Pain Worsening With Age

[Curvy01]

Hello All,

I have been wondering for the past couple of days...

As you have gotten older has the pain you experience from scoliosis changed or got much worse or is it really all the same?...

I can imagine and have been told as you get older it gets worse.


Also, girls... Do you find wearing high heels bothers you much?

[CurvySAT05]

Although I can not really answer the age question because I am only 18 and I have had surgery for my scoli, I can answer the high heels question. The answer is YES!!! Wearing heels does bother me!!! I was only fused to L2 to try to give me as much flexability as possible and if I wear even a short heel I start to get back pain after just a short time. I do not like to wear heels now.
Mandy

[pet slave]

*sigh* Yes!

That's what sent me to the Dr in the first place........Pain, and lots of it.

I've had back pain for years,but it wasn't "bad enough" to go to a Dr. That is until two or three months ago, when my pain started getting worse. I went to the Dr at the end of May, and that's when they discovered I have Scoliosis, and have obviously had it for most of my life.

So, at age 42 I can tell you that yes the pain does get worse with age.....at least for me.

As for high heels.....well, those days are mostly over for me. Unless I have to go to a wedding or a funeral. Otherwise, I'm a "comfy shoe" gal!

[sweetness514]

I had surgery too but when I did it had gotten worse. Now it's different, I do have pain from hardware and in my neck more wich is not fused.

I couldn't wear heels before and can't wear them after surgery either. Too much lower back pain and now even in my fusion if I wear them. I'm not a big high heel lover anyway, but having my dad own a shoe store sometimes tempts me that I would love to wear them, but he has other types of shoes and I wear those instead. The ones with a large heel that are not too flat are best. I also wear orthotics in my shoes since it helped with my leg/heel/knee/hip pains a lot, b/c my feet are misaligned and flat.

[dawney]

Sorry to say it is true. I was always able to deal with the pain advil a little rest... The past year the pain has gotten incredibly worse and I sought ought a surgeon who specializes in spinal deformities because nothing else was helping. It is probably not the answer you want to hear. I ignored the problem for much to long.
I cannot really wear high heels anymore, but I am hoping to once again after surgery in September. If not cute flats will be fine!

[Curvy01]

Yes I have been told by my Osteo that in a couple of years it will begin


I have another random question... i was doing sit ups the other day and wondering if it is good to do so, are there any excercises that anyone knows of that are BAD for you when you have scoliosis?!

[tommyo]

I am now 54 and the pain is getting worse week by week. I can't walk for any length of time so I ride a bike instead. I still lift weights but had to make many changes to work around the pain. After a weekend of yard work, yes I still do it, I am hurting for days. I had tried doing very little and the pain got worse, so I do everything I can now, and to hell with the pain. At my age I am starting to know more and more people with cancer and other life threatening illlnesses so I try not to dwell on my pain. When I can do no more I'll get surgery.

As far as high heels I rarely find them in a men's size 11 1/2.

[csc]

Does get worse with age

Sorry to say! I was braced in my teens and pain was not an issue. Swam a lot, was very active and had my first child in my twenties. I had my second child in my mid thirties. Pain was not part of my life. I'm a teacher, which is not a sedentary position.
It was not until I hit my forties that things started to change for the worse. Often, it is difficult to get up in the morning. Lower back pain is a almost constant part of my life now. Exercise really does help to increase energy levels and coping with my scoliosis. I started with "Curves", an exercise chain over a month ago.
I have been very consistent with this regimen- three times a week. This seems to increase my flexibility.
Is surgery part of my future? Yes, I'm looking at it in Jan. or Feb. I feel it's time to get it over with and move on. I've probably avoided it about as long as possible.

