“I have had sich a great experience seeing Dr. Bergin. When other offices have told me I just had muscle damage or the only thing they could do for me was give shots, he said he had others ways to manage my pain and numbness, along with improving mobility. And he was right! I feel so much better! With such friendly staff and welcoming office environment, it makes for an amazing experience. I'll definitely continue seeing him!”
Condition
Scoliosis Treatment
in Lakeland and The Villages, FL
A curve in the spine does not change shape. How much pain, stiffness and lost movement it costs you can change, and that is the part we work on.
- 22 years in practice
- Non-surgical, no bracing
- $47 new-patient exam
Medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Bergin, DC Updated September 18, 2026
Quick summary
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. ChiroMed does not straighten a structural curve and does not brace or operate.
What we treat is what the curve costs you day to day. The aching, the one-sided stiffness, the tiredness by evening, and the movement you have quietly given up.
Care is hands-on and non-surgical. The first visit, including exam and report of findings, is $47.
Understanding scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine, usually with some rotation in it. Curves are measured in degrees on an X-ray. The degree matters less to how you feel than how the rest of your body has compensated for it over the years.
Two things are happening in a scoliotic spine and they are worth separating. The first is the curve itself. The second is everything the body built around it over the years.
That second layer is where the pain lives, and it is not fixed. It responds to hands-on care, to soft tissue work, and to changing how you load the spine.
How it works
The curve itself
It is structural. In an adult that shape does not get talked out of position.
The muscles either side of it
Muscles on the concave side shorten and grip. Muscles on the convex side lengthen and fatigue.
The load through the joints
Certain segments stop rotating while their neighbors take double the work, and joints carry uneven load for years.
Were you told about a curve years ago, and then nothing else?
Most adults who call about scoliosis were told about it decades ago, in a school screening or a routine X-ray, and then told nothing else.
What has changed since you were twenty?
It did not hurt at twenty. It aches now. One shoulder sits higher in every photograph.
Standing through a round of golf or a long church service has become a negotiation. The back is tired by four in the afternoon in a way sleep does not fix.
And the question underneath all of it?
Underneath the question sits a quiet fear about whether the curve is getting worse.
ChiroMed will tell you what a chiropractor can and cannot change about a curve. That conversation happens at the Lakeland office, or at Lady Lake for patients across The Villages.
Independent background: Scoliosis, Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Symptoms
Most people recognize their own version somewhere in this list. Each one maps to a specific finding the examination checks for.
- One shoulder or shoulder blade sitting higher
- A hip that appears higher on one side
- A rib or back prominence on bending forward
- An uneven waistline, or clothes hanging crooked
- One-sided back ache after standing or walking
- Back fatigue that builds through the day
- Reduced rotation turning one way
- Muscle tightness that always returns to the same spot
- Leg lengths that look different when lying down
Common causes
Idiopathic scoliosis
The most common form by far, usually first noticed in adolescence, with no identified cause. It is not something a parent did or a child caused.
Degenerative adult scoliosis
A curve that develops later in life as discs and facet joints wear unevenly. This is the version most Villages patients are dealing with, and it often arrives with stenosis symptoms alongside it.
A congenital difference in vertebral shape
Vertebrae that formed differently before birth produce a curve from the start. Management is orthopedic first, and any hands-on care is coordinated around that.
Neuromuscular conditions
Where muscle control around the spine is affected by an underlying neurological condition, the curve follows. These cases belong with the treating specialist.
A functional curve from compensation
A leg-length difference, a long-standing hip problem or a guarded posture after injury can produce a curve that is not structural. Those often change substantially, which is why the examination distinguishes them.
How we treat scoliosis in Lakeland and The Villages
Care is aimed at what the curve has done to you, rather than at the curve itself. We get motion back into segments that have locked, and release the tissue that has shortened on the inside of the curve. Then we build tolerance, so an ordinary day costs you less.
Chiropractic care for the segments that have stopped moving
In a curve, a handful of levels do almost none of the rotation and the neighbors do far too much. Specific adjustment returns motion where it has been lost. It does not reduce the measured curve, and we will not tell you it does.
