Tuesday, May 25, 2010

I have scoliosis... and i have a question... could you answer it?

hello! i just got back from my doctor. and she said i have a little spine curvature... its turned 10 degrees to the right. the x-rays haven't come back yet.. but i would like to know some extra info about it... (dont just say google etc..) and if 10 degrees is critical or not. my doc said that i might need a brace to wear underneath my clothes! :(( would this be totally nessecary? (and by the time i pick best answer the diagnosis should be in... so... :( im just wonderin here... and no rude answers please! :) thanks!
Answer:
Hey again Carly!
First of all, understand that 10 degrees is very mild, and nothing to get very worried about.
Weird coincidence, but I also have scoliosis (and kyphosis).
In regards to the brace... your doctor may treat this a little differently than they did me, so keep that in mind, but these days people mostly wear a night brace. The "older" way they treated the back problem was by wearing what they call a 23 hour brace. So that means you would have to wear it basically all the time except in the shower. The night brace is a newer version of treatment and has proven more efficient due to the fact that you do most of your growing at night. Either way, you must understand that both braces are designed to prevent further curvature, not to correct the curvature that you already have. Personally, I wore a night brace for 6 months, went to the doctor and they said it didn't help at all due to the fact that I had stopped growing. But every person is different, and it all depends on your growth plates and age (generally, if you're under 16 you're still treatable).
Good luck with everything, and I'm sure that everything will work out. Oh, and if you have any further questions regarding this (that you don't want to post on here for privacy or whatever) feel free to e-mail me, for I went through the same thing two years ago. :)
You should see a good orthopedist once all the diagnostic info is in. My son had a worse curve than yours when he was 14. He had to use a Boston brace to prevent the curvature from worsening, but only at night. He wore it for several years, until his Xrays showed that his growth plates had fused. Scoliosis can develop into serious problems if not treated. Please listen to your doctors and follow their advice. My son is now in his 20's and while he hated the whole thing, he's glad he used the brace.

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