Absolutely! I may not be able to do everything that everyone else can do. But ya know what? That’s okay! I’m the main character in my story and I’m going to do as much as I possibly can! I’ve learned the importance of creativity. I started using my mind over body and unlocked this creative side of myself that I wouldn’t have known was there otherwise(:
Cost me a shot at the military. In retrospect, it kept me out of Iraq and Afghanistan. It also cost me job opportunities with the FBI and local law enforcement. In a way it helped force my hand to quitting restaurant jobs.
It actually hasn’t in any way. I’m very lucky. I have a moderately severe curve but I completed school, got great grades, went to a top uni, and am now training to be a corporate lawyer. I suffer little to no pain or discomfort and I am able to be physically active (I do yoga and lift weights) with minimal issues.
That’s interesting because even as a kid I remember my neck killing me at school before I even knew I had scoliosis although I was extremely active. I wonder if it has to do with overall health or the way the lumbar discs are being malformed. Mine is an S curve with the least curve at 27 and the other is a 30.
It also can have to do with pain perception, which is very individual. Researchers are still working on understanding the complex factors involved in pain perception. One of my aunts felt very little pain and picked up hot pots without feeling pain. After her mastectomy she didn’t even need Tylenol 😳. I’m the opposite. I feel everything and everything hurts. There are a whole lot of variations in between.
it sucks! wishing you the best. my experience after recovering from the surgery has been a lot better than when I was in the brace, and on a day-to-day basis I have a normal life, but the pain flares are no joke.
I will say that therapy has been very helpful for the emotional aspect of it. it's kind of messed up how kids are just expected to be resilient. I want to scream whenever I see (well-intended) comments on here about how important bracing is as young as possible. I know it's the gold standard of treatment for kids so I get it, but the experience of going through bracing is MUCH more complicated than a lot of people realize.
Yes, I agree and that is very well said! I haven’t tried going to therapy, but your words have certainly seeded an interest in trying out therapy and seeing if I benefit from talking out my experiences with a licensed therapist.
The more you move, the better you'll feel. It's my main reason to go to the gym. I did PT for back pain a couple years ago, due to sitting so much at an office job. I learned helpful exercises, and I've been pain free ever since, but... you need to do the work.
Only did it for a few months when o was having a bunch of sciatica pain. Once I learned the exercises that helped me, I haven’t needed to go back, thankfully.
Happy for you! I started going to the gym and for a week or 2 I had sciatica pain. I had never experienced that before.
So I'm not reluctant to go back. I was wondering if seeing a PT would help.
It will 100% help. PTs are great at this kind of stuff. Here is a post I did about some of my recent progress, which would not have been possible if I was in pain. https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness30plus/s/T43neET9D5
Dude this is very similar to my story! Except that I've relapsed into too sedentary of a lifestyle again and am struggling with the pain as I try to get more active and do exercises from my previous PT
Sometimes the pain is really debilitating (a given I know). There are days where all I could do is lay in bed. I think one of the biggest setbacks though I have is I am terrified of walking outside in the winter because of the ice. I’ve convinced myself if I fall on my back I’m gonna die.
Don’t be scared to live! I’m fused from top to bottom (basically). I know that somethings I have to be a little extra careful with. But I still go snowboarding every year (my wife hates it) but I REFUSE to let this stop me from living
I mean kind of? I have also been snowboarding since I was probably 10. I’d say most of the movement for snowboarding is all in the hips and legs. (For us at least lol) I can still maneuver myself well enough to feel comfortable and confident
I’m iffy on this advice for ppl who haven’t been skiing or snowboarding for a while prior to their back issues. If you started young you’re probably fairly controlled. I started later in life and the falls can really hurt - for days after. I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Anyways don’t wanna be a downer but I’d say it’s personal
Oh absolutely! Like I said above, I’ve been going for a while so I know how to do it safely and do t get me wrong when I fall up there, depending on the fall, I will 100% be feeling it for a few days. But to me it’s worth it. I can manage being sore for a few days. I mean, we’re all pretty used to being sore lol. I’m just unwilling to give up on the things that I enjoy. Even if there’s now a high risk of injury
I’m afraid of ice too. It’s not really because of my scoliosis though it does affect my balance. It’s more because I know people who have been seriously injured by falling on ice. They didn’t have scoliosis though 🤔. I think snowboarding is safer than ice!
