Debate Over Spine Straightening Machine

(NBC) -- Scoliosis is a condition that causes a person's spine to curve. For some scoliosis, or an abnormal curvature of the spine, can mean constantly wearing a brace but some patients must resort to surgery.

Now a Pennsylvania mom says a new machine helped her young daughter get better.

It's a pretty big machine for a little girl, but eight year old Emma Walterick who has scoliosis, climbs right in. Her mom believes the Med X Torso Rotator is helping Emma's condition.

Scoliosis is a result of the spine curving as it comes down the side of the body. Doctors aren't sure what causes it.

Surgery can strengthen a severe curve and many children like Emma who have the condition wear a brace for as long as 18 hours a day.

"I would love for her not to be in a brace, seeing her buckle herself in it everyday and sleeping in it and roller blading in it, it's, it's hard as a mom but she's a trooper so. I get emotional but everyone's been great," said Emma's mother Stacy Walterick.

Rodger Schwab who runs main line fitness says the Med X Works by strengthening the muscles around the spine.

"That strengthening of those muscles right next to the spine will nudge that spine straighter," said Schwab.

The work out lasts only four minutes. Two minutes on each side of the body. Stacy says Emma's latest doctor appointment proves there's progress.

She says Emma's spine has gone from 14 degrees of curvature to eight degrees since she started on the machine.

"When they put the x rays up on the box and we saw the difference it was just ... I almost screamed, I almost fainted, I was so excited," said Walterick.

"A change of six degrees. It is very rare for me to see spontaneous improvement," said neurosurgeon Dr. Amer Samdani

Emma's doctor Amer Samdani at Shriners Hospitals for Children admits there's been a change for the better in Emma's spine.

He says braces can help curvature from progressing but will not reverse the condition. However, he's not ready to give credit to the Med X. He says scientific literature just doesn't back it up, but..

"I'm definitely not saying it's quackery. I think a part of me hopes we can have a non surgical way of improving these curvatures. However it's way to early to come to that conclusion," said Samdani.

"We've seen it work in almost every case that we've had," said Schwab.

Emma's therapy is covered under her parents insurance. But not all health insurance covers physical therapy.