Shoulder Muscle- affected by scoliosis??

[trcylynn]

Hello,

I am new to the forum... I am 22 and have a 25ish degree left lumbar curve. I was told to monitor it as a kid and that it would stop after puberity- well it was at 18 then and now the rotation is getting severly worse as well. I was also told that there is no pain with scoliosis but I know now that thats not true either.

My new problem is that my shoulder blade is no longer working correctly. I am in physical therapy for it to rehab the muscle that isn't working correctly/at all. I was told by the therapist that this usually only happens with an injury but I did not injure it. Has anyone had shoulder problems with only a lumbar curve? Could it affect it? I don't feel my physical therapist knows much about scoliosis and its affects but it is all I can afford until I get better health insurance. Any information anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! ~Tracy

[Gnarledsatire]

my shoulder area has recently been hurting, I have had a diagnosed scoliosis siunce 1997, I am 22 now, with an s shaped curve. Severe. I am scheduling a doctors appt next week, so whether it is from the scoliosis or not...for me I am not sure. But it hurts bad. I heard that the muscle can hurt from being over stretched constantly, because of the rib cage rotation.

[amae28]

maybe you have a compensary curve in your thoracic spine around your shoulder area... which shoulder is hurting? I have a right thoracic, left lumbar S-curve, and my right shoulder blade area bothers me all the time. I have not really found anything that helps with it though...

[BETall]

Hello,

I am new to the forum... I am 22 and have a 25ish degree left lumbar curve. I was told to monitor it as a kid and that it would stop after puberity- well it was at 18 then and now the rotation is getting severly worse as well. I was also told that there is no pain with scoliosis but I know now that thats not true either.

My new problem is that my shoulder blade is no longer working correctly. I am in physical therapy for it to rehab the muscle that isn't working correctly/at all. I was told by the therapist that this usually only happens with an injury but I did not injure it. Has anyone had shoulder problems with only a lumbar curve? Could it affect it? I don't feel my physical therapist knows much about scoliosis and its affects but it is all I can afford until I get better health insurance. Any information anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! ~Tracy
Hi Tracey :
Be in front of a mirrow : which shoulder hurts , the one that is higher or the oppossite , Left or Right , front or back ?
Stay well, BETall

[trcylynn]

The last time I had xrays was in Jan. or so of 2006. I think they focused only on my lower back though- could a curve develop in the upper back? I don't notice any changes except the increased rotation.

It is my right shoulder and it does sit higher than my left- (it never used to)- its just tense and raised all the time now.

~Tracy

[dsal]

I have left shoulder pain intermittently. I only have a slight thoracic curve (about 19 degrees), but my primary curve is my cervical curve. My left shoulder is higher than my right, and my left leg is "shorter"/raises up more than my right.

I'm wondering if you also have a cervical curve?
dsal

[trcylynn]

what is a cervical curve?

[dsal]

It's in the neck region, the beginning of the spinal column. As far as I know, the back is referred to in three major segments: cervical, thoracic, lumbar. My main issues are cervical.

dsal

[amae28]

i guess next time you go in for an appointment if you want to get it checked you should ask for a scoliosis x-ray, which is of the entire spine. IF they only took one of your lower spine last time, they could have missed something. Don't worry too much though, it's all speculation. Besides, a compensary curve develops next to your main structural curve that isn't very flexible. A compensary curve is usually really flexible. My curves are opposite yours though, structural in thoracic, and compensary in the lumbar.

[trcylynn]

I'll do that- have my whole back x-rayed.

I had another PT appointment for the shoulder today. They had to tape my shoulder blade in place just to do a few exercises. Some of the exercises I could not even do with it taped. It's like my shoulder blade gives out on the muscles/pops.

The PT said usually it is caused by an injury but that a nerve might be pinched. How long should I wait to find out if PT helps or not until I go get a nerve test done to see if something is causing my shoulder blade/muscles to act this way?

[goldnyght]

I've been having a tenseness between my neck and right shoulder that snaps and hurts like popping my back. I think it might be related.

Have you noticed yourself leaning on that side at all? Or perhaps playing any raquet sports? Both of those scenarios can cause the muscles to be stiff and painful for a little while after the activity

[adelonty]

Hi,
I got diagnosed when i was 14 with a thorocic curve, i'm now 26. It causes me constant pain. In the last 2 years my shoulder has started to cause me pain. Its got progressively worse and i was sent for an MRI scan. Turns out the shape of my spine has weakened my shoulder muscle causing it to tear. i've had steroid injections but they don't seem to do much.
I think that i should have acted upon the pain when it first started, it might have stopped the problem getting worse.
Keep going to physio and keep up gentle exercise.

