Hi Marlene,
What a hopeful post on what can happen with the appropriate amount of commitment and a little luck. I think it is amazing that you can touch your toes! I agree with your comment that it is very hard to find an appropriate trainer who has any idea of what you need and what works when you have a fused spine. There are trainers that know something about scoliosis but I think it is pretty rare to find someone who knows about both fused spines & scoliosis. I find it very hard to find appropriate exercise classes. I don’t think that your fear of pushing yourself was out of line when you were in recovering from your surgery since it is possible to harm yourself if you exercise incorrectly. The safest thing I’ve found is to correctly use some of the Nautilus equipment at my gym and to walk/hike. I am very careful about trying to achieve a “neutral” posture whenever I do any exercises and also to try not to twist my spine when I am carrying any load. I have learned to avoid exercises like sit-ups, “burpees”, and double leg lifts. I am also very leery of things like kettle balls which can easily place asymmetric loads on your spine.
Do you have any other suggestions about how you continue to exercise and not hurt your back [besides having a competent trainer that gives you good feedback]? Thanks, Terry
1973 Diagnosed with scoliosis [left thoracic curve 75* and right lumbar curve of 72*]
Spinal fusion surgery with Harrington Rod instrumentation
Left thoracic curve corrected to 55* and right lumbar curve corrected to 45*
2013 Significant pain down right, upper leg
2015 MRI of lumbar spine detects "multilevel degenerative disc disease with disc bulges and facet hypertrophy" AND
the presence of a "possible nerve sheath tumor" at L2-L3
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