A woman at work mentioned to me last week that she thinks I have scoliosis, she said that it was common for tall girls?? (she noticed that my hips where uneven, which I have noticed before never paid much attention to). I was curious and went home and looked up the signs of scoliosis and got my friend to look at my back (2nd opinion in case I was just paranoid) NOW I am SCARED, I have all the main signs, uneven hips and shoulders and my whole left rib cage sticks out a lot more and is higher than my right. if i prop my right foot up i can even out my hips by just resting on my toes of my right foot. Now i think back i can connect other things to it, like high back pain on one side (I thought this was just a muscle tension problem-which it still could be) i also get headaches which may be connected. This is scoliosis right? How do i confirm this? Do I go to a GP or a chiropractor? i am 21 years old so i am finished growing, what will they do if it is scoliosis?
2007-05-20 00:50:59 · 5 answers · asked by aricrystal 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
is there any basis for the theory that being tall can cause spinal curve? i haven't seen any source that it could be. i am fairly tall, (171cm) i feel kind of stupid, because i have only just noticed that i am uneven! Could it happen at my age?(21) or did it happen when i was a teenager? i have lost a few extra kg recently so maybe because my bones are close to the skin its easier to see?
2007-05-20 00:55:52 · update #1
The best way to get a diagnosis would be to go to your General Physician. I am also not a big fan of chiropractors, though I have heard of people going to one and it helping. I have had scoliosis probably since I was 13 or 14, but mine wasn't diagnosed until I was 17 and a half (I had about a 40 degree lumbar curve then). I was very uneven, so much that when I went to get my senior prom dress hemmed, the woman asked if I had ever been in a car accident, because my hips were so uneven. when I was 19, we decided to do surgery (my curve had grown to 58 degrees), I had my surgery 2 months before my 20th birthday.
I have not found that there is any correlation between being tall and having scoliosis, but I would say that it tends to be mostly genetic. (I have it, and my dads sister also has it) Ask your mom and dad if anyone in your family has had scoliosis.
Don't be scared, just take it one step at a time. Visit your GP and have x-rays done (standing up, scoliosis looks better laying down). If your scoliosis is significant, your GP will send you to a specialist, I went to an orthopedic surgeon, but there are other specialists who treat scoliosis as well. Your doctor should be able to recommend a good specialist in your area. And from there, the specialist will decide which course of treatment would be best for you, whether it be watching the curve to see if it will progress, physical therapy, a brace, or if the curve is greater than about 50 degrees, surgery. But even in that case, they won't just jump to surgery, they'd most likely watch the curve to see if it's continuing to progress, and send you to physical therapy first.
So, one step at a time. I hope you have found this a little helpful,
Good luck!
2007-05-20 05:45:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scoliosis is not fatal. Since you are only thirteen, if your curve is over 25 degrees they might consider putting you in a brace. If it hasn't been caught until now, it probably isn't too severe. Most likely, you'll just need to go in about once a year to get an xray so they can monitor your curve. You should still be able to participate in tennis, swimming, and just about any other sport.
2016-05-21 23:34:40 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A good friend of mine has that, she has had it from very early age,, she used to have to wear a brace that attached to her torso and would help to keep neck and back straight after she had surgery, I am sure that like most other medical situations the severity will vary from person to person, she has since been declared unable to work and is on Social security at about age 40 or so, Dont wait to get to a doctor to get professional opinion and the sooner they get on it they may be able to repair before its beyond repair, and yes she has been on all sorts of med and painkillers,, But really go to Doc,,, Best of luck to you
2007-05-20 01:05:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To confirm any medical questions seek a professional in the field of medicine. I am personally not an aficionado of Chiro...but many do believe it works for them. For at least the Diagnosis....see a GP
2007-05-20 01:01:00 · answer #4 · answered by wbaker777 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need a x-ray first that will pick up any curvature of the spine. Then IF they find the curvature, the will measure the curve and see if you need PT, or surgery. It might just be due to bad posture, so PT can correct it.
2007-05-20 01:03:08 · answer #5 · answered by gillianprowe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