Spinal decompression where a disc or a nerve is involved
Degenerative curves frequently come with disc narrowing and nerve-root crowding on the concave side. Where the examination shows that, computer-controlled decompression addresses the pressure directly.
Soft tissue therapy for the muscular asymmetry
The shortened side and the overworked side both need attention, and they need different things. Targeted soft tissue work is often what makes the adjustment hold, and it is usually what patients notice first.
Available at our 2 locations
Treatment at our Lakeland office, and also at:
What recovery usually looks like
Examination and measurement Your first two visits
Postural assessment, range of motion by segment, neurological screening, and imaging where it changes the plan. You see the findings before anything is recommended.
Settling the pain The opening weeks
Early work targets the muscular side, because that is where relief comes quickest. Most people report the evening fatigue easing before the morning stiffness does.
Building tolerance As the plan progresses
Focus shifts to holding the motion that has been restored and loading the spine differently in the activities that provoke it. Visit frequency falls as tolerance rises.
Long-term management Ongoing, by choice
A curve is a lifelong structure, so some patients keep a periodic visit and others return only when it flares. We reassess rather than assume, and we say when care has reached its ceiling.
When to seek care sooner
Between visits, the things that help most at home are unglamorous.
Keep walking, because standing still is usually harder on a curve than moving. Break up long sitting. Sleep with support under the side that hollows.
Carry weight on both sides rather than always the same shoulder. Gentle rotation and side-bending in both directions, daily, beats an intense session once a week.
Any loss of bladder or bowel control needs an emergency department today.
Get an orthopedic opinion that week for a curve that is visibly getting worse, a curve growing in a child or teenager during a growth spurt, new numbness or weakness in a leg, or pain that wakes you every night.
Cost, insurance and financing
Scoliosis care is priced by what the examination finds and how much of the plan is hands-on chiropractic rather than device-based work. The first visit is $47 and covers the consultation, exam, X-rays if needed and the report of findings.
The one published price
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47
What affects the cost
- Whether the curve is structural or functional, which changes the plan entirely
- Whether decompression is indicated alongside chiropractic care
- How much soft tissue work the muscular asymmetry needs
What a course includes
- The postural and neurological examination and the report of findings
- Reassessment of range of motion as the plan progresses
Payment:
Chiropractic care at ChiroMed bills insurance, and our team verifies your benefits before your first visit. Medicare coverage varies by plan and by service, which matters to many of our Lady Lake patients. The front desk confirms what applies to you in advance. Payment plans are available for self-pay care.
Who you would be seeing
Why was this practice built the way it is?
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC has 22 years of practice, and his own history with scoliosis and chronic pain.
That history is why ChiroMed exists in the form it does. He built it to reject the rushed-appointment model he had been on the receiving end of.
How does he talk about a curve?
That history also shapes how he talks about curves, with no promises about degrees and no scare tactics about the future.
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC, 22 years in practice, performs the examination personally and explains the findings before any program starts. Lakeland: 6595 Florida Ave S, Suite 13, Lakeland. The Villages market office: 929 US-441 #404, Lady Lake. Both offices run the same program.
Getting to us
How do Villages patients reach the Lady Lake office?
Lady Lake patients reach the US-441 office from Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, Brownwood Paddock Square, Summerfield, Oxford and Fruitland Park.
The golf-cart routes around CR 466 make the trip straightforward if you would rather not drive. Degenerative curves are common across the Sumter, Lake and Marion county retiree community.
And from around Lakeland?
In Lakeland, the South Florida Avenue office draws from Highland City, Lakeside Village, Grasslands, Christina and the Harden Boulevard corridor.
It is about fifteen minutes south of Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.
Browse every condition on the conditions we treat index.
Scoliosis in recent research
These sources are independent of this practice and none of them endorses it. They are listed so the reasoning behind the care can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- 2016 SOSORT guidelines: orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth
The international society guideline on conservative scoliosis care, which is clear that observation, bracing and exercise are the options during growth.
- Scoliosis in Children and Teens
The federal reference confirming most scoliosis has no identified cause and that treatment is monitoring, bracing or surgery according to curve severity.
