The Medical Saga: New Diagnosis - Scoliosis

In my last post (which was Monday, sorry about that long absence this week.  I was traveling on business and I'm not motivated enough for a week's worth of scheduled posts, especially after a busy weekend.)  Anyway, as I was saying, in my last post, I mentioned physical therapy.

I am now going to physical therapy twice a week for my scoliosis.  Yep, I have scoliosis.

If you read back through a lot of my past posts, you'll see me complaining about my back pain.  My back primarily hurts in my upper back and more on the right side, right between my spine and shoulder blade.  I just assumed that it was due to the stress I carry in my back.  I'm a very anxious person, and I have an incredibly stressful job.  Every time I go in for a massage, they mention how incredibly tight my muscles are.  When I leave, I always feel better. But just 24 hours later, my back is beginning to hurt.  It never occurred to me that there might be something more serious wrong.

That is, until about a month ago when I went to get a massage and the therapist asked, "Has anyone ever told you you have scoliosis?"

Actually, when I was very young, somewhere around the age of 11-12, a doctor told me I had a slight curvature in my spine.  I was told that is common in young girls as they begin to grow during puberty.
And it was never brought up again.  Never checked again.  I guess because I never complained about my back.

"How did none of your doctors catch that the last 8 years?" Mom asked me.  I've had countless x-rays and scans done in which my spine would be clearly visible.  My assumption is that they were/are far more concerned and focused on cancer and it's complications to worry about how straight (or not straight) my spine was.

After that massage, I made an appointment with my primary doctor (for my spine but also to check out a cyst...or something, I have growing in my hand.  I'm telling ya, the medical issues just don't stop for me.)  I went in for that appointment and I explained everything I've written in this post.  She said, "Well, I'm going to have you lift up your shirt, put your hands straight out, then bend over so I can get a good look at your spine."  She steps behind me, lifts my shirt, and with my hands still at my side, she says, "Oh girl, I can see the curve.  Go ahead and bend over though."  Sure enough, my spine curves, near the top.

A week later, I received a call from a rehabilitation center with my referral and we set up my first appointment, which was last week.
I went in and my therapist did an assessment.  It consisted of him looking and feeling my back in various positions, watching how my all the components of my back bend and move, strength tests, and lots of talking about my lifestyle, discomfort, etc.

In the end, he said my scoliosis is not that bad.  It won't require surgery or even a back brace but just simple PT twice a week for at least 8 weeks.
My spine curves slightly to the left, near the top, pretty much between the shoulder blades.  This is causing additional pull on the muscles to the right.  Which is why my pain is mainly concentrated on that side.
He said my back muscles, where they attach to the spine, felt like picking guitar strings and they shouldn't be that tight.  He notices that I sit with my right shoulder a little higher and leaning a little to one side, which I do subconsciously to offset my pain, but it's really making thing worse.
When I bend over, my lower back muscles stretch to allow the bending, but my upper back muscles stay tight and don't really allow my upper back to bend as easily.
After doing various strength exercises, it was obvious that muscles that use my upper back are much weaker and the right side is significantly weaker than the left.
After all this talk, he had me lay down on my stomach and he pushed, pulled, stretched, etc to attempt to loosen my muscles.

My first two or three PT sessions are going to consist of him applying pressure to loosen those muscles, along with pulling, and stretching.  The sessions after those, we will focus on stretches and exercises for me to do as well as some strength building to compensate for the "damage" I've been doing.  After those 8 weeks of twice a week PT, I should be able to continue the stretches and exercises at home to help keep the pain and discomfort at bay.

[He did confirm that I also have tight muscles from things non-scoliosis related and said it was probably stress so he recommends staying up with monthly massages.  Don't have to tell me twice!!!]

So that is where I lie with all of this.  I'm really frustrated, because I seem to never be on top of my health.  If I overcome one thing, or get into a routine with a complication, something else has to creep in.  It gets really old.  I just want to be healthy and not have so many things to worry about!!!
However, I am thankful that this new issue isn't something severe and can be managed with stretching and exercise.  It'll be a slow process he said, but our hope is that in a year, there will no more pain and discomfort if I stay on top of our plan.  I'm thankful that after years of back pain, I actually have an answer and now, a solution.

Here's to a slow start of a pain-free back!!!!  I cannot wait for that day!!!


Do you have scoliosis?  Or back pain?  How do you manage it?