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    Hi everyone. About a week ago my son had a physical and I was told that he has scolosis and the dr wants to see him at least once a year. That was it. I was in shock to think to ask questions so now I am full of them and don't know what to do. I love my kids dr's they are great but I can't help but think that he wasn't being very concerned about this or my thoughts on this news. I have read tons of info tonight about it but not much of it helps me since the Dr did nothing else or told me anything else so I have no clue what kind is it or could be or what could help him ect. so any answers to my long list of questions would be great. My son is 10 years old and is very thin. His shoulderblades stick out and he can suck his tummy in so he looks worse than a starving child from another country. He weights about 65 pounds.

    Should I take him to another Dr? ( it is not that bad since you cant notice anything major wrong unless you are looking really hard and know what you are looking for)

    Will top of the line supportive shoes help slow it down?

    Is it definate that it will get worse as he goes through a growth spurt which will be soon since he is fixing to hit puperty.

    Will a brace now help him now before it gets real bad and causes tons of pain?

    Will chropractic care help him now to keep it from getting bad or slow it down?

    I am trying so hard not to freak out but this is hard. I never thought in a million years anything this serious would ever happen to my children and was not perpared for this. not that any parent really is. I don't know what to do now and if anything will help. I know of only one person in my life who had it and her daughter had to have surgery and it was bad but yet she didn't look bad.

    Any young children who have mild cases of it have pain and what helps with that.

    I know now he is fine and doesn't seem to be in pain ect.. but I like to be a prepared mom and do tons of research so when the time comes I am not sitting here not knowing what to do. I know many might think I am jumping the gun, but I have to in order to keep from freaking out. I have to know everything there is to know about this and what I can do now and later.

    Thank you for all your time, I know this got long and I am sorry. You guys are the first that I have really told and have talked about it. So i guess it has been festering inside and needs to come out.
    Again sorry.
    thank you
    Stephen's mom, Toy

  • #2
    Toy,
    I would get another opinion. You should really see a Pediatric Orthopedic specialist. All three of my girls have scoliosis and/or kyphosis. We took them to an specialist at the Shriner's Hospital. My 16 year old has surgery on March 15th, my 14 year old has slight scoliosis and is what is called a "wait & watch," but she sees the doctor every six months, my 13 year old wears a brace to avoid surgery in the future, she sees the doctor every 3 months. So, as you can see, they were all diagnosed on the same day, but have different treatments for each of them.

    Oh, it can be very overwhelming. Right now, I am overwhelmed with my daughters surgery next week. Her dad even admitted to me on the phone today that it is starting to worry him. But, then in his next breath he reminded me, just before we both cried, that we have the best surgeon in the World working on her. He surgeon teaches a lot of these surgical procedures all over the world. Then to top it off, we just moved into our new house and our lives are in disarray.

    I don't know about the top of the line support shoes helping. But, I would definitely ask the Ped. Ortho. about it.

    The Ped. Ortho. will tell you if a brace would work.

    As far as a chiro. goes, we used one for quite a while (year and a half). It releaved the muscle soreness and pain, but doesn't correct the problem. I wish we would of seen the Ped. Ortho. first. We may not be headed to surgery next week. Do check with the Ped. Ortho. when you go to see one.

    Just remember to keep going with life. Pick up your pieces and go on with them. Don't wrap your child in bubble wrap. Let them be a normal child. It would surprise you at the stuff my girls do. The all three play post positions on their basketball teams, ride their horses, do ranch chores, take care of their livestock, etc. They even beat the tar out of each other on occassion. So, it hasn't slowed them or us down one bit.

    If you have other children, have them checked too.

    If you need anything, just post and someone will try to help you.

    'til later,
    Nikki

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Toy,
      Sorry to hear Stephen has been diagnosed. It would not hurt to ask your primary for a referral to a orthopaedist. For peace of mind at the very least. I have 2 kids with it and they complain after walking or playing hard but I just say go take a hot bath and relax. Or I swear by yoga just the beginners stuff. I promotes better posture. The important thing is don't let him see you sweat it. My mom wanted to restrict it all and that is what i remember the most. So let him be normal and tell him it is ok. This is a problem alot of people face and we are not as bad off as we think. Kids have luekemia and cancer that result in death for some. We dont think of it in that degree but it really needs to be summed up like that to get us to understand.
      Good Luck
      Krystal
      Diagnosed 11 at school screening, surgery 16.
      Had Harrington rods w/fusions.
      Luque-thorasic.
      Full term pregnancies,no major issues.sciatica with the first. Epidurals with C-sections
      2005:lumbar reconstruction, 2 plates, 6 screws in sacrum, and 2 cages with my own bone.
      2007: cervical surgery to correct 4 bulging discs, two fusions with cages using cadaver bone.
      Both of my daughters have scoliosis. Both were diagnosed by 7.
      http://spinedoctors.md/ Dr, Jospeh Flynn Jr

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Toy...