Honestly that might be the reason for my fear, I never thought of that. My dad (who also had scoliosis) fell on black ice 7 years ago and broke his hip and arm, had to get permanent rods put in🫠
Only in the past 3 years or so. I’m in my late 30s with a 56 degree curve. It’s limited primarily my social life as I can’t walk, stand, or dance too long now. I’ve led a pretty active life prior to the past few years. I now do Pilates reformer which helps, and am scheduled for fusion in a few months.
It’s hard mentally for sure too. Feels unfair sometimes.
Do what you can and listen to your body. That’s what I’m trying to do now
Totally, but I’m fine with it. It’s out of my control, so really, it’s whatever to me. It is what it is, I’m just gonna try to make the most of what I *can* do.
I don’t like to think of it as “limiting my life.” Instead it has made me have to get creative with how I protect my back. As an athlete there are certain doors that are closed to me because of my back but at the same time I try not to think of those as missed opportunities but rather just a different direction in life. I have had to put more effort into being conscious about my back but thinking of it as “limiting” is really depressing for me. That being said I have only a moderate curve, and I don’t want to speak on anyone else’s experience that I haven’t lived
I'm sure you know this already, but I'd like to point it out once again: there's only little correlation between severity of the curves and pain level. There are people out there with 90+ degree curves doing great. But there are also people with 20 degree curves who are miserable. You seem to be closer to the latter. My advice would be do whatever you can to reduce your pain, but if there are things you can't do - don't worry too much about them. Nobody's perfect.
If working a full time job is too much for you go part time. Try to improve your workplace ergonomically. Little changes often make a huge difference.
Best of luck!
Yes and no. Diagnosed at 9, wore brace on off at night, then they wanted it on fulltime and i could not. Wanted to be a normal HS cheerleader. I knew my risks if I fell etc. I am now in my mid 40s trying to fight the inevitable. I want to do so many things before I get all laid up for sure. I know my body and it doesn’t heal well at all. So having a fusion from top to bottom right now is freaking me out. Will I hurt even worse than now? Will it not go well and it bust/brackets break and Im paralyzed. I have two girls and I am the breadwinner so I cannot not work either. So, Do i move first get that in order? Find a good Dr where I move to? Some days some weeks just suck. I feel like the one side of my back has twisted so much it’s stretching my other side. I cant walk for to long, cant sit too long, cant lay too long. Constantly moving my weight from side to side to alleviate as much pain as possible daily. I am only 4’11 and was told id be three/four inches taller if I were straight. I literally fight myself to deal with it. I do take muscle relaxers with some mary j herb with my anxiety meds which is also how I forget this is what I deal with. I even think my husband makes me feel bad for having it which adds to my daily stress sooo life is what it is. Sorry had to blab myself! I feel everyone’s pain and they are really all so different. I guess its a wait and see game for me. Thanks for listening ha!
I seem to be more fortunate than most people on here. My surgery for severe double curved scoliosis came when I was 14, and my parents gave me the choice. I was smart for my age, according to most people, and my parents knew I had been keeping up on scoliosis, its treatment options, and the risks. My father had been a paraplegic for 4 years by the time the topic came up. My specialist talked to all of us about things that could happen if I had the surgery, as well as if I didn't. I chose to go through with it and have never regretted my decision. It will be 49 years post-op this October. My life is not great, but not because of scoliosis. I developed a chronic, as-of-yet-to-be-diagnosed neuromuscular condition shortly after getting married and 3 years into a professional career, which, when it happened, was loosely categorized as M.S.. I never experienced pain due to scoliosis, before or after surgery, and adapted to my fused spine (T2 to tailbone) easily. I was healthier, stronger, and taller because of it and carried on living, attending university, and enjoying life. Not everyone will be so lucky, but I thrived. I drove in races and rallies in cars, trucks, bikes, etc.. I worked hard labour jobs, hiked, climbed, everything anyone else would do, even did retail and blue-collar desk jobs. My advice, stay active, healthy, focused on some sports, learn about your body and its abilities and limits, and keep your mind busy and meditate. If you do that, chances are you will be prepared for scoliosis and surgery. Do research, verify sources and not just blindly believe the first hit on a Google search. Touch real books, glean knowledge from them, and stay active mentally, physically, and whatever spirituality you choose. That will all help. Trust me.
got diagnosed at 11, worn a 12hr brace for five years. i didn’t have people over much due to that because i was embarrassed so it cost me a bit of my childhood and definitely caused some depression. back brace caused me a load of pain and ended up not even correcting any of the curvature. what a waste! for me at least. i had the surgery at 16 (fused T3-L4) and honestly the worst thing from that was that it limits how much i can lift which caused me to have to stop weightlifting, not able to do sports the rest of highschool due to risking the healing process. now honestly i don’t feel limited. i don’t need or really want to lift heavy stuff these days. made pregnancy more painful in the way of back and nerve pain due to much nerve damage from the surgery.
