Scoliosis (kind of OT)

[MichelleRN]

Hi Everyone,

My DD, dancing for 15 years (since 2 1/2) has gone through another growth spurt at 16-17 - and with it developed a huge S curve (49 and 44 degree) - now I have one at 39 that I managed over the years with exercise etc....have any of you children with it - what is the current way of treating it that you all have found helpful/non helpful?

On the net the brace is shown to be more trauma than its worth - and surgery is now only if kids are symtomatic - is that what you all hear?

Thanx all!

[bzar]

i'm guessing she's seen an ortho MD since you have the degree of curvature? what did he/she recommend?

i recently had an appt w/one. this was the end result after i noticed one of my shoulders being lower than the other. had the x-ray done, etc.

i am 46 and have never had any braces in childhood. he said since it is not pressing on any organs or vertebrae, and i have no pain, that there's no further action. but if i need to see him again for issues relating to this, to please come and see him.

i think since she's still growing the MD might want to see what happens after the next growth spurt (like if she gets taller or gains weight commensurate w/her age). a friend of mine has a metal brace in her back from a long time ago (i'm guessing when she became an adult and stopped growing) due to scoliosis.

edited to add:
when i do crunches and sometimes when i stand, i can really see my ribs being misaligned, even when i make sure that my hip is straight and my feet/knees/legs are lined up. i suspect it has a lot to do with my scoliosis.

[videofit]

Originally Posted by bzar

i noticed one of my shoulders being lower than the other.

I have this, too, and it's noticeable in photos. I always thought it was because I always carried heavy shoulder bags in my teens, when I was growing. I now carry my bag on the opposite side.

I've often wondered if by working one side differently than the other I could raise that shoulder. Maybe extra upright rows on that side? I wonder if anyone knows.

[bzar]

Originally Posted by videofit

I have this, too, and it's noticeable in photos. I always thought it was because I always carried heavy shoulder bags in my teens, when I was growing. I now carry my bag on the opposite side.

I've often wondered if by working one side differently than the other I could raise that shoulder. Maybe extra upright rows on that side? I wonder if anyone knows.

my doc pretty much said that nothing can be done (i.e., physical therapy). i'll go look for a VF thread where we discussed this, and people pretty much said the same thing - can't do much about it.

but it's best to have your doc look at it to make sure it's OK.

here're the threads:

One shoulder lower than the other

Chiropracter says I'm "tilted" - should I be concerned?

have you corrected body dissymmetry with yoga?

[Jane P.]

My SIL had to have major surgery in adulthood to correct this because it wasn't dealt with when she was an adolescent. I would really keep an eye on this because it can cause major problems later.

[jbee]

I a have a 13 year old daughter who underwent spinal fusion surgery just this past March. Her worst curve was 68 degrees. From her first x-ray in October 2007 to a follow up in January 2008 her curve worsened signifigantly.

I think the current thinking is that if you are skeletally mature your curvature could be up to 50 degrees and if it doesn't bother you and it is not getting worse then you can just live with it.

My daughter was still growing which meant that the curve was just going to get worse. At her degree of curvature, she looked physically deformed and the possibility exisited that she would have pressing on her internal organs. Surgery for our daughter was really almost miraculous. She went from 4'11" to 5'1"and three quarters. The recovery was a week in hospital and about two weeks bedrest at home (though not completely bedridden). Kids really do seem to recover quickly and according to the surgeons have less complications.

Also, check out the Yoga for Scoliosis dvd. It shows adults with different degrees of curvatures which I think helps visualize what that will look like in adulthood.

Best wishes

[SharonNYC]

Alison West is one of the most respected yoga teachers in New York City and she specializes in scoliosis (and the back in general). She has an awesome background that includes study with both the Iyengars and PKJ. You might take a look at her website: http://www.yogaunion.com . I've taken class with her and she really is amazingly knowledgeable. It might even be worth your while to make a trip to consult with her.

Famous Iyengar teacher Elise Browning Miller has an interesting DVD: Yoga for Scoliosis that could be very helpful. I have an extra copy you could have for a SASE. PM me if your interested.

As you probably know a lot of attention is given to scoliosis in the yoga world in general since so many people have it in varying degrees. I'm sure there are other great resources out there.

[MichelleRN]

Thank you everyone!

Her top curve of the S is 44 degrees, the thoracolumbar one is 49 - which (back in my day, the caveman days )was surgical....yes, we're going to the spine guy again at the end of the month - we had the first films and he said repeat in a few months....so we'll see then...but I trust YOU all, so I sure do appreciate all the input!

[videofit]

Originally Posted by SharonNYC

a lot of attention is given to scoliosis in the yoga world in general since so many people have it in varying degrees.

I didn't know that. I assumed it was rare, for some reason. Misery loves company!

[SharonNYC]

Originally Posted by videofit

I didn't know that. I assumed it was rare, for some reason. Misery loves company!

Depending on how you measure it scoliosis affects 2 to 3 % of the population. I see it ith relative frequency in the yoga classes I take and it's common enough that we dealt with in my yoga teacher training.