A healthy spine consists of a series of gentle curves. When viewed from the front, your spine should appear to be straight. But, when viewed from the side, your lower back should dip gently inward and your upper back should round forward. In fact, the 3 major forms of spinal deformities occur when the spine deviates from this set of rules. For example, scoliosis occurs when the spine develops a sideways or lateral bend when viewed from the front. Kyphosis occurs when the thoracic spine (or upper back) acquires an exaggerated forward hump. And, lordosis occurs when the lumbar spine (or lower back) develops an excessive, inward sway.

In addition, certain conditions can cause the spine to lose its curvature entirely. This type of spinal deformity, known as flatback syndrome, presents its own set of unique problems. And, of course, none of this includes the many types of rare spinal deformities–like tethered spinal cord–that affect numerous babies and adults every year.

But all spinal deformities share one feature in common: They can be intensely painful, and at times, distressing. If you or your child has been diagnosed with a spinal deformity, then you are likely looking for answers and solutions. Our team of spinal deformity experts is here to help you along on your journey. Dr. Jason Lowenstein, MD is a board-certified scoliosis surgeon who has earned over a decade of surgical experience in reversing spinal deformities–just like yours. Listed below, you will find an ever-expanding list that contains a mere fraction of the conditions that Dr. Lowenstein routinely treats.