i think i have scoliosis

[pinstripes]

i went to visit my doctor for my yearly check up and he said that i had scoliosis. he couldn't treat me for it, so he gave me a referal to see an orthopedic doctor. i got an x-ray done and i have my appointment on feb. 21th. my back has been kind of weird since i was 8. my shoulder blades stick out at the same amount. my upper back looks like it is arched higher than it should be and my lower back it sort of curved in more. my doctor said that when i bent over, one side of my back was higher than the other. when i stand in front of the mirror and bend over, there is an arch in the middle of my back. I dont think he noticed that because he wasnt looking at my back from the side. does anyone know what that could be or is it apart of scoliosis? also, my regualr doctor told me that i shouldn't carry a bookbag anymore because that could make my back worse. is that true? and are there any important questions that i should ask the orthopedic doctor?

[VincySweety]

Pinstripes,

The way you describe your back does sound like the symptoms of scoliosis. As far as I know, carrying a bookbag doesn't make scoliosis worse in anyway.

Try not to worry too much If you have any more questions we're all here to help!

[Jacque's Mom]

Bookbag

My daughter's doctor said if you are carrying a backpack to wear it properly, not just on one shoulder - use both straps. Unfortunately, backpacks now a days are very heavy and that doesn't help anyones back!

[The Slice]

I wouldn't worry about the book bag as the idea of carrying a book bag causing scoliosis has already been proven to be wrong. From what you describe, it sounds like you have both scoliosis and kyphosis, a front to back curve in the spine which is not uncommon with scolisis. What you will probably find after the exam, is that there is also a rotation of the spine as well. Hang tough! Remember that it's easy to think the worst. Take things one step at a time and don't look for trouble.

[mysocks]

Hi. This is actually my first post. I have been watching this forum for quite sometime and it really comforts me to know that it's a place where all of us here can confide in. I tend to feel alone..I'm the only one in my family that has scoliosis and sometimes it's tough dealing with it on my own. anyways. I was about to post a thread about bags issue when I stumbled upon this thread and thought probably I would ask my question here..I hope it's ok..

What exactly is the safe type of bag to carry for someone with scoliosis? A book bag a.k.a. backpack? What about shoulder bag, sling bag? Although I have read that shoulder bags do not cause scoliosis, or neither do bad posture cause scoliosis. This website is an example, http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/div...d=77111#causes But could shoulder bag or heavy book bags possibly worsen scoliosis? what bags do you guys carry?

I personally find it hard to leave home without a bag. And although I believed there might be multiple causes why a curve on the spine would progress especially after "skeletally matured", (like I suspect mine is getting worse..and I'm a 19 year-old female, I am just hoping to go see an orthopedic specialist soon..), but I would like to know what bags do you guys carry, or should we avoid carrying anything (I can't seem to live with that..) and would book bag/backpack be ideal (or..?) for people with scoliosis? Thanks.

Meanwhile, be strong everyone! pinstripes, me, you, all!

[Showtime]

42 years with scoliosis

My daughter's doctor said if you are carrying a backpack to wear it properly, not just on one shoulder - use both straps. Unfortunately, backpacks now a days are very heavy and that doesn't help anyones back!

Hi,
I have had scoliosis for more than 42 years. I have never had any kind of surgery. At 12 I had sped to equal 45 degree curves. Doctors wanted to do surgery then wear a brace. We declined as I was very athletic and active in many things. Sure there was some pain but I found with my sports and very often chiropractic I hardly noticed. I lived an exceptional life growing up and could do more things than most children. I learned to deal with it and 90% of the time no one knew at all. At age 17 I was a professional model for JC Pennys. My greatest help was having my father and husband learn chiropractics and I learned how to make self adjustments using different mediums for instant relief. Dancing, racketball, springboard diving, etc were times when I had vertually no pain at all. I have 5 children 6 grand children. I have had 3 children with scoliosis but found that with alot of sports, dancing etc, chiropractics, and using and electric ten's unit on their back during the night actually straightened their curves. Through the years my curves have increased but I am soooo very glad I never had those surgeries in the past. I may need to do something now with two 68degree curves.
Showtime

[tathanka]

Learning Chiropractics

I read your post about your father and husband learning how to do chiropractic adjustments for you and I was wondering how (and where) they learned to do this?

Thank you,
Mark Perry

[chic xx chic]

although people say its proven wrong; i dont carry a bookbag or lots of books anymore because my doctor says the less pressure i have on my back the better off i am..

[~ScoliosisGirl~]

yea.. thats what my doctor told me.. i try to carry the least as possible.. when i first got my brace i asked my teachers if it was ok to leave some notebooks and folders/ binders in the class since i am not allowed and they were very nice and let me leave it there.. my doctor also sent with me a letter saying all that so if some teachers dont agree i would show that to them.. ask your doctor for a personal note saying that or just try asking that without it...

[trcylynn]

Carrying bags/other things:

Although reports will deny it causes scoliosis, I don't think it helps- I think it makes it worse. From my personal experience the way I carry things is now sort of the way I stand.

For example- I always carried bags on my left shoulder causing me to lean to the right if it was heavy (my curve is lumbar to the left and around 20 something). When carrying heavy water buckets (I ride horses) I carried them with my right hand bending again to the right. If I wore a backpack on both shoulders I would tend to slouch and arch my lower back because it was so heavy- my shoulders are now rounded forward and my lower back is arched.

Now it could be that I had all of these things to this extent originally and carried things a certain way because of my condition without realizing it. But now I purposely carry things that aren't comfortable to me but are opposite of the way my curves go just to be safe.

I'm glad your teachers are so understanding so you don't have to carry all of those heavy things everyday.

~Tracy

[jenae]

I'm 21 and have a 55 degree curve on top, with a compensatory curve in the 40's on the bottom. For the past 2-3 years my back has remained essentially stable and I've used an over-one-shoulder messenger bag for all of those years, and haven't really noticed it causing pain or problems or anything, personally. I walk a lot, so I use it nearly every day, but it's also not a huge bag either; can only stuff so much in it, so it's rarely that heavy. Also throughout college I rarely hauled my large textbooks around. My bag is kept pretty light the majority of the time.

So, overall, I wouldn't worry too much about the type of bag. If you really need to carry a very heavy bag around a lot, maybe investing in one of those backpacks with wheels would be good, but if it's just your normal, mostly light, occasionally heavy loads, I wouldn't worry, unless it does cause you problems obviously!

[Chloe27]

hiya lol well when i went to my doctors before i got reffered to hospital he was sayin stuff about carryin bags etc. but then at the hospital the dr i see said it has nothing to do with that and i can carry on carrying book bags i would have still developed it anyway because it is passed through genes.

[sitoutturn]

If you get a brace make sure you wear it man I remmber not really caring until I had a hump sticking out of my back....