Medical treatment of choice for painful scoliosis (curvature of the
spine) in adults is surgery.  However, here's some statistics reported
on the subject in the JOURNAL OF BONE & JOINT SURGERY, Vol 69-A95 in a
study of forty people at one medical center who received this surgery:
   - 40% had minor complications
   - 10% had major complications
   - one of the 40 died from the surgery
   - not one patient became pain free
   - not one patient had any improvement in pulmonary (breathing)
   function (decreased breathing capacity is another reason to do
   surgery for scoliosis)

This study replicates many other, yet surgery remains the treatment of
choice in the medical community.  Go figure.