What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis. It is a curvature of the spine. Either in a "C" or "S" angle. The curve can either be at the thoracic or lumbar area. Some people have complications which may include chronic pain, respiratory deficiencies, and decreased exercise capacity.

Below are pictures of me to show you what scoliosis looks like. The top part (thoracic) of my curve goes to the right and the bottom part (lumbar) to the left.





Are you thinking that it isn't that bad and why am I going for an operation? But no, my scoliosis is not a slight curve anymore. The thoracic curve is around 40 degrees and the lumbar curve is around 68 degrees. It has been progressing over the years and so I've finally decided to get the operation done.

If you would like to know more about scoliosis you can check out Scoliosis: Symptoms, treatments, and causes or What Is Scoliosis and What Causes It?

Till my next post!

<3
Cai Lin

Comments

  1. i too have scoliosis, diagnosed by my yoga teacher! but i am too scared to go and have a proper diagnosis by a specialist. appreciate if you could share your scoliosis journey here and maybe share your trusted doctor's contact too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same here. I've been looking for alternatives but they don't work.

      Delete
    2. Hi! I've had this issue too and underwent surgery almost 10 years ago. Quite a struggle to cope with the surgery, scars, exercises, follow-ups etc but I'm glad it all turn out well. I did my surgery at Sunway Medical Centre; Dr. Charles. Would recommend an appointment with him for his opinion on your situation :)

      Delete
    3. Thanks @SamanthaPhuiYee! will keep that in mind. (once i gather enough guts to go & seek help) :)

      Delete
  2. If opting for surgery, please CHOOSE your surgeon CAREFULLY either locally or abroad - the surgeon's credentials, reputation as well as method & safety techniques used. Any surgeon who dispises questions should be avoided. Seek recommendations & do research on medical information & legal references. All the best.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Try CERAGEM machine master v3 to realign spine.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Cai Lin!

    Great to have come across your blog. Scoliosis is one of those conditions where, unless you have it, you just don't realise how much it affects your life. Just aren't enough sites for people to get info and support one another.

    I was diagnosed with scoliosis (almost 40 degree c-curve) when I was about 11. Unfortunately, I was not put in a brace then and lived with the condition in adulthood. I'm now in my late 30s. I visited one specialist after the next and was told that the ONLY option was surgery and I'm not comfortable with going under the knife. The reason is the recovery time and the possible loss of flexibility afterwards as well as other associated risks.

    Anyway, I moved to Malaysia in 2011 and lived there for a couple years when I came across Spinal Inc. (they’re based in Mont Kiara). They use the schroth method which is a combination of physiotherapy and exercises that help straighten your spine. I had intensive therapy for two years which got my curve down to about 17 degrees. I have now been practicing hatha yoga for about two years and my spine looks almost normal. YEAH!

    I’m not sure if you’ve gone for your surgery already? Will be glad to hear your experience but for all the other scolis out there- if you’re not up for surgery (like me) there are other options. You just need to find the one that fits you best. I work really hard to keep my spine straight. I spend about an hour and a half on my mat five days a week. Not all yoga postures are good for scoliosis such as urdhva dhanurasana (upward bow). As you know your spine is not one dimensional so the rotation as well as curvature of your spine affects hips, shoulders, ribs etc. So this particular pose tends to push your rib cage out and trust me it hurts:-))

    My two cents is get a proper diagnosis so you understand HOW your spine is curving and then look at corrective methods. I still continue my schroth exercises at home with the yoga practice. Well, I’d recommend yoga to everyone it keeps your mind, body and spirit healthy:-)

    To wrap up, love to all scolis. Trust me when I say I feel your pain and even though it’s taken me years to get my spine to where it is today I would strongly advise you to make the effort it is life changing!

    PEACE


    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post op 6 months!

1 year anniversary!