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[Felicia]

My name is Felicia and Im 33. My scoliosis went undetected until I had a car accident 13 years ago. I broke my back from top to bottom, my sternum, left clavicle, my wrist, collapsed my right lung, and had multi fractured ribs. The accident shifted everything to the right and my shoulder on the left drops about 3" in. I have been in pain for the last 13 years but in the last two years it has gotten worse. I have lost 2 3/4" in my height and am getting severe pain in my arm pits and breast area? The head aches don't stop. I wake in the middle of the night because of the pain in my arms and back. It hurts to stand too long or sit too long. I also have chest pain and it hurts to breath (mostly in the morning). 2 summers ago I broke a rib out of the blue? I wish I had one day with out pain (free of pain meds). What to do?? My Dr. is a great guy but he does not know that much about scoliosis. Sometimes I feel like no one believes me. I had no idea there were this many people with this. I had a MRI and have an app. with a neurosurgen. Is there anything I shoud ask about or look for while I am there? Or my Dr. what, if anything can I suggest to him to help my situation?

[gabrielle]

Hi Felicia! It sounds like you are on the right track- going to a Dr who knows about scoliosis should be helpful! With the kind of problems you described seeing a neurologist ought to be a good choice. I can't speak for everyone w/scoliosis, but I think most everyone suffers varying degrees of pain- at different times even- and it is not always confined to our backs. With progressing rotation of my ribcage I suffer very bad pain right under my left ribs to my pelvis. My lower back often feels like it's on fire. Sometimes my left shoulder is very painful. I also get burning pain in my left hip area. Do you know where your scoliosis is located? What degree/s of curvature do you have? Breathing difficulties are fairly common in bad-severe cases of scoliosis located in the thoracic or cervical areas. The Dr you're going to see should tell you if that's what's happening to you. Hang in there, and good luck!

~gabrielle