Hereditary Anyone

[RitaR]

Just curious here, does anyone have other family members with scoliosis? Like me, I have a cousin who has it, but not to the degree of my curve (90-100). I know scoliosis is hereditary so I was just interested to know if anyone else has family members with it?
Thanks.

[Pooka1]

Well both my daughters have scoliosis but they are effectively clones of one another so that may not count. :D

My husband has a cousin who was fused for scoliosis and my aunt has scoliosis. My father-in-law says my mother-in-law's back is curved though she has no diagnosis. I'm sure if everyone in my extended family was radiographed there would be several more cases.

[titaniumed]

My father. I think it was late onset, or "senior" scoliosis. It was mild, like 30 degrees.

There are an alarming amount of seniors, post 60 that are getting scoli now. Linda posted a while back and the numbers were high, like 65% I believe.
Ed

[RitaR]

Wow - this is incredible. I appreciate the responses. I always watch my son, 13 years old, and I hope he does not develop any signs or symptoms. Especially since my curve is so severe. Amazing to hear how many people have family members with this debilitating disease....

[jrnyc]

my sister has a "touch" of it...like 5 degrees...in her 60's, no worry of progression! other sister none...none elsewhere that i know of....

jess

[mamamax]

My mom had a very mild case that progressed horribly in her old age. I never knew she had it as a young woman until after a fairly recent conversation with my dad, several years after mom passed.

My sisters and brother are either free from it, or have mild cases which remain undiagnosed. I believe my maternal grandmother may have been stricken (based on pictures and memories of her pain in old age) but if so, she never spoke of it. I also have a distant cousin (on my mother's side) who has it as a result of MD. My daughter - escaped, it appears.

I find it interesting that there seems a generation (my parents and grandparents), survivors of the great depression - who put little stock in such things. What I mean is, such (mild) conditions were not a topic of conversation - as survivors they had a sense of bucking up and carrying on. So I wonder how many "unknown" family cases there may be.

It wasn't until after joining this forum, questioning my dad - and giving more careful thought to family medical history, that I even realized the background that exists.

[bas2101]

My grandmother had what must have been a curve easily over 100 degrees. She had it her whole life. Never treated. She did however work full time until she was 90, and passed away at 94!

I have it mildly, but never an issue to where I had it measured or treated (may have come on as an adult).

Neither of my parents have it, but my daughter's paternal grandmother has it mildly (may have come on as an adult).

My daughter has it moderate-severe.

[RitaR]

I have asked my husband what must have been done with people like us in such pain and agony all day every day and can't walk or sit for any length of time, spasms, can't sleep, not normal appetite, and decreased lung capacity, in the days of horse and wagons and Indians on the horizon. I figure they have taken people behind their barns and shot them or something because they could not have just lived with this agony. It's just not possible. And, I don't know, but I haven't seen any Walgreen's or Wal-Mart pharmacies on Western movies that I've seen. Ha!

[jrnyc]

They suffered....that is what they did...that generation...they suffered!

[mamamax]

I have asked my husband what must have been done with people like us in such pain and agony all day every day and can't walk or sit for any length of time, spasms, can't sleep, not normal appetite, and decreased lung capacity, in the days of horse and wagons and Indians on the horizon. I figure they have taken people behind their barns and shot them or something because they could not have just lived with this agony. It's just not possible. And, I don't know, but I haven't seen any Walgreen's or Wal-Mart pharmacies on Western movies that I've seen. Ha!

They probably drank a lot for medicinal reasons - and pot was also medically prescribed ... a liquid opiate was also dispensed for chronic pain. Not that I was there - I just once had an interest in that myself, and remember discovering these things about history past.

[mgs]

My mother, who recently died at the age of 85, had a severe case, as did I. She wore a back brace for a time, back in the late 1930's or early 1940's, but it clearly was of zilch benefit. (My experience, decades later, was the same.) Like me, she got much worse with pregnancies and with time. Unlike me, she was not fortunate enough to have the surgical advances available to her, in her time.

