A study of a modified brace and manual therapy for teenagers with sideways curvature of the spine

INTERVENTION: This is a single‐centre, randomized, three‐arm, parallel‐group clinical study. Approximately 96 adolescents with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis are randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio using a digital/computer‐generated random number method to one of the following groups, with approximately 32 participants in each group. Outcome data are collected by personnel who do not participate in patient treatment. Group 1: Conventional tuina control group. Participants receive conventional tuina once weekly for 12 weeks. The treatment is performed with the participant in the prone position and includes rolling and kneading along both sides of the spine and the Bladder meridian, focused treatment at the curved spinal segment, pressing and kneading at related acupoints such as Xinshu, Feishu, Ganshu, Shenshu and Dachangshu, thumb muscle‐relaxing techniques to the erector spinae, spinal pressing and oblique‐pulling manipulation, followed by rolling and kneading along the paraspinal region. Group 2: Balance‐restoring bone‐setting therapy group. Participants receive balance‐restoring bone‐setting therapy combined with tuina once weekly for 12 weeks. With the participant in the prone position, the practitioner palpates along the Du meridian, Jiaji points and Bladder meridian on both sides of the spine to identify abnormal tender, tense or nodular points. These points are treated using pressing, plucking‐kneading and one‐finger Zen manipulation for approximately 10 minutes. Region‐specific low‐force bone‐setting techniques are selected according to the affected spinal region, including head‐lifting correction for cervical involvement, prone thoracic impulse correction for thoracic involvement and Long's traction‐based lumbar bone‐setting technique for lumbar involvement. Group 3: Combined t CONDITION: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) ; Musculoskeletal Diseases INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Adolescents aged 10 to 18 years 2. Diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis 3. Cobb angle less than 40 degrees and considered suitable for conservative treatment 4. Outpatients or inpatients treated at Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine who meet the study diagnostic, inclusion and exclusion criteria 5. Able to complete the planned 12‐week treatment and follow‐up assessments 6. The participant and his/her legal guardian or representative provide written informed consent according to the approved consent process