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I bought this one for a friend. It's absolutely massive and was as tall as her. She loved it and it looked stuffed enough to support her limbs.
My lumbar discs are completely wrecked so I can't sit down straight anymore at all. I only use a recliner, or a standing desk. If I have to sit down straight (small periods driving, offices, etc.) I use one of these cushions which helps a bit: https://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Comfort-Gel-Seat-Cushion/dp/B07JP3B5VL
I just recently asked a question here about shoulder blade sensitivity two years post-op and it seems like the strange sensitivities do last for a while + leave permanent numb regions. I remember it still hurt badly for anyone to touch mine when I was around 3 months out too. It should start calming down
I also had lasting issues with laying back in bed. Again, I'm pretty sure it died down shortly after three months (the meds I was on killed my long-term memory of the recovery so I don't have a perfect recollection of when things happened). I slept on these pillows (Amazon link) for a long time and found they helped me lay back to sleep without injuring myself. They're expensive but saved me a lot of pain during the recovery period, and I still use them nowadays during bad pain days.
Scoliosis is all about imbalance. So you need to balance things up. One of the ways to do this is to do yoga, but not just a generic yoga. You need to figure out exactly what kind of scoliosis (where is the curve? how many curves present?) and then figure out how to address the muscular imbalance. Ideally, a highly qualified PT or a yoga therapist could help you do this. But if you can't find these professionals near you, then I highly recommend the book "Yoga for Scoliosis" by Elise Browning Miller. The author is so so knowledgeable and she also has a class recorded on DVD. https://smile.amazon.com/Yoga-Scoliosis-Path-Students-Teachers/dp/0996496300/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2OY1PMYMABG84&keywords=yoga+for+scoliosis&qid=1670479632&sprefix=yoga+for+scolio%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-3
Gotcha, What is the difference between rotating and twisting?
One more question, Its easy to identify curving on an x ray but how would you identify twisting or rotating? I thought it would show up on a side view but I don't see notice anything (maybe this is just a bad example) https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=8B18AEF0DB7575E5!12077&authkey=!APN3oMIVW3EKJfA&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg
Hiyaaaa I have a C-curve thats about the same size as yours (mine is lumbar). I have never been told by any doctors or medical professionals that I cannot lift. however, depending on your curve you may need to modify what you can and can’t do - like there are certain exercises / positions that are not the best for our scoliosis. I found this book quite helpful for learning which ones.
I would recommend seeking out a personal trainer if you can, who is willing to work with your scoliosis and can check your form etc. I am about to start with one next month - I gave her my medical history and showed her my X rays and she’s been able to advise me of a training programme that makes sense for my curve (focusing on core and glutes, more pulling motions rather than pushing, front loading rather than loading directly on my back).
Weight training helps you build muscle and strong bones to support your back. It’s a great thing to do for your scoliosis but put in the effort to learn how to do it right. Best of luck!
A few months ago I purchased the AlignMed compression shirt. It is quite expensive at $100, but it has really helped relieve my back and neck pain. It basically forces your shoulders back and makes you have good posture by providing resistance at the shoulders. When I don’t wear the shirt I’m in a lot of pain. It definitely helps.
ALIGNMED Posture Shirt Pullover (White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R8KA8YS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6F3R9P054D5GKX49WB9C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Lofe Organic Buckwheat Pillow for Sleeping - Small Travel Size14x20(13x18 After Filled), Adjustable Loft, Breathable for Cool Sleep, Cervical Support for Back and Side Sleepers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089VSTMJH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZCSMASMB2KXPZB12NGVN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Yes I got you! This is the one I have. It’s v important you get one that grabs you at your waist instead of your feet. It’s more of a stretch and allows your spine to stretch and decompress.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSOSEA/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_8TQ0J0BJ34JGDM8S27SF
I have a memory foam sciatic cushion: https://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-Comforts-Cushions-Support-Tailbone/dp/B01IM5CFZM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=38OGKXC6QNCF7&keywords=sciatica+pain+relief+pillow&qid=1645679171&sprefix=scia%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5j...
I also have a memory foam body pillow that is wonderful, and I use another regular size to support my back since I can only lay on my side.
A $250 range unit from Amazon is what I got on sale around 8 years ago. It came with a heated massaging bar that had different pulse patterns, like left/right. I burned that thing up just from using it too much everywhere else, while sitting, etc. D'oh.