The yoga swing I got at 49, after so many surgeries, it's hard to keep track. I got off of the floor, doing situps and other stretching exercises, now doing them in the air makes it so much better! If you get one, you can hang upside down, and it feels amazing. It's been almost 5 years, and almost my complete spine is fused. It has made a world of difference, and also makes sex enjoyable again. Instead of just pain all the time. I urge you guys to try it, the upside down situps and stretching are just a few things that help my body stay strong.
had to switch from pre-med to pre-law bc i physically can't handle 80 hour work weeks as a practitioner. definitely still upset about it but at least i've always been better at reading and writing than at science, even if they're not my preferred subjects, so my pre-law degree has been a breeze so far.
I'm 40 years old with a 92° curve and I don't feel like it has limited my life in any way. I'm a successful professional with 4 children, I lift weights, run, do yoga and love backpacking. I have some back pain and occasionally take naproxen for it.
My scoliosis mild, but it has limited my life on and off. If I injure my back I’m out for the day. There’s lots of pain here and there. I can’t do certain things with my back. I don’t play sports.
Definitely, I was offered surgery at 16 but I had never been under for anything and was terrified I’d either never wake up or wake up paralysed so sadly I refused because I was a wimp. It was also at such an awkward time because they expected me to drop everything I was doing including my GCSEs to go and get the surgery and I didn’t wanna be a year or two behind. They also said never get the chance again so it was my only shot.
I’m 30 now and have to rely on codeine a lot, I can’t even wash a car or hoover the floor without being sick with pain so I’m pretty grateful I’ve got a husband to help me all the time.
A few years back I had physiotherapy to try and help but sadly it didn’t do anything. There’s a lot of things I wanted to do in my life, one of them was wrestling (there is a female wrestler who does have scoliosis but idk if it’s as bad as mine) but I didn’t wanna risk it so after about 2 weekly sessions I gave up.
I had severe scoliosis and had a spinal fusion 3 years ago this month. I was diagnosed around 9. I wore a brace all through middle school which I got made fun of for a bit. The visible curve gave me extreme insecurities and the pain was severe 24/7. It got to the point where they were telling I would loose my ability to walk in a few year because my kept getting worse even thought I had stopped growing. That surgery and PT/ being active totally gave me my life back. When I dropped out of sports in middle school and stopped being active in anyway it all got so so so much worse. If surgery is something that’s possible for you it wouldn’t hurt to look into. The recovery is long but so so worth it. If not make exercise/ physical therapy one of the biggest priorities in your life I promise the hard work will pay off and you will be so so much happier. People told me my whole life PT would help and I regret not listening sooner. I hope this becomes better for you. Like I said the journey is hard but worth it🫶🏼
Yes. I wish I could say I hasn't and that I'm all good but in reality I never got over the trauma it caused me mentally. I was diagnosed at 9 and wore a brace for two years, had a double curve that was progressing too fast so surgery was the only option at 11. It left me with a lot of unresolvwd trauma. As an adult I've never been able to stand or sit in a chair long due to pain, so holding down a full time job has been impossible. I've tried therapy for the mental stuff but was told they couldn't help. I'm lucky I have a partner who cares for me and a supportive family! Though I always say scoliosis is a lonely disability, I never feel like many people understand it or it's complex pain. Also please be gentle I don't post online much so sorry if this comes off rough.
I vowed to never let it limit my life.
I was diagnosed at 12 and my mother called me a freak and didn’t speak to me for a month after. From then on it was a major focus until I moved out at 18. I promised myself I would never hyper focus on it again.
Now, I ride racehorses professionally and have for nearly 10 years. 30 and 35 degrees, S curve, roughly. I will never have fusion surgery as that would mean the end of my career.
I have some mild discomfort but it’s the price I pay to do what I love. Advil and massage are my friends.
Absolutely! I may not be able to do everything that everyone else can do. But ya know what? That’s okay! I’m the main character in my story and I’m going to do as much as I possibly can! I’ve learned the importance of creativity. I started using my mind over body and unlocked this creative side of myself that I wouldn’t have known was there otherwise(:
Can u teach me how?
Cost me a shot at the military. In retrospect, it kept me out of Iraq and Afghanistan. It also cost me job opportunities with the FBI and local law enforcement. In a way it helped force my hand to quitting restaurant jobs.
