ReAlign reroutes the medical journey for scoliosis patients

Did you know that scoliosis –  the spinal curvature currently affecting up to 12% of the population – often begins in childhood? It’s a scary concept and, without early treatment and consistent care, it can lead to painful, life-altering surgeries later in life. Yet there is a high dropout rate when it comes to treatments like physiotherapy and back braces, leaving millions at risk.

Yasamin Kardar was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 12. Now she’s founded Realign – a health app designed to make treatment engaging and effective and turn a daunting medical journey into something motivating. 

Join SeedLegals CEO Anthony Rose as he talks with Yasamin about transforming her personal health battle into a mission-driven startup and her vision for using gamification to drive better health outcomes.

Key takeaways

The problem with scoliosis treatment

• Scoliosis, a spinal curvature that affects 2-12% of the population, often begins in childhood and can lead to life-threatening surgeries if left untreated.
• Early treatments like physiotherapy and back braces can prevent progression, but adherence rates are only around 30% – leaving most patients at risk.
• Many children feel isolated, demotivated and unsupported throughout the process, which worsens long-term outcomes.

Realign’s solution

• Realign is a health app that gamifies scoliosis treatment with streaks, badges and leaderboards to keep young patients engaged.
• The platform includes an AI assistant, peer support community and tools to track exercises, making adherence less of a chore and more of a daily habit.
• Yasamin Kardar founded Realign after her own scoliosis journey, bringing lived experience and empathy into the product design.

Traction and growth

• The app is currently in beta testing, with patients using it 20-60 minutes daily and all features nearing completion.
• ReAlign is raising a pre-seed round to expand into an AI-driven EHR platform, providing doctors with real-time patient data and adherence insights.
• Long-term, the vision is to replicate the model across other overlooked conditions and scale Realign into a global healthcare unicorn.