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  • Could really use some support and advice

    Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum. I'm hoping I can get some advice from people who have been through this!

    My 11yo dd started complaining of back pain back in March/April. I thought she had just pulled a muscle, so I gave it the "wait and see" approach. The re-occurring pain kept up. Finally, after 2 doctor's appts, they did xrays in June and found scoliosis. Her curve is 15 degrees. Our family dr says the scoliosis IS causing the back pain. The orthopedist we were referred to says it IS NOT causing the back pain. The ortho says he does expect her scoliosis to get worse because of her age and because she hasn't started her period yet.

    My main concern right now is her back pain. It's still there. I feel so helpless. She played softball over the summer and had some bouts where she had to sit out with the pain. Once softball was over, her back seemed a bit better. She still said it hurt from time to time, but not as much. Once school started about 3 weeks ago, she started conditioning for volleyball and it's been downhill ever since. She was complaining of pain everyday. We decided she should not do volleyball (she's going to be the manager instead). But the night before last and this morning she was actually crying because her back hurts so bad! I don't know what to do!

    She went to a physical therapist shortly after her diagnosis and they showed her some exercises to do. They don't seem to be helping. Should I take her back? Does she need a chiropractor? She begged me to crack her back last night and I caved it (I know, bad mom). Her back cracked so much it sounded like fireworks going off! The ortho said the pain is not normal and if it was still there after a few months he was going to send her for a bone mass scan.

    Is the scoliosis causing the pain?? 1/2 the stuff I read says it does cause pain, the other 1/2 says it doesn't. Is her back just out of sorts from the volleyball conditioning still? Should I request the bone mass scan?

    Thanks in advance for any advice!

  • #2
    Hi,

    I am so sorry to hear that your daughter is having so much back pain. It sounds like it is outside the normal for most scoliosis that is mild at 15 degrees. But, I was wondering if the family doc elaborated on why he/she tought it was the cause of the pain? Usually a 15 degree curve would be considered painless.

    Has you daughter had a full-spine lateral (side view) x-ray? I would ask for this right away if not, to check for other causes of pain such as spondylolisthesis (a forward vertebral slippage). Otherwise, if the pain is so bad she has it every day and is crying, I think I would be heading back to the ortho's office soon for further consultation.

    Good luck, and please let us know how she is doing.
    Gayle, age 50
    Oct 2010 fusion T8-sacrum w/ pelvic fixation
    Feb 2012 lumbar revision for broken rods @ L2-3-4
    Sept 2015 major lumbar A/P revision for broken rods @ L5-S1


    mom of Leah, 15 y/o, Diagnosed '08 with 26* T JIS (age 6)
    2010 VBS Dr Luhmann Shriners St Louis
    2017 curves stable/skeletely mature

    also mom of Torrey, 12 y/o son, 16* T, stable

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    • #3
      Thank you! I actually just called the ortho's office. They are going to see her tomorrow! Hopefully I can get some answers.

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      • #4
        I agree with Gayle about r/o vertebral slippage. That needs to be checked a this point as that condition does cause pain as I understand it.

        You might also ask about an MRI to see if there is something causing the curve and the pain. Where is the curve and which way is the convex side? That can be a clue about a non-idiopathic cause for the curve.

        Both my kids got north of 50* with fast-moving curves before they have any pain at all and even that was muscle/tendon/ligament I assume.

        Good luck.
        Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

        No island of sanity.

        Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
        Answer: Medicine


        "We are all African."

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi jane
          there is so much "stuff" in the back...nerves, discs, vertebrae, etc etc..my scoli NEVER bothered me til it got well beyond 40 degrees, tho i know everyone is different....i am sure it developed young, but i was so traumatized by doctors (at age 3..long story) i refused to see any from age 11 til about age 22....when it was late for bracing.....

          i would go with the others' recommendations here...Xray(standing or bending) MRI etc etc...even then sometimes they have a hard time figuring it out..does she have any narrowing...any bulging discs, any changes... anything besides the scoli going on? that is the question to ask the doctors...what ELSE is there besides the scoli?

          best of luck....i know the importance of fixing it now so she is never facing what we "older ones" go thru...

          jess

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          • #6
            Hi..

            I moved this thread from the kid's section to the parent's section.

            I agree with Sharon. The only thing I would add is that if your daughter didn't keep up with the daily PT exercises, it's unlikely they would help. If she did keep up with the exercises and it didn't help, you might want to consider finding someone who specializes in the spine.

            Good luck.

            Regards,
            Linda
            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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            • #7
              i have had scoliosis for 2 years so my advise is to were it alllllllllllll the time and to not wroll around in bed because then ur brace will hurt u more

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              • #8
                LindaR

                Sorry, that post was from my daughter Emily that is why it was in the kids section...sorry again....

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Scolimomof1 View Post
                  Sorry, that post was from my daughter Emily that is why it was in the kids section...sorry again....
                  I don't think I'm alone in wanting to thank you for clearing that up!

                  That said, it sounds like your daughter has some advise for the other kids so that's great that she wants to contribute.
                  Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                  No island of sanity.

                  Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                  Answer: Medicine


                  "We are all African."

                  Comment

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