It looks like they've updated the foot release handle to you can reach it easier. That's nice actually. Those rubber ankle holders are pretty comfortable. Other tables I'm seeing shoulder bars that might be for extra heavy ppl to not pull their hips out of socket, lol. I've hung by one leg at times to get to a bad kink but I max out at 160 at most. Gotta stay lithe, right. Heh heh. Inverted stretches really are something else.
Oh, and you tune the table personally for your balance point/height. It takes no effort to revert to vertical once you set the feet-to-pivot distance for your height. I need to lift my arms to rotate through the stepped angles with that pin on the side. The headrushes can take time to get used to but you can come up slowly(or do a quick bong hit/cbd vape then go right back to stretching, haha).
There's also seated inversion tables. Those strap across your thighs as well as your feet.
I have a more severe case than you, OP, and what I’ve found in this book helps me out a ton. Obviously I can’t do every stretch but there are several that help bring relief. Maybe you’ll find something that will work for you…
I agree with the suggestions of a standing desk. Being able to move while you work will help a lot.
For chairs - I bought this guy a few months ago and I adore it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VYQY3H7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My curve is less than yours - an s curved back with twisted hips. It's not bad enough to warrant surgery but large enough to give me migraines and dibilitating back/shoulder/neck pain if I don't watch how I sit, stand, move, etc. So I don't know if it will work for a larger curve like yours, but I feel like I have to tell everyone with back pain about this chair because it has helped so much with mine. I keep the lumbar pillow free floating and not attached. The side bumpers hold it in place and make it easy to move frequently which is what I usually need to stay comfy. And the footrest is great when I'm gaming.
You can download the complete functional patterns online 10 week course completely free from here.
https://idope.se/torrent/functional%20patterns/3a4d39410508d214a0111f3defe0da3717bc9484/
Don't worry if there is no active seeds. Just hang on for a week. Seeds appears every week during the day US time.
I was diagnosed at 6 (now 32f) and by the time I was 12 my curves had crushed my lungs very severely which made it hard to breathe. My scoliosis progressed into kypho-scoliosis and the ‘crankshaft phenomenon’ which is like a spiral. I had ribs removed on my right side to help with my breathing and was on Oxygen for a few weeks after surgery. I also used the incentive spirometer like this and the one mentioned above to improve lung function and recover. My lung function these days is about 50% of what it should be and I take numerous inhalers and tablets to maintain what lung function I have. In winter I often suffer with bronchitis or occasionally pneumonia and usually need a nebuliser as I don’t have the strength in my lungs to fight it as much as the next healthy person. I have had 11 spinal surgeries at this point and live a very full and active life despite the above :-)
My lungs both collapsed when I had spinal fusion surgery, so I had to use a breathing device similar to this to practice deep breaths as part of my recovery. My scoliosis has not otherwise affected my breathing to my knowledge.
I will be honest. I never had difficulties but the hospital made me buy a sock and shoe assist before I left. I got this one. I was able to get reimbursed from insurance though your insurance company will send you one of the surgeon writes a script for it. I didn’t want to wait as my surgeon was willing to send me home after multiple surgeries on day two. The only time the hospital insisted was the last surgery. I had to show the purchase receipt and I sent it to my 103 grandma.
AHIER Sock Aid, Flexible Sock Aid Kit with Shoe Horn, Socks Helper Sock Puller Aid Easy On and Off, Sock Aid Assist with Foam & Shoe Horn Long Handle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L4S1NNZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_PHZCAJ9PA0MEN9EQ365Q
The reason it is safe for your thoracic spine is because it has ribs that can more evenly displace the weight of your upper body while balancing on the roller. The lumbar by contrast does not have ribs, so rolling on your low back would mean concentrating your entire upper bodyweight on the spinous process of the lumbar vertebrae. If you want to stretch out the lumbar a safe way to do it would be to buy a half moon pillow, position it under you lumbar, and perform bridges on top of it.
And I really suggest this one, staying sane with chronic pain, it helped me immensely because no one teaches you how to cope with pain and ptsd from it every day. Every hour. It’s seems impossible but you can do it, I always feel so much pain when I see posts like this because I truly, truly know. I’m here if you need anything. I hope you feel better ASAP
https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Sane-Chronic-Pain-Niall-ebook/dp/B00B9C7YUW
Get him a white noise machine for sleep which will distract his brain from focusing on the brace (routine very important). I highly recommend this one:
Remind him that surgery requires spinal fusion/pins which means you can't bend over or twist that part of the spine, so that may be an incentive. Also, doctors are extremely hesitant to give scoliosis surgery nowaday unless it's extremely severe, so surgery, unless you were told otherwise, is surprisingly rare.That being said I've visited some of the top spinal surgeons and they agreed that the back brace isn't very effective regardless if you wear it all day or limited.
