Try this....I'm curious as to the results

[Mary Lou]

Try this experiment for me and let me know the results.

Take your thumb and try to bend it towards the inside of your arm. Does your thumb touch your arm?

Pat, a member on this forum told me that she was told that people with Scoliosis can touch their thumb to their arm. She tried it with her family and so did I. We both got the same results....those with Scoli could do it and the rest of us couldn't!

Mary Lou

[nikyergen]

Mary Lou,
That is an interesting experiment. All three of the girls can do that, their dad can, and I can't. Maybe the scoli comes from his side. I assumed it was my side because my nephew has scoli too. All three of the girls have scoli. But, then it could of come from both sides and just skipped me.

I hope this helps on your information. I think it is pretty interesting.

'til later,
Nikki

[Littleone1016]

Mary lou,
:eek: That is crazy. I don't live with my family but I'm going to have to try that one. I always thought I could do that trick because of my Charcot Marie Tooth Diease, I have skinny pliable hands. Here is another trick to see if anyone can do. Left hand out palm up, right hand up to your knuckles placed on top of left with right arm elbow up. Now if you try to bring you elbow down and keep your fingers straight then I get my wrist at what looks like a breakable angle. Anyhow, that has nothing to do with determining scoliosis but it's fun to watch people reactions. I'm really interested what the results are with your test!

[Mary Lou]

Nikki,
Like you I thought it was interesting. I'll ask my husband if he can do it when he gets home. I hope your girls are doing well.
I just got some good news--Tracy just got back from the doctor's for her yearly check-up and at this point there is no sign of Scoliosis! She hasn't started her period yet, so I will still be very watchful. I was nervous since Jamie was diagnosed at her 12 y.o. check-up.

Littleone,
Okay, here's another thought for you---did you know your scoliosis could be caused by CMT? In my husband's family there are about 4-5 generations affected with CMT and I was looking up something one day about CMT and found that Scoliosis is sometimes a side effect of CMT. I mentioned this to my daughter's doctor and he strongly believes that her Kyphoscoliosis is caused by CMT. She will be seeing a neurologist in June to be tested for CMT. Of all the family members with CMT, Jamie is the only one with Kyphosis and/or Scoliosis.

Mary Lou

[Littleone1016]

Mary lou,
I actually did know that CMT and Scoliosis were related. It's funny because I have had many people tell me that they are not related but I have talked to many doc's about this possibility and I have been told since I was 8 that their was some kind of connection, they just don't know all the facts yet :-) Well, that's why they call it a practice right! My current curve after 4 surgeries is 75% with a 25% kyphosis curve above my fusion. They are hopeing that I will not develop any more of a curve above the fusion or I will have to have surgery yet again. I believe that under normal circumstances since I'm 24 they wouldn't be to concerned with any progression but because of weakening muscles and such they have to check me every 6months to 1 year. My dad has CMT and is just now getting the gene test to see which one he has. They had never diagnosed him until I was 8 and we realized he had some of the same hand and feet problems I did. I'm in the process of finding a neurologist here that knows anything about CMT (and it's proving diffucult) so that I can have the gene test to see which one I have too.

[Karen Ocker]

I cannot bend my thumb that way and never could.
Karen

[LindaRacine]

I was told that most people with idiopathic scoliosis can do it because they have more elastin in their collagen, making them more flexible than most.

--Linda

[Alison]

I can't, I've just tried it on both hands.

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

I just tried it on both hands, and I can do it on both of them

[nicoles mom]

mary lou
My Nicole does this all the time
{looked mom can you do it}
Theresa

[susannajon]

My daughter can do it, but my husband (with mild scoliosis) and me (with no scoliosis) could not. Cool experiment!

[Alison]

Tried in on everyone else in the house....know this breaks the theory, but the only one who can do it in my house is my sister, and she definetly doesn't have scoliosis

Alison

[Celia]

Mary Lou,

Hmmm... you may have stumbled on to something here :D Do you think this could be a new screening method ?





Celia

[Gail]

Mary Lou,

I can not do it.

Gail

[jc3]

hi marylou
that is an interesting experiment. I'm not sure if i'm doing it right. You said bend the thumb back to touch the wrist?? Am i the only one that wasn't sure what to do? I feel so dumb LOL. Let me know because i'm not sure if i was doing it right and i have scoliosis so i'm curious to see what happens
Jennifer

Also what is CMT??

[Mary Lou]

Hi Jennifer,

Sorry, maybe I should have said bend your thumb down towards your arm? You need to bend your wrist in its natural direction towards the inside of your arm. Bend your wrist and with your other hand, apply pressure to your thumb and see if your thumb touches your arm.

CMT-Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease/condition- is a condition that runs in my husband's family. Usually the limbs are most affected. His mother for example, has no feeling in her feet, hands and fingers. She has what is called "drop foot" since the muscles in her legs are weakend, her feet just sort of slap the floor. Since CMT affects the muscles, there is a chance that the muscles in Jamie's back were affected. If you go to some of the website and look up CMT, sometimes you will find Scoliosis listed as a rare side effect of CMT, but Jamie's doctor says it really isn't that rare to see CMT and Scoliosis. Hope that helps.

Mary Lou

[Theresa]

Hey Mary Lou,

I can't do it also.

[jc3]

hi marylou
now i understand! Thanks for re-explaining it. I couldn't do it and i have scoliosis. Nicole isn't home now i'll see later if she could. I can't imagine anyones thumb being able to reach. I guess you have to have either a long thumb or be really flexible. My two other kids couldn't do it either.
Jennifer

[pink_jazmin]

i cant do the thumb thing... my sis can and she has the smallest curve (its like 2 degrees)

[angelover]

i can do it! i feel so special!! i have always thought that my dad has scoliosis but he says he doesnt and with this experiment, i proved him wrong! he could do it too! my mom and my uncle [who dont have scoliosis] cant do it.
aura