Quickly Progressing Curvature

[cherylplinder]

Have your parents do some research on Adolescent Idiopathis Scoiliosis or show them your research. Maybe they can speed things up a bit.

[Jen-jen]

Hey Ballerina, I think we talked earlier in a leg numbness thread but i find it really interesting because you're condition is practically the same as me but you curve left and I right. How do you cope with the pain in the mornings and the numbness cos I'm really strugglin. I've been waitin for surgery for 2 years now and I've recently just had my surgery due date cancelled so i really need to find a way of dealin with this cos my curves gettin rapidly bigger too.
Oh and by the way scoliosisgirl, I'm 17, 5ft 11 and still growin!!!!

x x

[~ScoliosisGirl~]

oo ya.. i know that people can grow even older since of scoliosis ( since the spine is not straight for example: if u take a string and curve it or even make a knot it will not be as long as it being without any knot .. understand what i mean??). i was just talking i general.. for people that dont have scoliosis...

[Ballerina]

Hey Ballerina, I think we talked earlier in a leg numbness thread but i find it really interesting because you're condition is practically the same as me but you curve left and I right. How do you cope with the pain in the mornings and the numbness cos I'm really strugglin. I've been waitin for surgery for 2 years now and I've recently just had my surgery due date cancelled so i really need to find a way of dealin with this cos my curves gettin rapidly bigger too.
Oh and by the way scoliosisgirl, I'm 17, 5ft 11 and still growin!!!!

x x

Honestly, I have just sucked it up and not let it get in the way of my life. I am not going to revolve my life around this, and it definitely won't stop me from doing things that I love.

Now, I must admit, there are days when I am just completely fed up, and just say, alright, that's enough. You've been hurting a little too long now.

I just know that I must suck it up, and the less I think about it, and the more I do to keep my mind off of it, the less I let it bug me. Find things to do so that you are not concentrating on pain.

[Jen-jen]

You have a strong will Ballerina, I admire that. I hope all goes well for you and that the pain lessens. x x

[coloradogirl]

If you are still growing, your curves can progress quicker. I'm an adult now and my curves are still progressing. I can tell because my rib cage sticks out farther than it used to.

[The Slice]

Ballerina girl, It sounds as if you are in the later stages of the growth spurt when the spine itself does alot of it's growth. I've forgotten some of it, but the typical sequence of growth for the skeleton is:

The long bones of the lower arms and legs
The long bones of the upper arms and legs
The bones of the hands and feet*
The spine

These stages overlap somewhat, but in general this is sequence in which they start.

*I've forgotten exactly where this comes in.

If your curves have progressed that much in 3 months, you need to keep a very close eye on it. I would see about getting braced ASAP to slow the progression of the curve until further testing can be done. I hope that at this point you are seeing a scoliosis specialist. If not I would get to one. Perhaps they can assess the severity of your condition and whether it's possible to justify moving you up on the waiting list for the MRI. The other possibility is that your parents could take you to a specialist in the states. I know, I know, expensive, but perhaps with the information that you already have including any xrays etc. you can get a consultation that can at least tell you whether there is any urgency to any testing and/or treatment. The numbness and pain are of concern. Good luck, take it one step at a time, and don't freak out.

[RugbyLaura]

Growth

Hi, I have been told by 2 different consultants that the spine is one of the first things to finish growing. Both said that the spine is generally fully grown around the time that periods start. Any growth after this is in the legs.

This may of course not be true, but as I say it's what I've been told by both consultants.

Laura

[~ScoliosisGirl~]

My doctor mentioned that the spine does get fully grown around the time that periods start but he never mentioned anything about growth after it will be in the legs...

[The Slice]

Take a look at this, it's essentially the transcript from a program produced by the BBC and aired some years ago on TLC called "Teen Species".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbo...s/growth.shtml

If you take a look at other kids during the growth spurt, you'll often notice that their arms and legs look unsually long - they look kind of long and spindly. This is because of the rapid growth in the long bones of the arms and legs that starts before the spine and ALSO because the bones grow faster than the muscles do.

So far as girls go, yes that's true, the onset of menstruation usually marks the end of the growth spurt. Most girls will gain only about 2 inches once menstruation starts, but this is only a guideline.