It’s a condition with many twists and turns, but still no concrete cause or cure. However, doctors are trying to narrow down what they do know about scoliosis.

“There are several different forms,” says Dr. John Churchill, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff of The Children’s Hospital. Three to be exact. There’s infantile, juvenile, and a third, which is the most diagnosed, “the most common type of scoliosis is called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, typically starts after the age of 10.”

He says the degree by which the spine curves determines the treatment. “Bracing is for curves that are getting bigger. Unfortunately, bracing does not fix the curve, otherwise we’d give everybody a brace,” explains Dr. Churchill. For deeper curves, there’s surgery. “With modern surgical techniques, we can correct the curve quite well, inspite the fact that some of the curves are very large,” he adds. For example, this is an x-ray of a teenager’s spine that at one point was 75 degrees. Now, after surgery, it’s practically straight.

Researchers hope successful treatment likes this one will help find clues for a cure.