Brace Basics: What Your Brace Does
The no-jargon rundown of what your brace actually does and how it guides your spine while you're still growing.
For Dr. Tuason's Patients & Families
Scoliosis, explained like a friend would.
Maybe you just found out your spine has a curve. Maybe you're deep in brace life, or surgery's coming up. These short videos from Dr. Dominick Tuason's team at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital break it all down — no lectures, no sugar-coating, no 40-minute anatomy class.
You didn't cause this.
Sports are usually still on the table.
Week one is the weirdest. It gets easier.
Your plan is built just for you.
How this guide works
No required order and no homework — watch one video, binge a whole playlist, or come back whenever. Every video is tagged so you can pick your speed:
Quick takeShort and to the point. Start here when you just want the gist.
Deep diveMore detail, for when you actually want to understand the why.
Watch togetherPlenty of these are worth watching with your parents — pause, talk, ask the awkward questions.
Playlist 01 · Bracing
Brace Days
Life in a brace, minus the mystery — the awkward first weeks, school, sports, sleep, travel, and still feeling like yourself the whole way through.
Brace 101What a brace actually is and why it works.
Which Brace Is Right for You?
Braces aren't one-size-fits-all. A quick tour of the main types and why your team picked yours.
Casting for Younger Kids
This one's for the little kids — how casting helps the youngest patients. Worth sharing if you've got a younger sibling in treatment.
The first two weeksSettling in — day and night.
Your First 10 Days in a Brace
The honest version of week one — what feels weird, what gets easier, and how to get through the adjustment period.
Staying Comfy in Your Brace
Undershirt hacks, itch management, sleeping positions — the small fixes that make a big difference.
School, sports & real lifeYour brace, out in the world.
Brace Hacks for School
Desks, backpacks, gym class, and what to tell friends — only if you want to. School with a brace, sorted.
Staying Active in Your Brace
Sports and workouts don't stop for a brace. How to keep moving, keep playing, and stay strong.
Traveling With Your Brace
Road trips, flights, long rides — how to pack and travel comfortably with your brace along.
The mental sideFor the days that hit harder.
When It Feels Like a Lot
Frustrated, self-conscious, just over it? All completely normal. Real talk for the tougher days.
Exercises That Help (the Schroth Method)
Meet Schroth — targeted exercises that team up with your brace. Basically PT designed for your exact curve.
Go deeperExtra credit, for the curious.
Sports & Activities: A Closer Look
Which activities are all-clear, and which are worth running by your care team first.
The Future of Braces
Smart braces, new materials, magnet tech — where bracing is headed next.
Playlist 02 · Surgery
Surgery Days
If surgery's on your radar, this playlist walks you through every step — getting ready, the hospital, recovery at home, and getting back to your life. One step at a time.
The big pictureStart here for how it all fits together.
The Big Picture: How Scoliosis Is Treated
Start here: how treatment works overall and where surgery fits into the plan.
What Happens During & After Surgery
A calm, step-by-step walkthrough of surgery day and the first days after — no scary surprises.
Comparing Surgery Options (Fusion vs. VBT)
Fusion vs. VBT, side by side — so you and your family actually understand the options.
Prepping for surgery dayFeel ready, not blindsided.
Getting Ready for Surgery
Simple ways to get your body — and your head — ready before the big day.
Choosing a Surgeon You Trust
What makes a surgeon the right fit, plus smart questions your family can ask at appointments.
Preparing for Surgery: Going Deeper
The full prep rundown, step by step, for families who want every detail.
Before Spinal Fusion: Good to Know
Things worth knowing before a spinal fusion, so nothing catches you off guard.
The people taking care of youMeet the team.
Meeting Your Care Team
The people looking after you — who they are and what each of them actually does.
Who's in the Operating Room?
You're never alone in there — meet the full team that's with you the entire time.
Managing the nervesNervous is normal. Here's what helps.
When It Feels Like a Lot
Pre-surgery nerves are real. A gentle one for when the worry gets loud.
Calming Nerves Before Surgery (You & Your Family)
Calming strategies you and your parents can actually use in the weeks before surgery.
Easing Worry Before Surgery
Simple ways to quiet an anxious brain as the date gets closer.
Recovery modeThe hospital, home, and healing.
Packing for the Hospital & First Days
What to actually pack (yes, chargers) and what the hospital stay really looks like.
Recovering After Surgery
How healing unfolds in the weeks after surgery — rest, movement, and getting stronger.
Healing at Home: Strong & Safe
Back home: the do's, the don'ts, and how to heal well without going stir-crazy.
Caring for Your Scar
Simple scar care that helps it heal well and fade over time.
Back to your lifeSchool, trips, and everything after.
Back to School After Surgery
Five hacks for the return — backpacks, stairs, catching up, and pacing yourself.
Traveling After Surgery
Cleared for a trip? How to travel comfortably while you're still healing.
Scars & self-imageYour body, your story.
Your Scar & Your Confidence
Your scar is proof of what you got through. Real talk on scars, confidence, and owning your story.
Understanding Body Image
Body image is complicated at the best of times. How to be kinder to yourself through all of this.
The detailed stuffDeeper dives — great for parents too.
Heads up: these use more medical vocabulary. Great for parents — or watch together and pause when you've got questions.
How Doctors Keep Surgery Safe
All the behind-the-scenes ways your team keeps surgery as safe as possible. Genuinely reassuring.
Understanding Possible Risks
An honest, calm look at possible complications — a good one to watch together as a family.
Magnetic (MAGEC) Rods for Growing Spines
Surgery that uses magnets to gently lengthen rods as younger kids grow.
Halo Traction Explained
For bigger, more complex curves: what halo traction is and how it helps.
You're braver than you think 💙
Scoliosis is just one part of your story — and you don't have to face it alone. Dr. Tuason and your whole care team at Yale are right beside you. One day at a time, you've got this.