My daughter, who is 25, has a very mild case. Mercifully, not enough to warrant talking about. :)

[ddb]

Funny this came up so timely. At the pre-op the other day we met the neurosurgeon. His first question to me was did I have scoliosis. I said no, but on DH side there is a cousin who had fusion surgery in the 70's, and his dad has scoliosis. He told me it usually comes from the mother (knew I was going to get blamed :rolleyes:). My mother was diagnosis with cervical spine stenosis in her 70's, but that was it. Both my DD's have scoliosis - youngest surgery is on 2/9/10.

Dee

[JenniferG]

My maternal grandmother had mild scoliosis. I'm one of four siblings and am the only one with scoliosis. I have two daughters, neither of whom have it and I am watching the backs of my three tiny grandaughters like a hawk.

The very best of luck to your daughter tomorrow ddb.

[joyfull]

My maternal aunt had a very severe case of thoracic scoliosis, just like mine (90 degrees) but I think my posture is better so it is less noticeable. It lead to severe lung problems and to her early demise at age 69. My maternal grandmother had it but not to that extent. My sister has under 30 degrees and her daughter was diagnosed with about 16 degrees, has been going for some type of physical therapy in California, and it has gotten down to 10 (she is 17).

BAS2101, I am amazed to hear about your grandmother. When I went to Clear, I was told that scoliosis takes on the average 15 years off your life, and I know of people who died from complications, aside from my aunt. I have 90 degrees but no pain. I am doing this solely to prevent problems in the future. Oh, to have a crystal ball! Joy

[jrnyc]

Hmmm.....15 years off one's life NO MATTER WHERE the scoli is? so even lumbar takes 15 years off, even if it causes no heart or lung problems cause it isnt high enuf up to do so...?

Hmmmm...they werent just tryin' to scare you, were they?

i am kinda mistrustful of them...for some reason....

jess

[tonibunny]

And yet Dr Stitzel of the CLEAR Institute tells people that there is no medical reason to have surgery, and that it's done purely for cosmetic reasons.

However, if there really is no medical advantage in straightening one's spine, you'd think it would also mean that you don't need to shell out thousands of dollars for CLEAR treatment wouldn't you? :rolleyes:

[Pooka1]

And yet Dr Stitzel of the CLEAR Institute tells people that there is no medical reason to have surgery, and that it's done purely for cosmetic reasons.

However, if there really is no medical advantage in straightening one's spine, you'd think it would also mean that you don't need to shell out thousands of dollars for CLEAR treatment wouldn't you? :rolleyes:

Good point! This is definitely up there with your editing of Simon's inner feelings about Stitzel. :D

But while that really does capture reality, I should point out that I think Stitzel has stated on at lest one occasion that a few curves might be surgical. Or maybe I'm confusing him with Weiss.

And speaking of Weiss, I heard a surgeon refer to him as a "rehab doctor." I am now questioning whether he is an orthopedic surgeon as has been assumed. I am now thinking he might have the equivalent of a PhD in rehab physiology like our very own (!) Dr. McIntire rather than an MD.

[mamamax]

But while that really does capture reality, I should point out that I think Stitzel has stated on at lest one occasion that a few curves might be surgical. Or maybe I'm confusing him with Weiss.[\Quote]

Both Clayton and Weiss have said that. Both are very passionate about what they do - one more vocal ;-)

[Quote]And speaking of Weiss, I heard a surgeon refer to him as a "rehab doctor." I am now questioning whether he is an orthopedic surgeon as has been assumed. I am now thinking he might have the equivalent of a PhD in rehab physiology like our very own (!) Dr. McIntire rather than an MD.

I wouldn't be surprised at someone referring to Weiss as a "rehab doctor" since he is seriously in to rehabilitation through non surgical methods. He is also an orthopedic surgeon (states this on his home page) and he is also a Chiropractor (German School). Oh - and an equestrian as well, western school I believe :-)

[loves to skate]

My father. I think it was late onset, or "senior" scoliosis. It was mild, like 30 degrees.