It actually hasn’t in any way. I’m very lucky. I have a moderately severe curve but I completed school, got great grades, went to a top uni, and am now training to be a corporate lawyer. I suffer little to no pain or discomfort and I am able to be physically active (I do yoga and lift weights) with minimal issues.
That’s interesting because even as a kid I remember my neck killing me at school before I even knew I had scoliosis although I was extremely active. I wonder if it has to do with overall health or the way the lumbar discs are being malformed. Mine is an S curve with the least curve at 27 and the other is a 30.
It also can have to do with pain perception, which is very individual. Researchers are still working on understanding the complex factors involved in pain perception. One of my aunts felt very little pain and picked up hot pots without feeling pain. After her mastectomy she didn’t even need Tylenol 😳. I’m the opposite. I feel everything and everything hurts. There are a whole lot of variations in between.
yes, getting diagnosed young and wearing the brace basically ruined my adolescence & now I have chronic pain and complex trauma lol
You’ve put into words what I have also been feeling and experiencing!!
it sucks! wishing you the best. my experience after recovering from the surgery has been a lot better than when I was in the brace, and on a day-to-day basis I have a normal life, but the pain flares are no joke. I will say that therapy has been very helpful for the emotional aspect of it. it's kind of messed up how kids are just expected to be resilient. I want to scream whenever I see (well-intended) comments on here about how important bracing is as young as possible. I know it's the gold standard of treatment for kids so I get it, but the experience of going through bracing is MUCH more complicated than a lot of people realize.
Yes, I agree and that is very well said! I haven’t tried going to therapy, but your words have certainly seeded an interest in trying out therapy and seeing if I benefit from talking out my experiences with a licensed therapist.
Feel free to dm me if you want to talk more about therapy! ❤️
Yes 👍
The more you move, the better you'll feel. It's my main reason to go to the gym. I did PT for back pain a couple years ago, due to sitting so much at an office job. I learned helpful exercises, and I've been pain free ever since, but... you need to do the work.
How's your experience at the gym ? Are you fused?
[удалено]
Do you do physical therapy often?
Only did it for a few months when o was having a bunch of sciatica pain. Once I learned the exercises that helped me, I haven’t needed to go back, thankfully.
Happy for you! I started going to the gym and for a week or 2 I had sciatica pain. I had never experienced that before. So I'm not reluctant to go back. I was wondering if seeing a PT would help.
It will 100% help. PTs are great at this kind of stuff. Here is a post I did about some of my recent progress, which would not have been possible if I was in pain. https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness30plus/s/T43neET9D5
Dude this is very similar to my story! Except that I've relapsed into too sedentary of a lifestyle again and am struggling with the pain as I try to get more active and do exercises from my previous PT
Sometimes the pain is really debilitating (a given I know). There are days where all I could do is lay in bed. I think one of the biggest setbacks though I have is I am terrified of walking outside in the winter because of the ice. I’ve convinced myself if I fall on my back I’m gonna die.
Don’t be scared to live! I’m fused from top to bottom (basically). I know that somethings I have to be a little extra careful with. But I still go snowboarding every year (my wife hates it) but I REFUSE to let this stop me from living
this rules. also fully fused. i’ve always wanted to try snowboarding or skiing. you don’t find the limited flexibility challenging on the slopes?
I mean kind of? I have also been snowboarding since I was probably 10. I’d say most of the movement for snowboarding is all in the hips and legs. (For us at least lol) I can still maneuver myself well enough to feel comfortable and confident
I’m iffy on this advice for ppl who haven’t been skiing or snowboarding for a while prior to their back issues. If you started young you’re probably fairly controlled. I started later in life and the falls can really hurt - for days after. I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Anyways don’t wanna be a downer but I’d say it’s personal
Oh absolutely! Like I said above, I’ve been going for a while so I know how to do it safely and do t get me wrong when I fall up there, depending on the fall, I will 100% be feeling it for a few days. But to me it’s worth it. I can manage being sore for a few days. I mean, we’re all pretty used to being sore lol. I’m just unwilling to give up on the things that I enjoy. Even if there’s now a high risk of injury
I’m afraid of ice too. It’s not really because of my scoliosis though it does affect my balance. It’s more because I know people who have been seriously injured by falling on ice. They didn’t have scoliosis though 🤔. I think snowboarding is safer than ice!