[trinainmanila]

Painful at 30

I'm only thirty and I'm beginning to feel the pain. And it's not your regular muscular stiffness borne out of a sedentary lifestyle, I do exercise everyday. Never had pain in my teens up to mid-twenties. As I approached 30, the pain started, first intermittently, now it's chronic. It's a dull pain at the lower back, sometimes helped by what I call "rearranging" my bones--I twist and turn until I hear them "cracking." The upper back pain, on the neck and on the ribs is sharper. I can live with the pain even without Advil or Biogesis but I'm beginnig to wonder if my life would be better minus all these aches.

[The Professor]

As I approached 30, the pain started, first intermittently, now it's chronic. It's a dull pain at the lower back...

My story almost exactly. I didn't have any noticeable pain until age 28, and it's only gotten worse since. I was finally diagnosed after an especially excruciating episode earlier this year when I could not get out of bed several mornings in a row. The acute episode has passed, but there's usually a dull, throbbing pain around the SI joints, around L3-L4, and sometimes directly between the scapulae if I've been carrying my daughter around.

I'm now to the point of avoiding certains kinds of chairs, avoiding bending over if at all possible, and carrying around a "wedge" cushion that seems to help somewhat. And yes, regular CV exercise does seem to help somewhat.

[shelleylin]

I had bad back pain around 15 years ago. I'm 52. I saw 3 orthapedic surgeons and went through 3 PT sessions. I wore a tens unit and had 3 epidural injections. I had my curves measured at that time, but don't remember what they were. I have an S and I think one was 45 degrees and the other a little less. I finally went to a chiropractor, got massage, and started swimming. Fortunately, I got out of pain and have not had back pain since. That is a miracle because I have been a sedentary work-aholic that gained over 100 lbs. of weight in that time. In August I started Weight Watchers and joined a gym. I have lost 45 lbs. but unfortunately, developed injuries from the exercise. It is from my faulty biomechanics. I have been going to PT 3x a week since April, but they finally told me they had nothing else to offer. Now I'm seeing a chiropractor and she has confirmed that the injuries are related to my scoliosis. I don't know if she will be able to help or not. However, I do remain free of back pain. I have a rotator cuff tendonitis and illiotibial band syndrome. The chiropractor said my back is getting a lot of arthritis and some spurs, so I'm sure I have serious back pain in my future.

[CicfromOttawa]

Sorry, but like evryone as said ......yes

I had pain from the very begining of my surgery due to my lower back (was told)never healling. I have been in pain now for 21 yrs and every yr is different. Every yr you have to except that maybe there will be something else that you can do. and move on to what you can still do.
My ortho once explained to me this way '' You are like a car, you can always make yourself look great on the outside, but the inside will always need repairs.'' People always tell me that they would of never know that I was in such pain. But all my friends and familly know and see all the signs now.
If you have or can find a Doctor that cares, it is easier. But when you have a doc who couldn,t give a f-- sh-- about your situation,then it is hell. Sorry for the lanuage but my last opointement didn't go as I had hoped. Good luck. Cic.

[sweety_26zg]

Hi everybody,
i was wondering what sorts of curves do you all have and is tha pain any different if you have 1 or more curves?
what kind of scoliosis do you have?
Anyone with thoracic curve only?

[flowerpower]

I have an S curve, don't know the degrees, haven't had it checked since my teens. It didn't bother me too much until the past few years the pain has been increasing. Mostly across lower back & right shoulder. My son's ortho dr. recommended a couple of dr.'s to me but I may put that on hold for a while b/c I think I am starting to see signs of scoliosis in my 8 yr. old son now .....

[fmoinuk]

No heels for me

I was dianogsed in my teens as well with an S curve. Do not remember the measurements. I haven't been able to wear heels for quite a few years now. I think my curves have gotten worse as well over the years. Pain in my neck, between my shoulder blades and my right hip. Aches and pains in my muscles and joints. I went to GP recently here in the UK to tell him I thought my scoliosis was worse. He made me move around a little and told me I could move fine that it must be something else. Of course blood work is fine. He has made me feel like a hypocondriac. Does anyone have an idea what I should do next and am I just feeling fake aches and pains?