[Kristin7581]

So i find myself back here looking for answers that the doctors dont have! I myself had surgery when i was 15 and am now 26. I recently went to my new ortho since i no longer am by the one who did my surgery.....so i explain to him about my shoulder blades...yes BOTH of them...and he says well we can do the steriod injections. Why does this seem to be the answer for everyone. everyone that ive talked to that has had these says it dosent make it any better! Why waste my money since i dont have insurance! So im to the point now that I can't even walk a long distance withough my shoulders throbbing and i dont have to even be carrying a purse! Has anyone found anything that works? Im soooo tired of being in pain all of the time!!!!!!!!!!

[dsal]

Sorry to hear about everyone's pain. Kristin, steroid injections are kind of a stop-gap thing. It was explained to me this way: it jump-starts the anti-inflammatory process. Hopefully your body will then kick into gear, become less inflamed, and then maybe your cycle of pain will be broken. Of course the steroids won't fix your scoliosis, but sometimes the pain just gets carried away. I don't think I'm explaining this very well, but I'd suggest that you call a pharmacist, schedule an app't to have some pharmacy counseling, and he/she will explain the way the steroids work in your body. (I think pharmacists will take more time to explain this stuff than a physician will.)

I'm 47 and I've occasionally had steroid injections for other reasons. And they DID help me! But of course they didn't eliminate the underlying problem. It's similar to taking a pain killer--helps with the pain, but doesn't heal you.

Did your ortho explain specifically why he thinks your shoulders are causing your pain?

As far as the non-insurance thing goes, perhaps you can mention this to your dr. Maybe he will allow you some kind of payment plan.

My Scoliosis is probably not as severe as yours. But I'm feeling about 90% better than I was a couple months ago! NO JOKE! I'm attributing it to doing Elise Brown-Miller's _Yoga for Scoliosis. If you're thinking of getting this, I'd recommend that you obtain your physican's permission to exercise. If he gives you the ok, I'd recommend getting the book and the dvd. If you can only afford one, then I'd recommend the dvd. I totally hate exercise, but I must admit that this has done wonders for me. Prior to practicing the yoga, I was getting ready to consult with some of the SpineCor brace drs. to be fitted with that brace--not for correction, but for aligning my spine to help with my pain. But doing the yoga has helped so much, that I'm putting the brace idea on hold. If I continue to do well with the yoga, then no sense getting the brace!!

This yoga has helped my back--my SHOULDERS!!--not to mention other aches and pains. (I only have the first yoga dvd she put out. But if I become more proficient at performing the yoga exercises on my current dvd, then I plan to reward myself with the Fiji dvd.)

A warning/encouragement: If your doctor allows you to do the Yoga for Scoliosis exercises and you get the dvd, please be gentle on yourself. Do not reach as far as Elise does, or pull your leg up as high or whatever. Once it becomes a little painful, do not force it. It can get discouraging when she says, "Lower your leg to 60 degrees," and your leg never even made it up to 60 degrees! lol. But that's ok! Don't beat yourself up, and soon you will increase your strength and flexibility at your own rate. Another encouragement: I did not notice any results or lessening of pain until after I did at least 3 weeks of the yoga. (One "week" of yoga for me would be doing all exercises on the dvd each day, M-F.) Maybe others get faster results, but it took awhile for me.

I'm not associated with Elise Miller in any way; just a happy dvd customer!

HTH,
dsal

[amae28]

I had steroid injections and they really didn't help. The first one I got the dr. punctured my lung too... and I got a pneumothorax which was aweful! So if you do decide to try it make sure your dr. does it under floroscopy because our anatomy is altered (aka. our lungs are in weird positions sometimes because of the rotation). So just be careful... it was a bad experience...
Abbie

[trcylynn]

Steroids: never had them and never been recommended to get them so I can't reply on that.

Yoga: I have tried yoga and pilates both seem to help but I am a little worried about practicing by myself without anyone watching. To me what feels straight is never actually straight. When I go to the gym to lift I always have a friend position me to what looks straight before I begin so that I am not strengthening my muscles that reinforce my curve. I have Elise's Yoga Dvd as well- she does do a good job explaining everything my only problem is that I can see some of the effects of her scoliosis still and her body shape is not what I want to attain. Maybe if I can focus on the pain aspect I can convince myself to use it more often. But either way, exercise, stretching, yoga, pilates, all have helped my back. When I sit around or don't have time for the gym/pilates/yoga I pay for it. When I go I am pain free for most of the next day.

Shoulder muscles/blades: I have a consult with a new specialist tomorrow- I've been told he is one of the best and his credentials are outstanding. After my visit I will post what he says about my shoulder blade problem.

Thanks everyone for the responses!
~Tracy

[trcylynn]

So according to this guy my shoulder problems are from the spine rotation. I'm getting an MRI done though to determine if there is anything else.

