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How can adult scolisis be treated? I have a very crooked spine at 80yr
I first noticed a knot in my back, then listing to the right.I ave had pain in my back for years. I think it all goes back to a helicopter crash landing into trees. The reason for this was that we were on fire after an internal fuel tank blew up. Now this occurred back in 1973 and I have had problems with my neck and back ever since, My spine did not noticeably go crooked until just the last 3 or 4 years and the pain is getting worse.
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I was diagnosed with scoliosis at 28 yrs of age. Don't think they looked for it before then. I was told I needed full surgery like rods to straighten. Did not do the surgery. I did not have much pain through the years and continued to be active. I skied, tennis, hiking, etc without issues but now at 70 I realize that I need to do something to help keep me functioning. I get a massage once or twice a month which really helps. I just started accupuncture which I am not sure if it helps yet. I walk 3+ miles every morning before starting my day, staying active is essential. I stretch in the morning as well. I have been through PT so many times I stopped counting. The exercises are good but each therapist gives you different ones and you need to figure out which ones work best for you. You need to be your own advocate for your condition. See different doctors, therapists, etc. and do not rely just on meds that the doctors give you for pain. Sounds like your journey is becoming your new challenge in life.
@oldpilot
Have you had recent MRIs of your cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine? Where are your curvatures the worst? Do you have disc issues like bulges and herniations, osteoarthritis, and stenosis? Are your vertebrae slipping over each other causing instability? I have stenosis and degenerative disc disease plus neurogenic claudication and had cervical and lumbar decompression and fusion surgeries. I am female and currently 55 years old. You can try pain management like injections and medications plus physical therapy before considering surgery if recommended by a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine specialist. If you are at risk of injuring your spinal cord, surgery may be recommended asap.
You can try bracing and scoliosis specific exercises. Make sure you get a spinal x-ray to measure your curve. Good luck
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1 ReactionI guess Yin & Yang.Went to a neurosurgeon to look into options for my Scoliosis, affecting L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1. Looked at the MRI, did a physical exam, and said that there is nothing he could do. He pointed out that surgery, such as a Laminectomy, or even spacers, using minimally invasive techniques, would not be advisable given my age (late 70's) and the extent of the scoliosis. He basically said I should continue doing what I am doing - exercises, acupuncture and steroid injections - since they seem to be somewhat effective, lessening my pain from tear inducing excruciating pain, to just "ouch", and almost no pain at the start of the day which increases as the day goes on. We'll see how that goes though once I restart my docent work, where I will be on my feet for about 4 hours.BUT - we did have a nice chat about baseball as we grew up in same neighborhood & fans of same teams(Go Phillies!).
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2 ReactionsAre you considering a second opinion?
@srquser May I offer a suggestion? According to my physical therapist, a technique called myofascial release may help scoliosis somewhat. In other patients, it has been able to help with lessening a spine curvature. If you have tightness in the muscles and fascia in your body, it may be pulling your spine into a scoliosis curvature to a degree. It won't replace a spine deformity surgeon for correcting more advanced deformity. There are many reasons for scoliosis and spine deformities, but I have also known patients who were seeing a therapist for regular work in helping their scoliosis who were getting some curvature correction. Problems of body alignment may also cause pain as you probably know. This is just physical therapy and stretching.
Here is our discussion where you can learn more.
Neuropathy - "Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
There is a provider search at http://mfrtherapists.com/
@srquser, you may also be interested in these discussions related to adult scoliosis https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/spine-health/
@srquser Hello! I hope you will get a second opinion. Unless there are other reasons why he thinks you shouldn’t have surgery. It is a tough surgery to heal from. Do you have someone who can help you out for a few months after your surgery?
Best Sherry
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1 ReactionRegarding a 2nd opinion - this was actually my 2nd opinion. Initially saw an Orthopedic surgeon who immediately said he'd schedule surgery, but better to try other things first. I did - with inconsistent results. But as of now, I'll sticj with these other things - I think I need to add massage to my list.
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1 ReactionI'm in early mid 70s and dealing with same L-3 thru S-1 scoliosis, stenosis, degenerative osteoarthritis. Spine specialist suggested 2 options to relieve varying extreme to moderate pain. Most extreme is fusing the 3 areas, but he suggested I try bilateral nerve ablation of facet joints and referred me to pain specialist. Insurance requires 2 "diagnostic block injections" to determine if successful (temporary relief only). I just had 2nd test last week and will be proceeding within a month with nerve ablations. Current use of Aleve, occasional codeine with acetaminophen and wear back support brace when on my feet a lot.
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