Hi,
I have been experiencing increased back pain over the last 5 yrs or so, to the point of it being a daily, chronic pain for me.
My stats; Treated for juvenile scoliosis, underwent posterior spinal fusion/Wisconsin instrumentation in 1989 (at age 12). So I have Harrington/Lukey rods. Subsequently underwent thoracoplasty in Feb 1993 (age 16).
I am now 30. Up until 5 yrs ago, I was experiencing no pain save for the occasional muscle spasms across my upper back/shoulder blades.
Now -I get intense pain in a muscle on the lower left-hand side of my lower back (right in the arch), the gluteus muscles in my left buttock, and the side-calf muscles of my left leg.
Sitting for long periods definately make it worse. I have a lot of pain at my desk at work, and driving in the car. I try to compensate - I use an ergonomic kneeling chair, and do yoga on a daily basis (this I just started a month ago). I walk often.
I've seen 3 specialists in the last 5 yrs - none of which have helped me at all.
- First one basically said to me 'as an adult with scoliosis, you need to accept that you will live with pain for the rest of your life.
- Second one simply lectured on the importance of excersising daily (which I was already doing)
- The current specialist I am seeing has taken updated CT scans, and has advised me that he sees no collapsed vertebrae or nothing that could be pinching a nerve. It would seem that my pain is muscle pain, but nothing relieves it. He tried a cortisone shot into the muscle in my lower back (which I felt was the trigger point) and it helped that muscle for approximately 5 wks. The other painful areas remained the same. And now the cortisone seems to have worn off because I'm back to where I was before.
The doctor says he sees no explanation for my chronic pain. He says with my curvature, it would make more sense for me to have pain on the right side instead of left. And he has no suggestions or ideas on how to help me.
I have tried; chinese deep tissue (and very painful) massage. A.R.T. Treatmeants & Isometrics combined with chiropractic adjustments. Yoga, regular massage (though I can't afford to do that often).
I have obus form back supports for my car and my other chair at work.
Nothing seems to relieve the pain. I am becoming very depressed at the thought of spending the rest of my life feeling like this. I am so weary of the pain & sometimes I just can't help crying I'm so tired and worn out by it.
PLEASE if anyone has suggestions or can provide any insight as to what might be causing this pain, I could really use some new ideas. I'm reaching the end of my rope.
Thanks.
I have been experiencing increased back pain over the last 5 yrs or so, to the point of it being a daily, chronic pain for me.
My stats; Treated for juvenile scoliosis, underwent posterior spinal fusion/Wisconsin instrumentation in 1989 (at age 12). So I have Harrington/Lukey rods. Subsequently underwent thoracoplasty in Feb 1993 (age 16).
I am now 30. Up until 5 yrs ago, I was experiencing no pain save for the occasional muscle spasms across my upper back/shoulder blades.
Now -I get intense pain in a muscle on the lower left-hand side of my lower back (right in the arch), the gluteus muscles in my left buttock, and the side-calf muscles of my left leg.
Sitting for long periods definately make it worse. I have a lot of pain at my desk at work, and driving in the car. I try to compensate - I use an ergonomic kneeling chair, and do yoga on a daily basis (this I just started a month ago). I walk often.
I've seen 3 specialists in the last 5 yrs - none of which have helped me at all.
- First one basically said to me 'as an adult with scoliosis, you need to accept that you will live with pain for the rest of your life.
- Second one simply lectured on the importance of excersising daily (which I was already doing)
- The current specialist I am seeing has taken updated CT scans, and has advised me that he sees no collapsed vertebrae or nothing that could be pinching a nerve. It would seem that my pain is muscle pain, but nothing relieves it. He tried a cortisone shot into the muscle in my lower back (which I felt was the trigger point) and it helped that muscle for approximately 5 wks. The other painful areas remained the same. And now the cortisone seems to have worn off because I'm back to where I was before.
The doctor says he sees no explanation for my chronic pain. He says with my curvature, it would make more sense for me to have pain on the right side instead of left. And he has no suggestions or ideas on how to help me.
I have tried; chinese deep tissue (and very painful) massage. A.R.T. Treatmeants & Isometrics combined with chiropractic adjustments. Yoga, regular massage (though I can't afford to do that often).
I have obus form back supports for my car and my other chair at work.
Nothing seems to relieve the pain. I am becoming very depressed at the thought of spending the rest of my life feeling like this. I am so weary of the pain & sometimes I just can't help crying I'm so tired and worn out by it.
PLEASE if anyone has suggestions or can provide any insight as to what might be causing this pain, I could really use some new ideas. I'm reaching the end of my rope.
Thanks.
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