Hello everyone, I'm hoping some of you had some experience with the new type of x-rays and can give some advice...
A little history first. I'm 30 and have a lumbar curve of 42 degrees. I was in a brace through my teen years (when I had a 39 degree curve). For the past two years, I have been having terrible right lower back pain that prevents me from sleeping the whole night in bed each and every night. Other sources for the pain have been eliminated, so it is my scoliosis. I have started to consider surgery and have begun the process: finding specialists, new x-rays, MRIs, etc.
Anyway, I had a conventional x-ray a year and a half ago with the result of a 42 degree curve and a 2mm leg length discrepency. As the pain has gotten worse and surgery was becoming an option, my doctor wanted new x-rays. These were the new type where you stand in front of a white screen (instead of an x-ray plate) and they do one film from ear top to your butt. The result was put on a CD with a viewer program. The radiologist measured my curve as 29 degrees with a 7mm leg length discrepency on the CD. My specialist said he could not accruately measure my curve from the CD. The radiologist said his viewer program was far more accurate than a traditional film.
So I'm stuck - my leg length discrepency increased 5mm, my pain has gotten worse, and I've lost 3/4 inch in the past year and a half, but my curve improved 13 degrees? I just don't know who to believe - I'm pretty sure curves don't fix themselves....
Does anyone have experience with these new x-rays? Have you had a similar problem? Any experience with discrepencies with new vs. old x-rays?
Thanks so much,
Jen
A little history first. I'm 30 and have a lumbar curve of 42 degrees. I was in a brace through my teen years (when I had a 39 degree curve). For the past two years, I have been having terrible right lower back pain that prevents me from sleeping the whole night in bed each and every night. Other sources for the pain have been eliminated, so it is my scoliosis. I have started to consider surgery and have begun the process: finding specialists, new x-rays, MRIs, etc.
Anyway, I had a conventional x-ray a year and a half ago with the result of a 42 degree curve and a 2mm leg length discrepency. As the pain has gotten worse and surgery was becoming an option, my doctor wanted new x-rays. These were the new type where you stand in front of a white screen (instead of an x-ray plate) and they do one film from ear top to your butt. The result was put on a CD with a viewer program. The radiologist measured my curve as 29 degrees with a 7mm leg length discrepency on the CD. My specialist said he could not accruately measure my curve from the CD. The radiologist said his viewer program was far more accurate than a traditional film.
So I'm stuck - my leg length discrepency increased 5mm, my pain has gotten worse, and I've lost 3/4 inch in the past year and a half, but my curve improved 13 degrees? I just don't know who to believe - I'm pretty sure curves don't fix themselves....
Does anyone have experience with these new x-rays? Have you had a similar problem? Any experience with discrepencies with new vs. old x-rays?
Thanks so much,
Jen
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