Hi All,
I'm new here to this board and am quite relieved to find that something like this exists.
I'm 27 yrs old. My scoliosis was found at age 9, I was braced for 3 yrs, and had a Harrington rod implanted at 12 yrs old. At 16 yrs - I had a corrective surgery where they reduced the hump in my right ribcage. The reason for this surgery was not cosmetic, rather the older I got, the more my breathing was becoming restricted by my twisted ribcage. They broke and removed large pieces of 7 ribs so they would grow back flat.
The surgery was successful (despite the added complication of a collapsed lung).
Over the last 3 or 4 yrs, I have noticed a significant increase in back pain. I began occasionally getting very painful muscle spasms in my back, usually waking up in the night with them.
Lately, I've been having pain across my shoulders and in the middle of my back nearly all of the time. In fact, I have some kind of ache or pain happening about 85% of the time.
I began to get a bit concerned, and decided to see an orthopedic specialist to make sure everything was ok.
I saw her yesterday, and was quite disatisfied with my appt.
She basically told me that adults with significant scoliosis would have to live with chronic back pain the rest of their lives. She suggested doing situps daily, and yoga - as forms to lessen the pain. But said there was no way to prevent the pain altogether.
I was very depressed after hearing this.
I always accepted my scoliosis as something that was part of me, it just happened, I dealt with it, and moved on. Now, 10 yrs after my last surgery - I'm realizing that it in fact is a painful burden I will have to carry with me for the rest of my life?
It's an overwhelming thought. I'm not happy with this doctors diagnosis and I plan to get another opinion, perhaps from a doctor willing to suggest alternatives.
I am also going to try seeing a massage therapist next week, and i'm hoping that will help.
Anyone experiencing a lot of discomfort and pain, after years of surgery? Would appreciate any comments.
Thank you so much,
Jenni
I'm new here to this board and am quite relieved to find that something like this exists.
I'm 27 yrs old. My scoliosis was found at age 9, I was braced for 3 yrs, and had a Harrington rod implanted at 12 yrs old. At 16 yrs - I had a corrective surgery where they reduced the hump in my right ribcage. The reason for this surgery was not cosmetic, rather the older I got, the more my breathing was becoming restricted by my twisted ribcage. They broke and removed large pieces of 7 ribs so they would grow back flat.
The surgery was successful (despite the added complication of a collapsed lung).
Over the last 3 or 4 yrs, I have noticed a significant increase in back pain. I began occasionally getting very painful muscle spasms in my back, usually waking up in the night with them.
Lately, I've been having pain across my shoulders and in the middle of my back nearly all of the time. In fact, I have some kind of ache or pain happening about 85% of the time.
I began to get a bit concerned, and decided to see an orthopedic specialist to make sure everything was ok.
I saw her yesterday, and was quite disatisfied with my appt.
She basically told me that adults with significant scoliosis would have to live with chronic back pain the rest of their lives. She suggested doing situps daily, and yoga - as forms to lessen the pain. But said there was no way to prevent the pain altogether.
I was very depressed after hearing this.
I always accepted my scoliosis as something that was part of me, it just happened, I dealt with it, and moved on. Now, 10 yrs after my last surgery - I'm realizing that it in fact is a painful burden I will have to carry with me for the rest of my life?
It's an overwhelming thought. I'm not happy with this doctors diagnosis and I plan to get another opinion, perhaps from a doctor willing to suggest alternatives.
I am also going to try seeing a massage therapist next week, and i'm hoping that will help.
Anyone experiencing a lot of discomfort and pain, after years of surgery? Would appreciate any comments.
Thank you so much,
Jenni
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