Options compared, honestly
This is treated very differently depending on who you walk in to see. Here is the full set, including the options this practice does not provide.
| Option | What it is | Typically considered when | Invasive? | Offered at ChiroMed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiropractic care with soft tissue therapy Our approach | Restoring segmental motion and releasing the asymmetric muscular load around the curve | The curve is causing pain, stiffness or lost function and growth is complete | No. Hands-on and non-surgical | Yes, at both offices |
| Curve-specific exercise programs | Structured exercise designed around the curve pattern to build endurance and control | Endurance is the limiting factor, often alongside hands-on care | No | Rehabilitative loading is built into the plan here |
| Rigid bracing | A custom rigid brace worn to limit progression in a growing spine | A skeletally immature patient has a curve at risk of progressing | No, though wearing it is demanding | Not provided here. Appropriate for a growing spine with a curve at documented risk of progression, and managed by an orthopedic specialist |
| Pain medication | Anti-inflammatories or analgesics to reduce the symptom | Pain interferes with sleep or work while other care takes effect | No, though there are systemic effects | Not prescribed here. Appropriate when a physician judges short-term symptom control necessary |
| Spinal fusion surgery | Instrumented correction and fusion of the curved segments | The curve is severe or progressing, with neurological or cardiopulmonary consequences | Yes. Major surgery with a long recovery | Not performed here. Appropriate for severe or progressive curves, and that decision belongs with a spine surgeon |
We do not straighten curves, and the last three rows are not offered here. Curve monitoring in a growing spine, bracing and any surgical decision belong with an orthopedic or scoliosis specialist, and we will help you get that appointment.
What to expect
From evaluation to a plan for your scoliosis
A course, not a single visit. The examination decides the length and the cost, and both are written down first.
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01Evaluation
Orthopedic and neurological testing, with imaging on site where it changes the plan.
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02Findings, in plain language
What the examination actually found, and honestly whether this is a case conservative care can help at all.
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03A written program
Which disciplines, how many visits, over what period, and what it costs. Decided before anything begins.
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04Reassessment as it runs
Function is re-measured through the course. If the response says the plan should change, it changes.
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Find out what is actually driving it before choosing a program.
“Dr. Bergin was instrumental in relieving my back pain which I had for many years. The techniques he used on relieving my back pain were impressive. I been going to chiropractors for years and Dr. Bergin is the best. Thank You Dr. Bergin :)”
“Took a good amount of time going over my preliminary results and going over potential care plan. Great adjustment and doesn’t sugarcoat when discussing. Would recommend”
“The environment is incredible at this office with the staff and also both doctors are extremely friendly and great at what they do”
“Amazing, Super friendly and talented Staff and Doctors! My back was a hot mess after a semi hit my car on my first day moving to Florida. But after going through the treatment program I was able to get my neck, my back and my life in alignment. It was a total transformation. Thank You New City Chiropractic!”
“Hands down the best chiropractic office out there! They are super friendly and make me feel comfortable to tell then what’s wrong. They always ensure the best treatment for their patients!”
“I absolutely love this place , it is like going to visit family. They are always so pleasant , happy , and professional. I always enjoy seeing the ladies , they always put a smile on my face and even if I am having a bad day. The doctors are always so friendly and concerned with my well being. I actually look forward to going there and miss them on the days that I don't go.”
“I only wish it was closer. You are welcome it's definitely a compliment and I have read the great comments people made about the facility and staff! Amen Open one in Auburndale please!!”
“HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend coming here if you have any pains in your back or neck!! These guys are AMAZING at what they do!! Just a few months into coming here, I feel a change in the way I walk, the way my head sits on my shoulders, and I just feel GREAT; ALL THE TIME!! Crazy what some little adjustments did for me!!”
“This is an awesome chiropractic!! They are all nice and kind! Ever Since I have been adjusting my back, I don't need to take medicine before I go to bed. Also, I have been sleeping without waking up in the middle of the night because of the pain!! I really recommend the chiropractic 😊”
“Dr. Bergin at Chiromed Wellness Centers is the best chiropractor in town. I no longer have to take pain meds. If you still have pain, you’re not seeing to best chiropractor.”
