Hi everyone
My story is probably quite common, unfortunately!
I am 43 and my scoliosis was first picked up during a school screening when I was 12. I had X rays at age 12, 15 and 20 and was told by specialists my curves were not bad enough to warrant bracing or surgery. From memory the thoracic curve was either 22 or 27 degrees when I was 20 (I no longer have the X rays unfortunately) and the angle of the lumbar curve was a bit less. I (and my mother who accompanied me at the appointments) was also told that the my spine would stabilise once I stopped growing and the curve would not progress.
In January this year I thought I ought to have a new X ray just to check everything was OK and found that my thoracic curve was now 45 degrees. I went to see one of the specialists listed on this site who told me that it is usual for scoliosis to progress at about 1 degree per year and that it would continue to progress - BUT he thought I would be fine and didn't need to worry about it, although I could have the fusion surgery if I really wanted to.
It occurred to me later (of course!) that if it is going to progress at about 1 degree per year then I will have a curve of 60 degrees at age 60, 80 at age 80 and so on, and surely that WILL be problematic! So why the advice to do nothing?! Has anyone else been told this?
I would rather do something about it now while I am still young enough to recover from the surgery. Also, my main passion in life is horses and riding - both dressage and western equitation (I have been a serious trainer and competitor all my life) and the scoliosis has always interfered with my ability to get my poor horses to flex and bend in certain ways (how can they do it properly when their rider is twisted and one sided!). If I do nothing, my riding (and joy and pleasure from riding) will only deteriorate and frustration will increase! On the other hand, there is always a risk of falling from a horse and I am worried how my fused back would be able to cope with the inevitable falls. I would obviously always have to wear a back protector, which I am fine with. I've since been told that the fused area would be very strong, but would that make the unfused areas more susceptible? (ie they take up the slack, so to speak?)
At the moment I am having trouble with simple things like turning to the right, which I never used to have. I have always had trouble with lateral work. My pelvis is twisted and my right seatbone is always ahead of my left, and the weight distribution is not centred. Because of the twisted pelvis, one leg seems a bit shorter than the other, and I'm never sure whether to adjust my stirrups so they are different lengths or if having the same length would help with evening out the weight distribution.
I never know if it is related to the scoliosis or is the same problem most riders have. A riding instructor I know once told me she had a pupil with scoli who seemed to have the same problems I have.
Anyway, are there any other horse people here? How did you manage looking after your horses while recovering from the op? Has there been any improvement in your riding post op?
And the other thing - how does it feel to be straighter? Do you notice the difference or does the body adjust so quickly so that you feel pretty much the same?
Cheers - and hi to the Australian members I already chatted to on the Australian forum!
Lisel
My story is probably quite common, unfortunately!
I am 43 and my scoliosis was first picked up during a school screening when I was 12. I had X rays at age 12, 15 and 20 and was told by specialists my curves were not bad enough to warrant bracing or surgery. From memory the thoracic curve was either 22 or 27 degrees when I was 20 (I no longer have the X rays unfortunately) and the angle of the lumbar curve was a bit less. I (and my mother who accompanied me at the appointments) was also told that the my spine would stabilise once I stopped growing and the curve would not progress.
In January this year I thought I ought to have a new X ray just to check everything was OK and found that my thoracic curve was now 45 degrees. I went to see one of the specialists listed on this site who told me that it is usual for scoliosis to progress at about 1 degree per year and that it would continue to progress - BUT he thought I would be fine and didn't need to worry about it, although I could have the fusion surgery if I really wanted to.
It occurred to me later (of course!) that if it is going to progress at about 1 degree per year then I will have a curve of 60 degrees at age 60, 80 at age 80 and so on, and surely that WILL be problematic! So why the advice to do nothing?! Has anyone else been told this?
I would rather do something about it now while I am still young enough to recover from the surgery. Also, my main passion in life is horses and riding - both dressage and western equitation (I have been a serious trainer and competitor all my life) and the scoliosis has always interfered with my ability to get my poor horses to flex and bend in certain ways (how can they do it properly when their rider is twisted and one sided!). If I do nothing, my riding (and joy and pleasure from riding) will only deteriorate and frustration will increase! On the other hand, there is always a risk of falling from a horse and I am worried how my fused back would be able to cope with the inevitable falls. I would obviously always have to wear a back protector, which I am fine with. I've since been told that the fused area would be very strong, but would that make the unfused areas more susceptible? (ie they take up the slack, so to speak?)
At the moment I am having trouble with simple things like turning to the right, which I never used to have. I have always had trouble with lateral work. My pelvis is twisted and my right seatbone is always ahead of my left, and the weight distribution is not centred. Because of the twisted pelvis, one leg seems a bit shorter than the other, and I'm never sure whether to adjust my stirrups so they are different lengths or if having the same length would help with evening out the weight distribution.
I never know if it is related to the scoliosis or is the same problem most riders have. A riding instructor I know once told me she had a pupil with scoli who seemed to have the same problems I have.
Anyway, are there any other horse people here? How did you manage looking after your horses while recovering from the op? Has there been any improvement in your riding post op?
And the other thing - how does it feel to be straighter? Do you notice the difference or does the body adjust so quickly so that you feel pretty much the same?
Cheers - and hi to the Australian members I already chatted to on the Australian forum!
Lisel
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