        Originally posted by Stephen's mom
        Should I take him to another Dr? ( it is not that bad since you cant notice anything major wrong unless you are looking really hard and know what you are looking for)
        Depending on your insurance, you can take him to another doctor, but I suspect you'll have difficulty getting referred to a good scoliosis specialist if your son's curve is so obviously small. I'd encourage you to check your son's back often for signs of change. You can read about what to look for here: http://www.medicineau.net.au/clinica...oskel2997.html

        If you see any increase in assymetry, get your son back to the doctor.

        Will top of the line supportive shoes help slow it down?
        Nope

        Is it definate that it will get worse as he goes through a growth spurt which will be soon since he is fixing to hit puperty.
        No, it's not definite. You can read about the probabilities of increase here: http://www.vh.org/pediatric/provider...abilities.html

        If your son doesn't have a lot of noticable curvature, one would hope that he has a curve below 25 degrees, which would translate into a 25% chance of curvature increase.


        Will a brace now help him now before it gets real bad and causes tons of pain?
        Braces are effective in keeping most curves from increasing. In your son's case, putting him in a brace would be a bit cruel, since he'd probably have to be in it for about 8 more years. Most specialists don't put kids in braces until their curve(s) hit(s) about 25 degrees.

        Will chropractic care help him now to keep it from getting bad or slow it down?
        Again, nope. Chiropractic care has not been shown to stop the progression of scoliosis curves.

        Any young children who have mild cases of it have pain and what helps with that.
        The majority of kids, even those with relatively large curves, don't have pain. If your son starts complaining of pain, that would be another reason to consult his doctor. Be careful about being overt about asking if he has pain, as I think it's possible that he'll start telling you he has pain because he thinks it might please you.
        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

        Comment


        • #5
          Wow Nikki good luck next week stay strong. You are in my prayers tonight.
          Diagnosed 11 at school screening, surgery 16.
          Had Harrington rods w/fusions.
          Luque-thorasic.
          Full term pregnancies,no major issues.sciatica with the first. Epidurals with C-sections
          2005:lumbar reconstruction, 2 plates, 6 screws in sacrum, and 2 cages with my own bone.
          2007: cervical surgery to correct 4 bulging discs, two fusions with cages using cadaver bone.
          Both of my daughters have scoliosis. Both were diagnosed by 7.
          http://spinedoctors.md/ Dr, Jospeh Flynn Jr

          Comment


          • #6
            Thank you very much.
            I always let my boys be boys. If it hurts bad enough they will stop if not then they must be stupid and that I know they are not.
            I love Chropracters but I know they don't fix it all. Well as soon as I get back from vacation I will get him in to see another Dr. I will be on a plan March 15 for vacation with my family but I will remember to pray for you and your family and your daughter and the Dr who will be performing that surgery.

            I do have another queston. Some time ago my son use to complain all the time about knee pain and would just fall to the floor screaming and crying we went to the Dr he said go to this Dr. They did exrays and said he had arthritis and fluid in the knees one more than the other but yet another Dr says no way I don't see it. Could any of that be related to scoliosis or the knee problems causing scoliosis? When I look at my son's knees they look weird but still no one can find anything wrong and he still complains about them just not as much. They triedt to tell me growing pains but I don't think that is what it is. Any clue about the relation to scolosis?
            THanks a million. I guess it is one step at a time as with anything. I guess maybe God just has to let me have one more thing to get through and share with others like so many of you here.
            Again thank you.
            Toy

            Comment


            • #7
              thank you to all

              THank you so much for the replies. I will get him in to another Dr and see if they can tell me more. I shouldn't have too much of a problem with that because i do have good Dr's and if i request it they will do it.

              It sounds to me then that this is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be for most. that is good. I will pray for you all.

              so I guess i am stuck waiting to see if it gets worse as he grows. I am pleased to hear that many don't have pain because as a mother I don't want him in pain.

              I have another question. If a person has scoliosis and doesn't have it bad and never is noticed can it show up later in life as a person ages? that is something that I have no yet seen on sites yet. I ask because it seems from what I can tell from others that it just might be heriditary or something since so many of you have it and then your children have it. I have sever pain in my lower back and noticed a few months back that I don't stand up straight. A very noticable curve from the side veiw. Like I tried to arch my back too much for too long and it formed that way because of it kinda like the old saying we were told about making faces and it freezing like that. NO one else in our families has this so........ how did he get it?

