms. Spinal fusion is usually the surgery provided to adults. It involves fusing joints, freeing compressed nerves, and balancing the spine. (Vertebral body tethering is a procedure performed at Mayo Clinic for use in children, but it is not appropriate for treating adults, according to our experts. This procedure is available for qualifying children at our campus in Minnesota)

If surgery is needed, our experts use innovative technologies and minimally invasive surgical approaches with goals of improving results, lessening complications, and shortening recovery times.

We use if needed:

3D printing of an actual model of the spine based on scans
Intraoperative monitoring to measure neural function and integrity, performed by highly trained technicians and monitored by a neurophysiologist onsite, to decrease complications
3D spinal navigation to guide the placement of spinal hardware
Intraoperative scans to check the placement of spinal screws
Robotic guidance

Adult Scoliosis Treatment Centered Around You

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