~Tracy

[BETall]

So according to this guy my shoulder problems are from the spine rotation. I'm getting an MRI done though to determine if there is anything else.

~Tracy
Hi Tracey:
After attending the 4th International Conference for spinal dysfunctions , Sosort.org in Bostom last May it became very obvious the importance of the Schroth 3 Dimensional method in treating scoliosis by trainned Physiotherapist in this country . A lot of emphasis is being done by treating efficiently the " shoulder girdle " that involves also the bio-mechanics of your neck and your ADL ( activities of daily living ) . Don't do movements that involves your painful shoulder to go up and foward . Take a look at your back in between two mirros and do the oppossite.
Betall

[trcylynn]

Betall,

Can you explain what you mean a little more- I'm confused...

Thanks,
Tracy

[javaboy]

Hi Tracy,
I have mild congenital kyphoscoliosis (with a bit of rotation involved) that wasn't diagnosed until 27. The congenital fusion itself is down below my ribcage, very stable and not painful. But then there's my shoulders!
I spent my years of growth hunching further over thanks to my undiagnosed spine, and my shoulder and neck muscles have paid for it. They've been completely unbalanced, and have given me a good decade's worth of migraines and shoulder pain when I've done too much.
So to answer your original question - yes, absolutely. Your shoulders can indeed be affected by your curve. As long as your biomechanics are out of balance, things like your shoulders can end up taking too much load, and the rest is history.
For me, I've been living on anti-inflammatories, pilates and swimming, and the shoulders and neck are slowly strengthening where there was muscle weakness before. I would definately keep giving the PT you mentioned a shot. It may take a while, but it should work in the long run. The trick is that your shoulders are potentially not the only thing out of balance. It might be worth finding someone very good at biomechanics. :)

[adelonty]

Hi, I posted earlier on this thread about steroid injections. Since then i've been back to a shoulder specialist. One of them told me i needed bone shaving off my shoulder blde and my muscle tear reparing! then his boss came in and told me this was rubbish, i've got a shoulder tear due to my scoliosis and operating would only be a short term solution. Turns out my shoulder blade has been totally pushed out of position. I was asked to lift my arms up slowly then bring them back down slowly...i could feel my shoulder blade come completly out of position...hence shoulder muscle tear and tedonitis and other probs. My specialist then told me that i needed intensive shoulder physio with a strict exercise prtogram. he siad that injections won't work as he needed to get to the cause of the problem not just relieve the pain for a few weeks.
I've also tried the Yoga for socliosis DVD, only a few times but i do think its going to help me. I'd recommend it to anyone who is fed up of expensive doctors and no results.

[trcylynn]

Adelonty:

What type of exercises/physical therapy are they having you do? Is it helping? I think I have the same exact problem... Lifting my arm is ok but when I bring it back down I feel my shoulder blade wing out of place to the side. The pain is only getting worse by the day. I have an MRI next week to see if anything else is going on in my spine and after that I plan to schedule my first physical therapy appt. Any advice you can give me on what you've gone through/what works and what doesn't would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Tracy

[dsal]

I have Elise's Yoga Dvd as well- she does do a good job explaining everything my only problem is that I can see some of the effects of her scoliosis still and her body shape is not what I want to attain.
~Tracy

As far as her still showing effects from her Scoliosis: I'm pretty sure that a person will still have effects from their Scoliosis no matter how adept he/she is at yoga. And I think Elise makes it pretty clear that the yoga exercises will help to strengthen you and make you more limber, but will not cure a person's Scoliosis. The spinal curves will still be present, you'll just have less pain from those curves due to your becoming more flexible and aligned.

And, I'm not exactly sure what you don't like about her body shape (?). But I don't think that yoga is going to provide you with a sculpted body. You'll need an additional exercise program to achieve that if that is your goal.

Personally, I'm actually a bit jealous that Elise can stretch her leg so that her foot is above her head. <gulp> My leg would rip right off if I tried to do that!

Tracy, I do hope that your shoulder feels better! Keep up with the yoga if your dr. approves. And if it makes you feel better, then it will be worth it--even yoga, alone, doesn't give you the body appearance you desire!

dsal

Here I go, editting again: It's been awhile since I've been on the forum, and after I posted this I went back and re-read the entire thread. Now I think I understand! Tracy, you're in your early 20's. :) I think the shape of Elise's body has more to do with genetics, the natural process of aging and perhaps(?) child-bearing-- and is not because yoga did or didn't alter her shape. I know the shape of my body looks different now (in my late 40's and I have two adult children) than it did when I was your age.

