Scoliosis Awareness Month

Hello lovelies!

 Pardon the cheesy graphic, but June is Scoliosis Awareness Month, and so that's what this post is about.

 For those who don't know, the medical definition of scoliosis is that scoliosis is a side-to-side curvature of the spine, either in the form of the English letter "C" or "S".
 Some text book symptoms include a "hump" of sorts on the back, uneven shoulders, sometimes uneven legs, uneven waist, uneven hips, or even the appearance of leaning slightly to one side.
 Not in every case, but in some, like mine, you can experience shortness of breath or chest pain. Everyone experiences things differently, so it's important to listen to your body.

 I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was around 8 or 9 years old, and long story short, after a couple of misdiagnoses, I was braced for about 2 1/2 years before having a spinal fusion surgery in October of 2013.

 Generally speaking, scoliosis appears to be hereditary as it often appears within families (my mom has scoliosis, for example, however she was diagnosed around the same time as me but it was not severe enough to pursue any action).
 Other causes of scoliosis- however much rarer- are due to birth defects,  neuro-muscular conditions, or injuries/infections of the spine.

 Complications if left untreated include back problems/pain, which I know first hand is miserable. It also affects your appearance. I have a permanent "rib hump" (and scars due to surgery) and although it doesn't affect your health and it shouldn't something to be embarrassed by, it can make finding clothes that are flattering from all angles slightly awkward.
 The most important complication is the risk of lung or heart problems/damage. In severe cases the rib cage can press against your heart and/or lungs.

 The three main methods of treatment are as follows:

• Watch & Wait- provided the degree of the curve is not too extensive or extremely mild, the doctor may choose to closely monitor the person (usually a child) with x-rays and check-ups.
• Bracing- a scoliosis brace can help keep the curve down while a child is still growing. It is typically worn either at night while sleeping or consistently for 22-23 hrs a day.
• Surgery- generally a last resort, spinal fusion surgeries fuse the spine to stop the curve from growing. Complications are rare, but they can happen (...guess I'm rare haha)

  The best thing to do to check for scoliosis is to bend over and touch your toes, while having someone run their hands across your back/spine area to check for any kind of irregularity. Listen to your body about any pain you may experience, or if your shoulders, hips, etc., are uneven.

 I was misdiagnosed as having asthma for probably a solid 6 months, before doctors would listen to my mom and do an x-ray on my spine. If you feel like something is wrong, pressure them to do something about it- you may feel awkward or like it's not worth it, but it's always better to be safe rather than sorry.

 If you have any questions at all about scoliosis, feel free to ask. I'm always willing to chat and answer questions, or even just be a shoulder to lean on during your scoli journey. Stay safe, my dears!

Ciao!
Hannah