              Again thank you so much for taking the time to help me. You are all great.

              Comment


              • #8
                Toy,
                As far as the knee pain goes, have the Ped. Ortho. check it too. This is stuff they deal with all the time.

                As far as scoliosis being hereditary, I know Shriner's Hospitals are doing research on it. With all three of my girls having it, and I have one nephew with it, my brothers son, I would guess it could be genetic from my side of the family. However, no one else has seemed to have it. Our children are the first that we know of. A lot of times, there is no cause for scoliosis.

                Will it get worse later in life? Haven't been there on that one, but from what I have read it can develop later in life too. My nephew's hasn't gotten any worse, and he is in his 20's now.

                Keep us posted on your doctor appointments and thank you for your prayers. Have a nice vacation, mine is going to be spent in a hospital with my daughter, but I can't think of a better cause for the time spent right now.

                I guess I try to think God doesn't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't think I could handle so much sometimes. I am sure you feel that way at times too.

                'til later,
                Nikki

                Krystal;
                Thank you for your prayers to. We are trying to stay strong. But, it is difficult when it is your child and you don't want to see them in pain at all.

                'til later,
                Nikki

                Comment


                • #9
                  Nikki
                  I will be here often so I can learn more about this. You are right about feeling God gives us so much to handle. Just remember that it is HE who will guide those Dr's durring this surgery and will be there with your child all the way. I like to find good that can come from these things because it helps me stay focussed on being possitive and not worry and dread. I know it is still hard when it is our children. I don't know if this help or not but I read on another web site that for the most part after surgery recovery is pretty quick and not as bad as we may think.
                  Well remember always that God is walking right there with you and He is the best Dr to have. You will be stronger and so will your child. Just think how much both of you will be able to help others who are going through this. I know you know this but I always think it never hurts to hear it again. I will be praying for all of you.
                  take care
                  Toy

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hey guys,
                    I hope is well. I wanted to tell you that all three of us having the scoliosis have the same shorter leg. It puts pressure on the side that is longer so that one gets more sore. Also the genetics. My dad's side I have a cousin that is the same age and she has scoliosis, and on my mom's the same. So I guess I didn't have a chance. Also we have noticed my youngest ones hips being severely turned she has had adjustments to her hips and doesn't have as much pain in her legs. Now, I believe in chiropractors to a certain extent. I would never put total faith in any doctor. I also have seen ortho's for this too. They both had the same opinion just different approaches to getting her and her sister better. The ortho was a wait and see and the chiro was more pro-active thru adjustments. My daughter and I suffer horrible migraines, and I have had total success because of the adjustments (not one pain pill in three moths). I go to a non traditional chiropractor. He is a upper cervical chiro. He believes in starting from the top rather the bottom. But any way I watch my daughter Erin go thru migraines and bounce right back to normal, and I give myself credit for it. I tell her chin up and it gets better. So I tell you the same thing. If we don't keep ours up we can't expect them too.

                    You are great for taking charge of their physical well being. Research like crazy. These two websites I like to get on to educate us on how the nerves play a huge part in our bodies are...
                    www.DrRacine.com
                    www.uppercervical.org
                    Good Luck.
                    Last edited by krystal; 03-08-2005, 08:42 AM.
                    Diagnosed 11 at school screening, surgery 16.
                    Had Harrington rods w/fusions.
                    Luque-thorasic.
                    Full term pregnancies,no major issues.sciatica with the first. Epidurals with C-sections
                    2005:lumbar reconstruction, 2 plates, 6 screws in sacrum, and 2 cages with my own bone.
                    2007: cervical surgery to correct 4 bulging discs, two fusions with cages using cadaver bone.
                    Both of my daughters have scoliosis. Both were diagnosed by 7.
                    http://spinedoctors.md/ Dr, Jospeh Flynn Jr

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Krystal,
                      Like you, I believe in chiro's to a point, Med.docs to a point, and I even use a Naturalpath for certain things too. Then add the kids Ped.Ortho. to the top of the pile, we keep things pretty well rounded at our house too. I understand the migranes in your daughter and the chiro. I used to have the same problem and use the chiro for that. Now, when I feel one coming on, I see the chiro for it. Pain meds didn't do much good for them.

                      Toy,
                      You are so right to keep faith and that the doctor is in God's hands and He is always at our side. You are right, it is good to hear it again.