[Jacque's Mom]

Kristen/Tracey,

I had/have the exact thing you are talking about. My right shoulder blade was out so far it actually would get caught on my rib cage hence giving me a huge bursar sac up against my chestwall. A shoulder specialist actually took part of my blade off then took out teh bursar sac. Was it painful - OMG yes; did it do the trick and help prevent the pain? yes to a certain degree. Would I recommend it? Depends on the individual. I still have pain but certainly not the rubbing against the ribcage anymore. This was as a result of my scoliosis. I am going to try the yoga you've been talking about since PT is a definate no with me. Everytime I went (other than to strengthen my shoulder blade after the surgery), I would hurt even more than before. I've heard nothing but good things with her yoga DVD. Thanks and good luck. LYNN

[dsal]

Lynn, wow, it sounds like you've really been through a lot with your shoulder.

As far as the yoga dvd goes, I'd recommend that you first check with your dr. to make sure he/she thinks it's ok. Assuming you receive your physician's permission, I'd advise going slow with the program. In other words, do the exercises but only stretch to the point of where you feel a good stretch--and not to the point of discomfort and pain. It's easy to look at the studens in the dvd and then try to bend like they do. But I need to remind myself that they probably have been doing this for longer than I have, and it will take me awhile to work up to their level. ;)

I don't know what the deal is with me, but my legs just do not want to lift up the way theirs do. And I actually have trouble with the supposed easiest pose: Child's pose. lol, So easy a kid could do it but I can't. My back does not want to bend over far enough to curl me into a ball. I look more like a flattened ant-hill <gg> But I just do the best I can, hoping that I'll continue to progress as long as I remain disciplined.

I'm planning to try to make <gg> my hubby do the yoga with me. Since he does not have Scoliosis, he can still do the poses minus the corrections. I got him to do the dvd with me once, but I'm hoping he'll get the yoga bug and will want to continue with me. That way it won't be so boring. (I do get a bit bored doing this by myself.)

Please let me know how you like the yoga dvd.

dsal

[trcylynn]

I agree that the yoga dvd gets boring as well. Actually to me its gets a little to spiritual- maybe I just can't relax that much yet or something. But, I did start trying to create my own yoga program as well so I can turn on my own relaxing music and do yoga without a dvd and I found I liked that much more. Also- one day of yoga helped out tremendously with my shoulder. Each day its been getting worse, I did yoga 2 nights ago and no bad pain in my shoulder yesterday. Didn't do yoga last night and the pain isn't pack yet as much as it was but my flexibility/range of motion is bad again. To me I think that's enough motivation for me to want to do at least 15min of yoga each day. Now its just finding time in the day to do it.

Do you think it really matters if you eat less than 3hrs or 90min. before you do yoga? I don't get home until 8pm and that's when I eat so I have to wait until 10pm or later according to yoga rules to even begin the practice. Anyone know how serious it is to follow the eating rule?

Thanks,
Tracy

[dsal]

I agree that the yoga dvd gets boring as well. Actually to me its gets a little to spiritual- maybe I just can't relax that much yet or something. But, I did start trying to create my own yoga program as well so I can turn on my own relaxing music and do yoga without a dvd and I found I liked that much more. Also- one day of yoga helped out tremendously with my shoulder. Each day its been getting worse, I did yoga 2 nights ago and no bad pain in my shoulder yesterday. Didn't do yoga last night and the pain isn't pack yet as much as it was but my flexibility/range of motion is bad again. To me I think that's enough motivation for me to want to do at least 15min of yoga each day. Now its just finding time in the day to do it.

That's great! Glad to hear that it's helping.

Do you think it really matters if you eat less than 3hrs or 90min. before you do yoga? I don't get home until 8pm and that's when I eat so I have to wait until 10pm or later according to yoga rules to even begin the practice. Anyone know how serious it is to follow the eating rule?

Thanks,
Tracy

Personally, I've heard that your body is busy doing the major work of the food's digestion for the first few hours after you eat, and that it's best not to exercise while that is going on. For me, it works best to do the yoga 2 hours after a meal. I feel it's long enough after I've eaten, yet I still have energy and not the "I'm feeling lazy because I'm hungry and it's not time to eat yet" feeling. ;) Is there a chance that you can do the yoga in the morning before you go to work? Or maybe eat at 8 or 8:30, and then spend the next few hours relaxing or getting stuff ready for your next day-- then do yoga, take a shower and go to bed?

dsal

[trcylynn]

So a little over a year later, new Dr. and I finally have my answer: Torn rotator cuff muscle and possible impingement from one of the bones... so I may need surgery on it and they may need to shave that bone. But after reading all the other posts I'm going to make sure I get a 2nd opinion on it (after I get the first real opinion this was only my ortho telling me what was found in the MRI).

I'm going to see a shoulder specialist about it soon and am going to make sure my shoulder blade and all those muscles are ok as well since my shoulder blade still pops out of place and I'm not quite sure how the rotator cuff would affect that.

I'll keep everyone updated- thanks again for all the support!