Facing reality with scoliosis

You’re at the doctor, getting your annual check up; she checks your temperature, blood pressure, vision, reflex, and all that, but then she asks you to touch your toes. Depending on your doctor and situation, you probably didn’t know that she was checking for scoliosis.

Doing a quick Google search will inform you that scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. The cause of scoliosis is multifactorial, so there can be many things contributing to it: genetics, hormones, and other abnormalities–just to name a few. You can develop scoliosis in adolescence or as you age. The most common type of scoliosis is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; that affects children between the age of 10 and 14–in most cases–and is more commonly found in girls than in boys. Scoliosis can become much more than an abnormal looking back. Your spine could put pressure on your lungs and heart, making it harder to breathe. Walking could also become difficult as it could also affect your hips and legs.

There is a way to prevent and fix scoliosis. If you are still growing, you could wear a back brace that’ll guide your spine into growing in the right direction; however, it can be extremely uncomfortable and you must wear it all the time (with the exception of showering, sports, etc). If the back brace is not an option for you, then there is always surgery, where they place metal rods to fix the curvature of your spine. Both cases aren’t fun, but from what I heard, they were worth it in the long run.

Body image is another problem that you may face with scoliosis. Depending on the way your spine is curved, you’ll probably feel self conscious about it. Your hips may be out of alignment with each other, your mid section might appear too far to one side, and one side of your body might stick out more than the other. Those things can really make someone feel uncomfortable in certain clothes and at the beach; but like I said, it all depends on the way your spine is curved and the severity.

When I was eleven, my doctor diagnosed me with scoliosis; I had no idea what to expect. My mom and I flew to Oahu from Hilo every six to twelve months to check my back at Shriner’s Hospital for Children. On the second visit, I got a back brace due to my curvature and potential growth. I absolutely hated it. It was hot, tight, itchy, I couldn’t bend over to pick things up, I broke out in rashes, and I felt very insecure about the way I walked and moved around. The only good thing about it, was that it gave me excellent posture. After a year and a half of waddling around, wearing loose fitted shirts, and shorts that were two sizes too big, my doctor decided that I was old enough to stop wearing it. The good news was that my curvature increased by a few degrees, however, the bad news was that it was still a degree or two away from where it needed to be. Therefore, they would have to consider surgery. At the time, I just started high school, I didn’t have much back pain, and I was very active, so it wasn’t a good time for me. I haven’t gone back to check on my spine in almost two years, I know it got worse, but on some level, I know I’ll be alright. I will definitely correct my spine with surgery in the future as well as spread the awareness.

As of 2013, Scoliosis Awareness Day is observed on the last Saturday of June. On this day, many run, walk, have bake sales, cycle, and various other activities. So when the last Saturday of June rolls around, make sure to do something for the people who have scoliosis.