Pediatric spine care
Our pediatric spine care specialists offer noninvasive and surgical treatment options for spine conditions that affect children. These include scoliosis and kyphosis, as well as birth complications like spina bifida and back injuries.
Pediatric spine specialists in San Antonio
Nothing is more important to us than the health and well-being of your child.
For more than 20 years, the spine care team at Methodist Children’s Hospital Spinal and Thoracic Center has gone above and beyond to provide life-changing therapies in South Texas. We work towards delivering the most advanced treatments available for your child's spine condition.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Our spine health program
Our pediatric spine care team includes physicians, surgeons, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and many other providers. We offer state-of-the-art testing, multiple treatment strategies and supportive rehabilitation therapy.
We also believe in taking a caring, multidisciplinary approach that addresses all of your child's needs, making sure you understand your child's condition and treatment options. We'll be with your family through every step of the way, with all the support you need to help your child continue chasing their dreams.
Another feature of our pediatric spine program are the "virtual tours" we offer to help you and your child prepare for a procedure. Visit our child life services page and scroll down to the "Schedule a tour" section to find the video corresponding to your child's age as well as a phone number to call to set up a tour.
Spine conditions we treat
Our care team treats spine and thoracic conditions that affect children of all ages, including:
- Congenital and developmental forms of scoliosis, lordosis and kyphosis
- Neck and back pain, which can be caused by spinal conditions or other medical issues
- Neuromuscular and syndromic conditions and the spinal disorders associated with them
- Thoracic insufficiency caused by spinal and thoracic conditions
Pediatric spine care in San Antonio
Your child's personalized treatment plan may include non-surgical therapies, surgery, long-term follow up, physical therapy or a combination of many treatment options. Our experienced, board-certified surgeons will seek non-surgical therapies whenever possible. If surgery is necessary, the surgeon will use minimally invasive techniques that put less stress on the body and encourage a faster recovery.
Nonsurgical treatments
- Braces and splints to aid movement
- Physical therapy to treat neck and back pain, neuromuscular conditions and other concerns
- Serial casting to treat moderate to progressive infantile or juvenile scoliosis
Surgical treatments
- Halo gravity traction, a technique that can reduce spinal curvature caused by severe scoliosis
- Magnetic expansion control rods, an innovative therapy that uses magnets to treat spine deformities caused by scoliosis
- Prosthetic titanium rib, used to improve breathing for children with severe chest deformities
- Shilla growth guidance system, which can be used to treat children under 10 years old who have early-onset scoliosis
- Spinal fusion, which can correct an abnormal curvature of the spine
Visiting Methodist Children's Hospital
Methodist Children's Spinal and Thoracic Center is located on the Methodist Hospital campus. The Methodist Children's entrance is next to the main Methodist Hospital entrance.
We recommend that Methodist Children's visitors park in either Garage 2 or use our valet parking service.
Patient stories
Pediatrics