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other (non-pain) issues w/ kyph/scol

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  • other (non-pain) issues w/ kyph/scol

    hey all,

    i was wondering how many of you have/had other disturbances with your body other than the back/muscle pain because of your kypho or scoli, and did the surgery (if you had it) correct it?

    for those who don't know, i'm 24 with 70's degree kypho, slowly progressing. my back seems to be "taking over" as of the last few months and i can barely keep it in the somewhat correct posture anymore, it's just too exhausting. seeing a great doc in albany ny. i'm positive that i will get surgery sometime in the future.. i've had breathing and digestive issues for 5-6 years, but getting worse slowly. breathing is way too manual. instead of the chest opening up when taking a breath, my back opens up and takes it all. also seems like there is a huge restriction in the diaphram area when taking a breath. as for the digestive, i get extremely bloated with whatever i eat. i've experimented for years with the both to see their relation to my back, but can't get anything solid. i know for a fact that a part of my breathing issue is my back, but not sure how much. i do know that if i eat little or nothing all day, my breathing is better and not so restricted. the best diet for me is the high protein/low carb diet. one more thing, is as of the last few months, sometimes i will wake up during the night with my heart racing like crazy, and it calms down once i get up and walk around. not sure what this is about.. i could go on and on with all the trial and error stuff but i'll just leave it with the one question at the beginning that i asked. thanks a bunch!
    Last edited by Ryy; 08-01-2010, 03:11 PM.
    Age 25 male
    Upstate NY
    T3-L3 fusion for 80's degrees kyphosis
    Anterior 9/21/10 & posterior 9/28/10
    Post op degrees soon to come

  • #2
    I had trouble with GERD before surgery and regularly took a prescription anacid. I also had trouble with an irregular heartbeat -- not MVP as originally diagnosed, but irregular. My surgeon said that the surgery would probably not have any impact on either of these.

    Since surgery, I have completely stopped taking antacids -- prescription or otherwise. The acid reflux and irritation has resolved completely.

    I'm not certain about the irregular heartbeats. I think I may have events less often but I don't have any records to compare.

    Sheri
    At age 56 my curves measured: 48/60/30 with lots of rotation and getting worse
    Posterior fusion T5-L4 June 30, 2009
    Excellent correction

    Comment


    • #3
      One surgeon I saw, spoke of this at some length even though my thoracic curve is much less than yours (the lumbar scoliosis and lumbar kyphosis are the worst with me).

      Yes, GERD is so common it's almost expectable and even with my relatively slight T curve (40 something) , he said it was also common to find I could only eat small meals because of reduced capacity. Shucks! I thought I was just using will-power.

      He's right, though. I graze throughout the day and rarely if ever, feel really hungry the way I used to. (But I compensate! The miracle of appetite versus hunger.) It's almost like having a gastric belt. What do I expect, though, when my rib cage is falling into my pelvis?

      As for my GI tract...glad this is on-line and anonymous (relatively) but I suffer from both kinds of incontinence which is a social nightmare. The fecal variety is rare but it happens. What's more, since we all have "olfactory habituation" (means to be blunt, we don't smell ourselves after a little exposure to a change of odor), it may pass unnoticed, as it were.

      I've gone through a good bit of testing for differential dx's of both problems. Now it seems clear that the neurogenic element is primary, even though there ARE other influences (like having had bladder surgery and the constipation from narcotics. It's so hard to get take JUST the right amount of Miralax! Figure out how much roughage I've had that day, how many painkillers, etc...).

      And why should this surprise me since my lower back is often numb extending to the rectum and farther - variable with the spinal shifts (spondylolisthesis)?

      Some of the problems from kyphoscoliosis are "architectural" (The altered structure makes them happen), but others are neurological. Nerves and even the spinal cord, can get pinched - causing temporary or permanent nerve deficits. This is one good reason not to delay surgery when one starts to develop neurogenic problems as damaged nerves rarely regenerate.
      Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far:
      Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome, 69 - somehow,
      main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30
      Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this a different grade too. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive

      Comment


      • #4
        Wanted to add a few important caveats.

        The above is true if any spinal abnormality causes symptoms - stenosis, for example.

        But that doesn't mean one should just assume if the diagnosis is made, that it's the cause of certain problems.

        Keep track of symptoms - sometimes this can be hard as they develop slowly and can gradually become "the new normal" in our lives (examples: lessened fine motor coordination, dropping things, numbness, tingling, etc.). We need to walk a fine line between becoming hypochondriacs who take our pulse several times an hour and alert, "good citizens of our body"!

        Then, if it seems indicated (specialty orthopedic surgeons are NOT neurologists!) - testing and clinical evaluation can make the needed connections. Hopefully! Sometimes when there's a lot going on, it's pretty complicated and a certain amount of guess-work is involved.

        If I hadn't had a MRIs after a minor car accident, I'd never have known I had severe cervical stenosis which could have killed me. I was almost asymptomatic. I had surgery entirely on the strength of what imaging revealed. I was in so much pain from the scoliosis I didn't notice the little bell (from the stenosis) compared to the big GONG from my deformity - as I explained it to the neurosurgeon who operated.
        Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far:
        Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome, 69 - somehow,
        main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30
        Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this a different grade too. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive

        Comment

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