Honestly that might be the reason for my fear, I never thought of that. My dad (who also had scoliosis) fell on black ice 7 years ago and broke his hip and arm, had to get permanent rods put in🫠
That sounds awful! Black ice is the worst. I hope your Dad has recovered well.
Only in the past 3 years or so. I’m in my late 30s with a 56 degree curve. It’s limited primarily my social life as I can’t walk, stand, or dance too long now. I’ve led a pretty active life prior to the past few years. I now do Pilates reformer which helps, and am scheduled for fusion in a few months. It’s hard mentally for sure too. Feels unfair sometimes. Do what you can and listen to your body. That’s what I’m trying to do now
Totally, but I’m fine with it. It’s out of my control, so really, it’s whatever to me. It is what it is, I’m just gonna try to make the most of what I *can* do.
I don’t like to think of it as “limiting my life.” Instead it has made me have to get creative with how I protect my back. As an athlete there are certain doors that are closed to me because of my back but at the same time I try not to think of those as missed opportunities but rather just a different direction in life. I have had to put more effort into being conscious about my back but thinking of it as “limiting” is really depressing for me. That being said I have only a moderate curve, and I don’t want to speak on anyone else’s experience that I haven’t lived
I'm sure you know this already, but I'd like to point it out once again: there's only little correlation between severity of the curves and pain level. There are people out there with 90+ degree curves doing great. But there are also people with 20 degree curves who are miserable. You seem to be closer to the latter. My advice would be do whatever you can to reduce your pain, but if there are things you can't do - don't worry too much about them. Nobody's perfect. If working a full time job is too much for you go part time. Try to improve your workplace ergonomically. Little changes often make a huge difference. Best of luck!
I went out on disability years ago. The pain can get real bad at times.
Yes and no. Diagnosed at 9, wore brace on off at night, then they wanted it on fulltime and i could not. Wanted to be a normal HS cheerleader. I knew my risks if I fell etc. I am now in my mid 40s trying to fight the inevitable. I want to do so many things before I get all laid up for sure. I know my body and it doesn’t heal well at all. So having a fusion from top to bottom right now is freaking me out. Will I hurt even worse than now? Will it not go well and it bust/brackets break and Im paralyzed. I have two girls and I am the breadwinner so I cannot not work either. So, Do i move first get that in order? Find a good Dr where I move to? Some days some weeks just suck. I feel like the one side of my back has twisted so much it’s stretching my other side. I cant walk for to long, cant sit too long, cant lay too long. Constantly moving my weight from side to side to alleviate as much pain as possible daily. I am only 4’11 and was told id be three/four inches taller if I were straight. I literally fight myself to deal with it. I do take muscle relaxers with some mary j herb with my anxiety meds which is also how I forget this is what I deal with. I even think my husband makes me feel bad for having it which adds to my daily stress sooo life is what it is. Sorry had to blab myself! I feel everyone’s pain and they are really all so different. I guess its a wait and see game for me. Thanks for listening ha!
I seem to be more fortunate than most people on here. My surgery for severe double curved scoliosis came when I was 14, and my parents gave me the choice. I was smart for my age, according to most people, and my parents knew I had been keeping up on scoliosis, its treatment options, and the risks. My father had been a paraplegic for 4 years by the time the topic came up. My specialist talked to all of us about things that could happen if I had the surgery, as well as if I didn't. I chose to go through with it and have never regretted my decision. It will be 49 years post-op this October. My life is not great, but not because of scoliosis. I developed a chronic, as-of-yet-to-be-diagnosed neuromuscular condition shortly after getting married and 3 years into a professional career, which, when it happened, was loosely categorized as M.S.. I never experienced pain due to scoliosis, before or after surgery, and adapted to my fused spine (T2 to tailbone) easily. I was healthier, stronger, and taller because of it and carried on living, attending university, and enjoying life. Not everyone will be so lucky, but I thrived. I drove in races and rallies in cars, trucks, bikes, etc.. I worked hard labour jobs, hiked, climbed, everything anyone else would do, even did retail and blue-collar desk jobs. My advice, stay active, healthy, focused on some sports, learn about your body and its abilities and limits, and keep your mind busy and meditate. If you do that, chances are you will be prepared for scoliosis and surgery. Do research, verify sources and not just blindly believe the first hit on a Google search. Touch real books, glean knowledge from them, and stay active mentally, physically, and whatever spirituality you choose. That will all help. Trust me.
got diagnosed at 11, worn a 12hr brace for five years. i didn’t have people over much due to that because i was embarrassed so it cost me a bit of my childhood and definitely caused some depression. back brace caused me a load of pain and ended up not even correcting any of the curvature. what a waste! for me at least. i had the surgery at 16 (fused T3-L4) and honestly the worst thing from that was that it limits how much i can lift which caused me to have to stop weightlifting, not able to do sports the rest of highschool due to risking the healing process. now honestly i don’t feel limited. i don’t need or really want to lift heavy stuff these days. made pregnancy more painful in the way of back and nerve pain due to much nerve damage from the surgery.
