one step ahead three steps back :(

[loves to skate]

Who? Me? At 60 I’m just a spring chicken. I consider myself VERY fortunate. I got through this surgery with absolutely no complications or lingering effects, and my surgeon was able to accomplish it all in one surgery. I have to admit, at one point I was a little concerned that this may have put me at greater risk for pseudoarthrosis, but at my one-year checkup everything was looking good. I’ve been blessed.

Sorry Chris, I didn't mean it disparagingly. Yes, we are both blessed. I just wish I had been diagnosed sooner. Then maybe I wouldn't have become so stiff and could have gotten straightened out a bit more. Hey, I was told I was no longer a spring chicken by my dentist when I had my wisdom teeth extracted in my early 20's.
Sally

[52skeedoo]

Increasing flexibility

I found out that I needed to have surgery about 7 months before I scheduled it. The doctor told me that young people get better correction because they are so naturally flexible. He recommended that I work on stretching out my back. He suggested placing bolsters (or some substitute) under each curve and simply leaning over it.

I have an S curve so I every morning and every night I would put bolster under my right side up, high opposite the curve that curved to the left and then would lean over it, lying on my side, for a minute or two, stretching my back slowly and gently in the opposite direction than it wanted to go. Then I would roll over on my left and move the bolster opposite the next curve and lean over the bolster in that direction. Finally I would move the bolster to the lowest curve and lean over it to the right.

It was only a little uncomfortable and very boring, but it seems to have worked. In surgery the doc got considerably more correction than he expected to get and said it was because I was much more flexible than he would expect for someone of my age (56). When you see Dr. Rand, you might ask him if that would be helpful for you.

Sheri

[AustinPaula]

I'd like to concur. I did 'Yoga for Scoliosis' for almost 15 years trying to forestall this operation. It did forestall the operation for a long time and helped me stay flexible. They got far more correction than they expected from someone my age and in fact changed the operating game plan when I was on the table when they realized just how flexible I was. My correction for both curve is well below 10% remaining. I highly recommend yoga or any good stretching and strengthening routine that accommodates your asymmetries. It helps you feel better in the interim even if it doesn't stop the progression and makes you much easier to correct operatively.