Second a hybrid mattress! I tested out the firmness I liked in a Mattress Firm and tried my luck on Amazon. I ended up buying this and it’s been really good!
King Mattress, Sweetnight 12 Inch Soft Pillow Top... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WK5XMZW/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_R08A0B4A3X4BQVHJDNAS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I purchased this one 2 years ago and would buy it again and again.. love it!
Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layer Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper Enhanced Support, Queen https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00CEMH3C0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_MQVMW0CAYPY10KYCDVX5
Hi! You are not alone! I also have scoliosis and have horrible headaches, vertigo, nausea. Your left side is most likely your stronger side, so your muscles are compensating for that balance, resulting in overworked muscles and tension...which could be the cause of your headaches. I have 4 curve, it starts in the lower sacrum/pelvis. Do you know what kind of scoliosis you have? Three or four curve? This book has been a godsend for me: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Dimensional-Treatment-Scoliosis-Physiotherapeutic-Deformities/dp/0914959026. I have been doing self therapy- I am a classically trained dance and yoga instructor, so my background helps with the somewhat challenging reading. I highly recommend working with a therapist, but I know how hard that is during this pandemic. As a prerequisite, it is important to know exactly what you have. I would recommend starting with the foot exercises mentioned in the book. Once I am done rehabbing, it is my mission to help as many scoliotic humans as I can. I am here if you have any questions or just need someone to vent to! You are young and capable of healing! Don’t give up.
I grabbed one of these (not this exact model but something similar) on Amazon and taking a bath is no longer painful. Also some bath salts might help!
I used a shower seat in a standard tub and it worked fine. Additionally, when I did feel stronger to bathe again I got a suction cup hand rail. I used this thing for about a year. It's essential for getting up and out. Worth its weight in gold if your mom is a bather.
Here is a link to one with an arm flap! This brand has several styles and should give you a good idea of what to look for. I think this is one of the brands my orthotist gave me when I started out. Initially it’s definitely a learning curve but eventually she’ll figure out what works for her and what doesn’t. And feel free to PM if you have other little questions. I was braced for five years and am happy to offer what advice I can.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHJR5W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_cDcSFbDQG4Q7C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I bought a bunch of these when my daughter got her brace. They're stretchy and seamless so they lay flat on her skin. They also are pretty decent at moisture wicking but not very breathable. My co-mom bought some bamboo material tanks that Little Miss loves cause they're super soft, but they bunch under the brace. It's a trade off.
Really the most important thing is that they change it every day (seems obvious, right? 🙄).
Sure ... he purchased it on Amazon and I believe this is the one.
As mentioned, he wears it for a very short time (per the instructions) to get a feeling of proper posture. Of course it needs to be followed up and sustained by daily practice when not wearing it (& therein lies the challenge)
Best
Pillows galore! I ordered a pillow from amazon that was a "wedge" pillow, and it was a true blessing for when I had to transition from a inclined hospital bed to a flat sleeping bed. Make sure you set up where you'll be at home before hand, so that when you get there after surgery you can lay / sit down comfortably immediately.
Be sure to have a system for how you be taking your pain medication when you're home. Often times, you need to be up at odd hours to take doses. And you have to write down times and dosages of everything. Knowing this beforehand would have been awesome so I could have planned it out, made a better system. We ended up having a piece of graph paper that organized when and how much medicine I took.
Good luck on your surgery, hope all goes smoothly and that you'll be feeling good soon!
Please do not use affiliate links in comments here. If you edit your comment to have only a regular link to the product I will be happy to approve your comment since it is otherwise a good reply.
I'm actually not 100% sure this is an affiliate link, but it got reported and from what I can tell all Amazon links with &tag= are affiliate links. If it's not an affiliate link my bad, just delete everything after /dp/B009I18M5M/ and I'll approve it.
Great persistence; glad to see it pay off!
When you say that you’re doing rows, do you mean with a machine like this?
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 Magnetic Rowing Machine Rower w/LCD Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017HSNIEW
Thank you!
No problem! I'm glad I could help. Even though it can work well on it's own, I think the reason why the Theracane works so well for me is because I keep up with all of my other pain management stuff alongside it, so don't forget to keep up with that stuff too! :)
I actually forgot to add this to my post, but I have a specific way I've learned to carry it that makes it as concealed as possible and comfortable to carry.