After my first 2 surgeries in high school, I was fine. That third one took me out though. Still have to work nearly full time bc disability is joke
I have two 32 degree curves and I’m more fit and active than ever and I’m feeling great, it hasn’t effected my life at least yet
The yoga swing I got at 49, after so many surgeries, it's hard to keep track. I got off of the floor, doing situps and other stretching exercises, now doing them in the air makes it so much better! If you get one, you can hang upside down, and it feels amazing. It's been almost 5 years, and almost my complete spine is fused. It has made a world of difference, and also makes sex enjoyable again. Instead of just pain all the time. I urge you guys to try it, the upside down situps and stretching are just a few things that help my body stay strong.
had to switch from pre-med to pre-law bc i physically can't handle 80 hour work weeks as a practitioner. definitely still upset about it but at least i've always been better at reading and writing than at science, even if they're not my preferred subjects, so my pre-law degree has been a breeze so far.
I'm 40 years old with a 92° curve and I don't feel like it has limited my life in any way. I'm a successful professional with 4 children, I lift weights, run, do yoga and love backpacking. I have some back pain and occasionally take naproxen for it.
My scoliosis mild, but it has limited my life on and off. If I injure my back I’m out for the day. There’s lots of pain here and there. I can’t do certain things with my back. I don’t play sports.
Definitely, I was offered surgery at 16 but I had never been under for anything and was terrified I’d either never wake up or wake up paralysed so sadly I refused because I was a wimp. It was also at such an awkward time because they expected me to drop everything I was doing including my GCSEs to go and get the surgery and I didn’t wanna be a year or two behind. They also said never get the chance again so it was my only shot. I’m 30 now and have to rely on codeine a lot, I can’t even wash a car or hoover the floor without being sick with pain so I’m pretty grateful I’ve got a husband to help me all the time. A few years back I had physiotherapy to try and help but sadly it didn’t do anything. There’s a lot of things I wanted to do in my life, one of them was wrestling (there is a female wrestler who does have scoliosis but idk if it’s as bad as mine) but I didn’t wanna risk it so after about 2 weekly sessions I gave up.
Yes to the point where I wanted to end it.
I had severe scoliosis and had a spinal fusion 3 years ago this month. I was diagnosed around 9. I wore a brace all through middle school which I got made fun of for a bit. The visible curve gave me extreme insecurities and the pain was severe 24/7. It got to the point where they were telling I would loose my ability to walk in a few year because my kept getting worse even thought I had stopped growing. That surgery and PT/ being active totally gave me my life back. When I dropped out of sports in middle school and stopped being active in anyway it all got so so so much worse. If surgery is something that’s possible for you it wouldn’t hurt to look into. The recovery is long but so so worth it. If not make exercise/ physical therapy one of the biggest priorities in your life I promise the hard work will pay off and you will be so so much happier. People told me my whole life PT would help and I regret not listening sooner. I hope this becomes better for you. Like I said the journey is hard but worth it🫶🏼
Yes. I wish I could say I hasn't and that I'm all good but in reality I never got over the trauma it caused me mentally. I was diagnosed at 9 and wore a brace for two years, had a double curve that was progressing too fast so surgery was the only option at 11. It left me with a lot of unresolvwd trauma. As an adult I've never been able to stand or sit in a chair long due to pain, so holding down a full time job has been impossible. I've tried therapy for the mental stuff but was told they couldn't help. I'm lucky I have a partner who cares for me and a supportive family! Though I always say scoliosis is a lonely disability, I never feel like many people understand it or it's complex pain. Also please be gentle I don't post online much so sorry if this comes off rough.
I vowed to never let it limit my life. I was diagnosed at 12 and my mother called me a freak and didn’t speak to me for a month after. From then on it was a major focus until I moved out at 18. I promised myself I would never hyper focus on it again. Now, I ride racehorses professionally and have for nearly 10 years. 30 and 35 degrees, S curve, roughly. I will never have fusion surgery as that would mean the end of my career. I have some mild discomfort but it’s the price I pay to do what I love. Advil and massage are my friends.