“Love this place!! Cynthia and Angie are amazing! So nice and helpful!! The chiropractor’s are also amazing!! Just a great place overall! I highly recommended it!!”
“Look them up I waited so long to see a chiropractor and I found this place and am so happy that I did . Love the Drs they are so helpful and make feel like family.”
“The staff is super friendly and they walked me through the whole process. I’ve been going for a few weeks now and I’m already feeling results! The treatment the offer is very hands on and informative. I’ve never had manual adjustments until coming to this office and the staff makes you feel comfortable and takes care of your needs. Highly recommend !”
“The best Chiropractic center in South lakeland! love it here the Doctors are very urged to help with any of your needs, the beautiful assistants are nice and helpful they really make you feel welcomed. Most highly recommended Chiropractic Center. :)”
“Muy profesional la atención es formidable todos los empleados son muy amigables.Y muy efectiva sus terapias..Los recomiendo 100x100%”
“My pain has decreased dramatically, I’m no longer stretching and moving my neck in every angle trying to find relief. Every part of my body I can feel is finally getting closer to symmetry! All I can say is you should give new city a try!”
“I love this place!! They're very caring for their patients and strive to help you feel better. I strongly recommend giving them a try. I promise you won't regret it”
“The staff is very knowledgeable and organized, they get to know you and are flexible about fitting your treatment in to your life. They use proven methods to treat the root of your issues and the results are incredible. I was in a lot of pain after a car crash and within a few weeks I was able to go back to my normal routine with no discomfort.”
“I have seen and feel the change in my body since I started, I use to have major pain in my knees and neck ache. I'm an athlete and constantly need more adjustments, and every time I come I always without a doubt feel welcomed and important.”
Get in touch
Schedule your scoliosis evaluation
Tell us what you are feeling and which office is closer. The front desk answers during office hours; leave a message after hours and they call back the next open day.
- 1
Send the form
Two minutes. Tell us what hurts and which office is closer.
- 2
We call you back
A real person, during office hours, to find a time that works.
- 3
Exam and answers
History, orthopedic and neurological testing, imaging on site when it changes the plan.
- $47 consultation, exam, X-rays if needed and report of findings
- Payment plans available on the self-pay programs
- 4.8 out of 5 from 225 Google reviews
- Choose Lakeland or The Villages on the form
Scoliosis questions
Tap a message for the honest answer. Call Lakeland (863) 940-3444
Can a chiropractor straighten scoliosis?
No, and any clinic that says otherwise is selling you something. A structural curve is a fixed shape in an adult spine. What chiropractic care changes is the pain, the stiffness, the lost rotation and the muscle imbalance the curve has produced. That is what most people actually want back.
What is the best treatment for adult scoliosis?
For most adults it is hands-on care to keep segments moving, soft tissue work for the one-sided tightness, and better loading day to day. Surgery is reserved for severe, progressing curves or neurological compromise. Choosing between them starts with an examination and current imaging.
Does scoliosis get worse with age?
Some curves progress slowly in adulthood, particularly degenerative ones, and some stay stable for decades. Progression is measured on imaging over time rather than guessed from how you feel. If yours has changed shape or begun producing new neurological symptoms, that warrants an orthopedic opinion.
Should I see a chiropractor or an orthopedic specialist for scoliosis?
It depends on the question you need answered. An orthopedic specialist manages the curve itself, including bracing and surgical decisions. A chiropractor manages what the curve does to you. Many patients are best served by both, and we are comfortable working alongside one.
Is exercise safe if I have scoliosis?
For nearly everyone, yes, and inactivity is the bigger risk. Walking, swimming and controlled strength work are all reasonable. What to be careful with is heavy asymmetric loading and end-range twisting under load. The examination will tell you which movements your particular pattern does not tolerate.
Will insurance pay for scoliosis care here?
Chiropractic care at ChiroMed bills insurance and your benefits are verified before the first visit. Device-based additions such as decompression are handled separately and quoted in advance. Medicare coverage varies by plan and by service, so ask the front desk to check your specific policy.
Same-week appointments
Start with an examination, not a package.
Find out what is actually driving it before choosing a program.
- 4.8 out of 5 on Google
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47