The Bozeman Curvy Girls chapter helps scoliosis-affected young women

Bozman, Montana – A local teenager has founded the Curvy Girls Bozeman branch of an international group that helps young women with scoliosis.

When she was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 7, 11-year-old Layla Weiss claimed she was the only girl she knew with the condition. It can be challenging and occasionally nerve-wracking to live with scoliosis, she said. Even her fellow students teased her for needing to wear a back brace.

“I just was stunned because it’s normal to be wearing a brace. It’s not like everyone would be the same. You’re all different,” she said.

She now hangs out with Katie and Maija, two other girls her age, in a group. They can encourage one another by talking about their worries, experiences, and what they are working on in physical therapy.

Just back from the worldwide convention for Curvy Girls in New York, Layla and Maija. This is a chance to interact with other scoliosis-affected girls and learn more about the condition’s fresh scientific findings.

“We kind of went on the dance floor and kind of did workshops to know more about scoliosis and what it’s like to have it and what we should do for our members… like support them and tell them that it’s okay to wear a brace and that it’s not bad to have scoliosis,” Layla said.

The group is currently gathering money for its 2025 summer convention.

There are currently 88 groups spread over 18 nations and 35 U.S. states.

The Scoliosis Reduction Center reports that girls are more prone to develop the condition than boys are.

All three girls in the Bozeman Curvy Girls chapter receive treatment from scoliosis physical therapist Dr. Faith Ford.

She claimed that since the girls have their own support system, they are more accepting of their scoliosis, more at ease wearing their braces, and more eager to participate in their workout routines.

According to Dr. Ford, scoliosis is underdiagnosed and Montana lacks physical therapists with the necessary expertise. There are only two in the state, and Dr. Ford is one of them. They are both situated in Bozeman.

“If we can get them when their curves are mild and have them start physical therapy, scoliosis physical therapy. And if they do hit that bracing range, start bracing, having, you know, frequent follow ups with their scoliosis physical therapist and their primary care, we can manage their curves so much better,” she said.

Scoliosis is frequently overlooked at annual checkups or sports physicals and is more likely to manifest themselves after the age of ten, even though treatment should have begun much earlier, according to the expert.

Early detection and prevention not only facilitate management but can avert later, potentially traumatic and expensive, surgical requirements.

You can visit the Curvy Girls website to learn more about the Bozeman branch.