Is lateral electric surface stimulation an effective treatment for scoliosis?

Eighteen patients with scoliosis were treated with lateral electric surface stimulation (LESS). Four (23%) discontinued the program because of discomfort, five did not carry through an adequate treatment program, and nine (50%) coped with a proper program. In spite of a good initial correction, five patients in the latter group progressed during treatment. Muscle biopsy specimens before and after a treatment period of 18 months revealed a tendency for the stimulation output to spill over to the concave side of the curve. In this study, LESS has not been an effective treatment for scoliosis.