Inside Shailene Woodley's Struggle With Scoliosis

Whether she's kicking serious tush in the Divergent films or holding her own amongst Hollywood heavy-hitters on HBO's Big Little Lies, Shailene Woodley is a powerhouse! Not only is she a talented actress, but she still manages to come off as down-to-earth in interviews. As she told InStyle in 2019, she's "one of the most frugal people you'll ever meet." 

Yup, Woodley is humble, yet with at least four films slated for 2021, per IMDb, unstoppable. Plus, in extremely sweet (if slightly eyebrow-raising) news, in January 2021, it was revealed that she was engaged to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers – touchdown! But of course, every star has their struggles, and for Woodley, a little less of a touchdown has been her past issues with scoliosis.

At age 15, per Us Weekly, Woodley was diagnosed with the spine disorder, which the Mayo Clinic described as "a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during [a child's] growth spurt." While the actor had her scoliosis corrected, the process entailed some pretty involved measures, including a body brace. As you watch the star dance it up to Sufjan Stevens alongside the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern on Big Little Lies or take down enemy factions in Divergent and its two sequels, keep in mind how far she's come given this difficult physical circumstance growing up. 

Scroll down to find out more about Woodley's struggle with scoliosis. 

So, what should you know about Shailene Woodley's struggle with scoliosis? According to WebMD, the disorder entails the spine curving "like an 'S' or a 'C' from behind." WebMD notes, "Other indicators include uneven shoulders, a prominent shoulder blade, or an uneven waist."

Diagnosed at age 15, the star went through "two years of wearing a chest-to-hips plastic brace" to get her notable spinal curvature fixed, per WebMD. "We were getting ready to go swimming and I was in a bikini. ... My best friend was like, 'Shai, your spine is weird,'" Woodley told WebMD in 2009. According to the outlet, Woodley's spine, "had a 38-degree curvature (if it had been more than 45 degrees, she would have been a candidate for surgery)." 

"I laugh under pressure," she added at the time. "So I was OK. It wasn't until the fourth week of wearing a brace that I said, 'Whoa, this is a bummer.'" Luckily for her, after two years, the brace came off and Woodley's Hollywood takeover continued. Offering up advice for those dealing with scoliosis, she told WebMD, "There's no cure, but the only thing they sort of know works is the brace. So follow instructions, don't be afraid, and watch out for it." 

Knowing Woodley went through all that only makes us love her more.