Odd back sensation

[shinkoo]

Hi all.

I'm 19 and I was diagnosed with a rather light degree of scoliosis a few years back (17 deg if I remember correctly from the x-ray). A month back I started experiencing an odd sensation on the left side of my back. It's not pain as such but I get 'tingling' feelings everynow and then - although I do get a bit of pain sometimes too. The left side of my back also seems to have 'grown more muscle' or swollen up in size recently...

I also occasionally get some leg pains that I attribute to my scoliosis sometimes. Has anybody had a similar experience? Any advice/suggestions are appreciated.

[JamieAnn]

Hi there,

I would imagine getting to a doctor would be your best bet for these symptoms. I hadn't gotten checked since I was 16-17 years old, and at 25 I found out my curves had gotten worse over the years (who knew?!). However, there are certainly cases (from reading on this website) where curves get worse quite drastically. I would get that checked - even if they haven't increased dramatically perhaps you are having symptoms of the scoliosis that you hadn't had before.

Numbness and bulges (swollen areas of the back) would be things a doctor should check out.

Best of luck,
Jamie

[LindaRacine]

Hi Shinkoo...

Did you get diagnosed by a scoliosis specialist? If not, I'd encourage you to get referred to an orthopaedic surgeon or neurosurgeon who specializes in scoliosis. Your symptoms may not mean anything, but it would be good to know for sure. You can find a list of specialists here:

http://www.srs.org/directory/directory.asp

Regards,
Linda

[shinkoo]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes I did see a lumbar specialist for that diagnosis after a referral from my GP that time ago. I'll consider seeing him again, but now without my parents financial support its a bit of an ask seeing a specialist, especially since I'm a penniless uni student

However does it sound immediately serious to anybody? Otherwise I may delay it for a while until I squander up some funds...

[faldaste]

I had tingling/creeping sensations in my back for a year and a half before I was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 28. My GP just brushed it aside when I complained about it! Even now, after seeing specialists and having an EMG and MRI to rule out nerve damage, I'm not exactly sure why I get them. I think it is from irritated nerves. Do you get pain in the same area? I still get the tingling everyday.

[shinkoo]

Hi faldaste

If I do get pain, it is usually in the same area but its been quite a long time since I had any irritable pain on my back for quite sometime. Irritated nerves that you mentioned could be a possibility... but then again it's left for me to get medical advice.

[tommyo]

Sounds like a nerve is being pinched.