[Treatment of painful scoliosis]

Scoliosis is a common frontal plane spinal deformity with pain as a commonly associated occurrence in approximately 38% of the cases. This review summarises the possible treatments. Corrective treatment with bracing or surgery does not specifically target the pain problem. Other causes of back pain should be considered, before or meanwhile treatment is initiated. Injections with botulinum toxin in the paravertebral muscles do not have any corrective effects but may reduce localised muscle pain. Other options including peripherally acting pain medication and muscle strengthening by either exercise programmes or physiotherapy should be tried first.