There are an alarming amount of seniors, post 60 that are getting scoli now. Linda posted a while back and the numbers were high, like 65% I believe.
Ed

That is incredible Ed. I missed that post by Linda.
Although my Mother was never diagnosed, I believe she had a lumbar scoliosis since she lost about 5 inches in height and had severe low back pain. Her sister had scoliosis but always blamed it on having had Polio in young adulthood. Recently, my niece (my brother's daughter) has been diagnosed with a lumbar scoliosis.
Sally

[joyfull]

Jess, They probably got that quote from somewhere. I know of many people with scoliosis who live to a ripe old age so I'm taking it with a grain of salt. Joy

[debbei]

My maternal grandmother had it, and not just in her elderly years. She had 5 kids in 5 years (1 set of twins) and I'm sure that didn't help. She always used to tell me how she never had milk to drink. When my mom was growing up, she says that my GM used to say she was 'short-waisted' and clothes never fit. By the time my GM was in her later years, she was all twisted up and compressed and a spinal mess. Her last 15 years were painful. When I found out that my scoliosis had progressed, I vowed that would never end up like my poor grandmother, and I wanted the best surgeon I could find to do the surgery.

My 3 kids ALL have scoliosis. The boys (19 and 17) have slight curves and hopefully won't progress any futher. My youngest, a 10 year old girl, has very slight curves and I'm PRAYING she doesn't progress.

I have no doubt that this is hereditary. In the past I have had terrible guilt that I passed my lousy condition on to all of my kids. I never dreamed that my boys would inherit it, I was originally only worried about my daughter.

[Dingo]

Let me be the dissenting voice in this thread.

Heredity probably does play a role in Scoliosis as it does in nearly all disease.

But even if genes are involved that doesn't mean that Scoliosis is a "genetic" disease caused by heredity. It is much more likely that "Scoliosis genes" create susceptability to something harmful in the environment.

For example Leprosy is caused by a bacterial infection but your genes play a role in how you fight it off.
Host Gene That Makes People Vulnerable To Leprosy Discovered (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030210075257.htm)

Another example is Type 1 Diabetes. Type 1 runs in families but recent evidence points to a virus as the cause.
Study Of Human Pancreases Links Virus To Cause Of Type 1 Diabetes (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305141639.htm)

Although Scoliosis hits some families very hard most cases occur sporadically throughout the population. In addition twin studies show that Scoliosis is not 100% concordant.

This 2007 study from Denmark found that Scoliosis was just 13% concordant among identical twins.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in twins: a population-based survey. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17426641)

Regardless of the actual number Scoliosis is not 100% concordant which indicates that the environment plays a role in Scoliosis. This environmental component is currently unknown. Once scientists discover it they'll eradicate this variable through vaccination or some other method. Our genes will be the same, but Scoliosis will be in the history books.

[Pooka1]

This 2007 study from Denmark found that Scoliosis was just 13% concordant among identical twins.

This study has been dismissed in the literature by at least some researchers. It is garbage in, garbage out for obvious reasons and should be retracted by the journal in my opinion. It is not heplful to continually cite discredited studies.

The actual observed concordance between identical twins is ~75% as determined by much better studies that the Danish study. The fact that it isn't 100% is likely explained by not following these subjects over a long enough time period and that epigenetic changes can affect scoliosis presentation. In other words, it is a sampling design error most likely.

ETA: The extemely high concordance between identical twins is consistent with all the observations noted in this thread about how scoliosis cases are usually not isolated instances in most families.

[Karen Ocker]

We've all heard the 1-3 degree progression of some scoliotic curves in adulthood.

My mom just passed away(Jan 25). I did physical care to the end. Her back, which appeared straight to me most of her life, showed a significant curve on a recent x-ray, and a new rib hump at age 93. An x-ray of her back when I was young showed her having a mild curve.

My sister (age 70) who is very athletic-hikes and bike rides 40miles at a time. I notice her back getting worse. It never showed before.

I had the worse case.

My girl cousin(maternal side) has a painful lumbar curve- getting worse.

My brother (age 65) has known about his scoliosis(doesn't show much) but needed epidural injections for pain (very overweight though).

Though some curves continue to definitely progress throughout life surgery might not be needed if a person stays reasonable comfortable into advanced old age and general health is not impacted--like breathing in my case or severe pain.

[Pooka1]

Karen, I'm sorry for your huge loss.

[mamamax]

Karen - Also sorry for your loss. My dad passed Dec 18th. Sharon is right - the loss is huge. ((hugs))