Hi everyone! I'm brand new to these boards, and I could really use some advice. I hope that I am posting this on the correct board, since I am over 18.
My name is Kathryn, and I'm 20 years old. I live in Canada. When I was 15, I was found to have lumbar scoliosis at a 29 degree curve. It was found because I was experiencing some pain in my low back, as well as shooting pains down my left leg, which were being exacerbated by tennis lessons I was taking. I had a CT scan, and found that I also had a protruding disc, caused by the curve, which was likely causing some of the pain. At that point, the doctors said not to operate, but to watch the progression.
About 10 weeks ago, the pain in my back (which had been unchanging for almost 5 years) got quite suddenly much worse. I have now have constant radiating pain down both legs, numbness, and a lot of sharp pain as well as “achy-ness” in my low back. I had to drop a summer course I was taking at college, and the pain is basically preventing me from most of my activities (hockey, school, horseback riding, driving). I find sitting the most painful. I have been x-rayed, and I now have a 55 degree curve, and am scheduled for a CT scan next week. Do you think I will need surgery? This pain is not manageable, and I have tried physiotherapy, yoga, Advil, naproxen, swimming...I am out of ideas and getting desperate. I have not yet seen an orthopedic surgeon, but my General Practitioner says that she believes I will need a surgery to deal with the curve, as well as possibly something to deal with the disc, if that is still a problem. The only thing which has helped the pain is Tylenol 3 with codeine, which is only a very temporary solution, and the pain relief is by no means total. I am scared by the prospect of surgery, but I do not think that I could return to college in the fall if I were feeling like this – I couldn’t even handle a single summer course!
I am 163 cm and 63 kg (approximately 5’4 and 140 pounds) and in relatively good shape, with no other health problems, in case that is important.
I would appreciate advice or information from anyone who knows anything about my condition. I would like to be able to ask the surgeon some intelligent questions when I see him. The most important questions I have are:
-Will the surgery help to relieve the pain? It does not need to be perfect, just manageable.
-How long will I be unable to go to school for?
-Most of the information I find isn’t for lumbar scoliosis. Is my lumbar curve different from upper back ones?
-How much mobility will I lose? Right now I am flexible, but in too much pain to really do much.
-Has anyone else experienced this kind of pain with scoliosis? It seems that many people are pain-free.
Thank you for your time if you read my very long post, I really appreciate it.
Kathryn
My name is Kathryn, and I'm 20 years old. I live in Canada. When I was 15, I was found to have lumbar scoliosis at a 29 degree curve. It was found because I was experiencing some pain in my low back, as well as shooting pains down my left leg, which were being exacerbated by tennis lessons I was taking. I had a CT scan, and found that I also had a protruding disc, caused by the curve, which was likely causing some of the pain. At that point, the doctors said not to operate, but to watch the progression.
About 10 weeks ago, the pain in my back (which had been unchanging for almost 5 years) got quite suddenly much worse. I have now have constant radiating pain down both legs, numbness, and a lot of sharp pain as well as “achy-ness” in my low back. I had to drop a summer course I was taking at college, and the pain is basically preventing me from most of my activities (hockey, school, horseback riding, driving). I find sitting the most painful. I have been x-rayed, and I now have a 55 degree curve, and am scheduled for a CT scan next week. Do you think I will need surgery? This pain is not manageable, and I have tried physiotherapy, yoga, Advil, naproxen, swimming...I am out of ideas and getting desperate. I have not yet seen an orthopedic surgeon, but my General Practitioner says that she believes I will need a surgery to deal with the curve, as well as possibly something to deal with the disc, if that is still a problem. The only thing which has helped the pain is Tylenol 3 with codeine, which is only a very temporary solution, and the pain relief is by no means total. I am scared by the prospect of surgery, but I do not think that I could return to college in the fall if I were feeling like this – I couldn’t even handle a single summer course!
I am 163 cm and 63 kg (approximately 5’4 and 140 pounds) and in relatively good shape, with no other health problems, in case that is important.
I would appreciate advice or information from anyone who knows anything about my condition. I would like to be able to ask the surgeon some intelligent questions when I see him. The most important questions I have are:
-Will the surgery help to relieve the pain? It does not need to be perfect, just manageable.
-How long will I be unable to go to school for?
-Most of the information I find isn’t for lumbar scoliosis. Is my lumbar curve different from upper back ones?
-How much mobility will I lose? Right now I am flexible, but in too much pain to really do much.
-Has anyone else experienced this kind of pain with scoliosis? It seems that many people are pain-free.
Thank you for your time if you read my very long post, I really appreciate it.
Kathryn
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