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  • Any Help?

    I have chronic back pain. I am considering surgery to help the cosmetic problems but also relieve the pain. I only have a 26 curve though. Has anyone had the surgery with such a small curve and what was the outcome? I am only 19 and have had back pain since I was 10 I want to be normal. Any advice would be helpful. In respose to some advice I have been back and forth to several doctors and have had several scans done. They cannot find anything but the scoliosis as a trigger for the pain. The rotation and curve is what is causing my hips, legs to be different and a hump in my lower back.
    Last edited by avenanzi; 06-30-2006, 01:14 PM.

  • #2
    Hi...

    I'd be surprised if you could find a surgeon to do a full scoliosis fusion on you. You need to try to figure out (with the aid of your doctor) what exactly is causing your back pain. My advice would be to start thinking about it and writing notes. Think about things like: Do you have the pain all the time or just some of the time? Do certain activities cause it? Can you do anything to make it go away? Is your pain at certain times of the day?

    Before you jump into something as drastic as surgery, you should also try some alternative treatments to see if they can relieve your pain.

    Regards,
    Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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    • #3
      In addition to the questions Linda suggested, I would wonder a few other things. Scoliosis is not too common in young children (pre-teens) so is there an underlying reason for the scoliosis and pain? A 26 degree curve shouldn't put you in such discomfort. There may be another reason for the pain/discomfort.

      Are your legs different length or is the scoliosis/spine (the rotation of the spine) causing the hips to be unbalanced and creating a leg length difference? Have you had your legs measured to see if they are the same length?

      When you were younger, did you have an MRI on your spine? This is an important test for very young children who have scoliosis.

      Your "very noticeable hump" is probably from a significant rotation of the spine. Do you have pain near this area?

      Did anyone ever tell you if you have congenital anomalies in the bones of your spine?

      There are so many variables to spine issues. Like Linda said, please try to sort things out before jumping into surgery-mode. Find a scoliosis specialist or an orthopedic specialist (maybe a sports medicine specialist) who can help you with your pain and the leg length issues.

      Good luck
      Carmell
      mom to Kara, idiopathic scoliosis, Blake 19, GERD and Braydon 14, VACTERL, GERD, DGE, VEPTR #137, thoracic insufficiency, rib anomalies, congenital scoliosis, missing coccyx, fatty filum/TC, anal stenosis, horseshoe kidney, dbl ureter in left kidney, ureterocele, kidney reflux, neurogenic bladder, bilateral hip dysplasia, right leg/foot dyplasia, tibial torsion, clubfoot with 8 toes, pes cavus, single umblilical artery, etc. http://carmellb-ivil.tripod.com/myfamily/

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      • #4
        Hi,
        I had a 23* curve when I was diagnosed. I had pain because I was working as a dental asst. and twisting and leaning the wrong way. My hips were off and I leaned to the side a bit as I walked and stood. Through physical therapy I was able to get my hips level and strengthen my core muscles, which helped to straighten me up. You couldn't tell by looking at me I had scoliosis after that except for the fact my waist curved in more on one side then the other. That was until 6-7 years later and my curve had progressed and the rotation was now pronounced. (rotation causes the hump) I didn't have pain till I went on a 7 day, 9hrs of walking per day, vacation. My Dr. said sometimes something will trigger the pain. I had surgery 4 mos. ago. I was at 49* I am now 8*. You might try therapy, it worked wonders for me. Plus, you really aren't a candidate for surgery till your curve is closer to 50*,from what I understand. Mine was changing 4* per year which was a major deciding factor besides the pain.

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        • #5
          Hi.
          I.ve got a 34 degree thoracolumber curve which makes my right hip stick out and my hips and legs uneven. My legs are actually the same length when measured from the hip down so it's probably your rotation and low curve causing your imbalance same as mine.
          My curve hasn't progressed in 30 years since diagnosis but the damage it's done to my lumbar discs has been bad enough to cause a lot of pain the past 5 to 10 years. I now have degenerative disc disease and am having surgery in 5 days time for a fusion and disc replacement.
          I'd definitely have some scans to find out what exactly is your pain generator, then you can decide what to do from there. Best of luck.Cathy

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