                      What is the other website you read? I read Spinekids, too.

                      'til later,
                      Nikki

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Toy

                        My son is 10 years old and is very thin. His shoulderblades stick out and he can suck his tummy in so he looks worse than a starving child from another country. He weights about 65 pounds.

                        I have a 12 yr old and just found out this past Friday that she has scoliosis. She only weighs 93 lbs and is also very skinny and her shoulderblades stick out really bad. I always thought it was from bad posture because she sits humpback and stands humped over. I NEVER thought it would be from scoliosis! I know how youre feeling But like the ladies on here keep saying, try to keep your chin up. I know it hard. Im really glad I found this group. They have been really great!

                        Tammy mom to Lanna

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Hi all
                          Thanks for all the info. It is so good to know I am not crazy about his shoulders, I always thought that it is just from being skinny and now to learn that it could have to do with the scoliosis. That first post I made I cried, I didn't realize it was bothering me that much to keep it inside but now thanks to all of you, I am better and no more tears. Just the take charge mom I should be. If I find anything out about shoes in all this I will let you know. A friend told me that it might help in the long run and maybe pain. That can go for anyone who stands and walks so why not those with scoliosis?
                          That part about this coming up as a person ages well I am 31 and noticed my spine in the lower area and I was shocked at how bad it is curved again not from side to side but front to back. I also get wicked migrains but nothing seems to help them either, infact I have one today. So maybe I should have someone look at me just to be sure that I am okay or not. Gee it would be nice if they could fix my pain. I wanted to say that anyone who is new at problems in the health problems being scoliosis or anything and the Dr's don't want to listen research until there is nothing left to find out then go to the Dr's because in my experience with two children particulary the more I know the less likely they are to treat me as an over active first time mom who knows nothing. In fact in a few cases I have been the reason the Dr;s found out what was wrong with my boys about different things. I even threated a law suit on one Dr but it worked and they helped my son.

                          Well I just realized I didn't tell you all much about me at all so here is a little.
                          I have two sons ages 10 and 8 Married as of yesturday 10 years. Been through the ringer of a life through my childhood and my marriage but I give all the credit to God whom my marriage would not still be going strong 10 years later if it was not for God. I almost lost my youngest son at three months due to lack of eating and Dr's knew nothing. We tube fed him or he would have died. My oldest, Stephen, had his share of things like reflux and sleep apnea. All and all we are stronger as individuals and as a family for all the trials we have been through. I wouldn't change a thing as cruel as that might sound because even my childrens suffering gave us strength and courage to get through things as an individal and as a family. One day all of us going through this whether it be ourselves or our children or grandchildren will look back at all this when things are good and know we won and God was and always will be faithful and we made it through so even when we wonder why us, it will all work out for the good.
                          thanks again to all of you. I feel so much better and more in control to get things done. It is also nice to know I have time to get the Drs to listen and get it together. Oh yea someone said if I had other children to have them checked well, the same day my son Jessy was checked and nothing showed up to the Dr. He is overweight a little so I have no clue if that would hide it from the Dr or not but he was checked and I plan on having him checked often as well.

                          THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH
                          Toy

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Stephen's mom
                            Hi all
                            TThat part about this coming up as a person ages well I am 31 and noticed my spine in the lower area and I was shocked at how bad it is curved again not from side to side but front to back.
                            The front to back curves of one spine are a normal part of the anatomy:

                            http://www.spine-health.com/topics/anat/a01.html
                            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

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Hi Linda
                              I checked out that link you left in the last post and none of it describes what I look like and what I feel. If you look at the top middle picture of the spine on that page the curve on the thoracic section is what my spine looks like in the lumbar and coccyx section. The curve in the picture in the thoracic part might be even more so on my in the lower section. that is what I was trying to describe in my other posts. Due to the curves I am in a lot of pain all the time and it is now so bad I can barly stand for any length of time at all now. Sitting feels a little better for me but only to a point. I sleep very little cause of the pain now. So am i assuming correctly that even that curve in the lower part is not assoiciated at all with scoliosis? If not then what the heck could be the problem? I grew up with a mother who acted like Chiro. were like god or something. I was not even allowed to take anything for a headache which I suffer from for many many years now. I like chiros but they cant know it all or fix it all. Any idea or clues as to this then?

                              I still don't get it if no one in my family or my husbands for generations then how does my son have this.
                              Can the Dr's tell which type of scoliosis a child has in a very mild case?

                              well this is all i can write for now my head hurts.
                              again thank you so much for your info and opinions.
                              Toy

                              Comment

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