If you hold the end pointed at by the blue arrow with your hand, and then tuck the "handle" pointed at by the red arrow in your armpit, it's mostly hidden by your body, the only part that is "sticking out" is the handle closest to the curve, and you can still walk normally while holding it. It makes it really easy to subconsciously carry it around without even noticing it yourself, and because you're walking normally and it's mostly hidden, people usually don't notice it, unless the unusual green color catches their eye.
Just a small thing, and it may seem really obvious to carry it that way, but it took me way too long to figure that out xD
EDIT: Also, there's a blue one that looks identical to the one I use, but I haven't used this one personally so I can't vouch for it's quality.
I find some chair shirt my tail bone and no matter how I adjust them, they make me sit wrong. This was the case with my last in-office office chair. Airplane seats also hurt my tail bone. I got a seat cushion with a tail bone cut out and kind of a wedge to it and it helped a lot for my office chair. I’ll the one I got below but there are a lot of different ones out there.
Everlasting Comfort Car Seat Cushion - Truck Seat Cushion - Wedge Cushion - Body Heat Responsive - Orthopedic U Cut-Out Design to Relieve Pain https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B075DRS4C9/
It might also help you to get a lumbar pillow for more support. I hope your able to find something that works!
My left leg is shorter than my right and shoe lifts have made a massive difference in my pain. So i definitely suggest looking into these. Even a slight difference can be causing you a lot of pain. You can get those shoe insoles and just wear one in the shoe of your shorter leg.
Something simple like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQJDQFF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_p8fmFb71V575N
I've been unable to find stretches or yoga that helps reduce my pain, (I have more shoulder and lower left back pain than anything else) but I know it helps a lot of other people with pain management, so I'd definitely give the other commentor's suggestions a try.
This isn't exactly what you're asking for- but if you're looking for things to try alongside stretches and exercises, I'd strongly suggest a Theracane (This is the one I own, but there's several versions) and/or any massage ball. As long as you can push through the pain of working on the muscles yourself, I use these on a daily basis and they have been the best and most inexpensive additions to my pain management routine. I know this isn't what you posted looking for, but I just like to share these with anybody looking for pain management options because they have been life savers for me.
Good luck! :)
Gaming chairs, I've heard mixed things about. I for sure want to purchase one in the future to try them out to see if what people say is true or not.
This is the chair I own but I wish it had more padding in the seat. It's not a gaming chair obviously but I've usually good for about 4-5 hours before I need to get up. I have the back tilted a little bit as that's more comfortable with my rods but it keeps my posture in check for sure since I am still able to slouch.
It's really hard to find something without sitting down in them for a bit :\ Everything in stores was pricey or that 'executive' style which I've only heard negative things about for the back.
Not sure your age/job status, but if you're an office worker ditch your chair for something that lets you move around during the day. I've used various exercise balls, wobble stools, and currently am loving this weirdo ergoergo chair thing. You do have to think about sitting up straight (look up desk ergonomic posture) but IMO these chairs make that easier.
The other suggestions you've already gotten (yoga, core strength, chiropractic, and massage) are what helps me as well.
I'm 29 years old with a 27 degree curve. I did 8 years in the military(as a mechanic) with no problems. Every doctor I have ever talked to has told me that surgery is a last resort, so I've never considered it. For lower back pain, I attacked it by systematically removing things that are bad for my back from my life.
You seem to lead an active lifestyle, so you're already on the right path. Sitting around while only aggravate your lower back, but I assume you do not have this problem :). I sleep on a firm mattress and I do simple stretches at home before going to work and before bed. I've used this book since I was 16 years old (the book is obviously advertised for women, but the stretches in the book are invaluable and not gender specific) and found 5-6 good stretches that relieves "pressure" or weird pains that I get around my back. The relief lasts for about 1 day. It's no cure, but it's made this manageable. [Back Care Basics]http://www.amazon.com/Back-Care-Basics-Doctors-Program/dp/0962713821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456860510&sr=8-1&keywords=back+care+basics) edit my bad wrong link it's fixed now. The book used is less than a dollar. Sitting in a chair all day also aggravates the lower back, so that's something you might wanna look at if you have this issue.
As far as chiropractors goes, it's a love-hate thing. I've been to about 7 so far, and your curve isn't going to be reduced by their "adjustments". However, I do find that the physical stuff they do does relieve my pain and tension in my back temporarily, but don't be fooled into thinking that they have cured you. If they are 100% honest with you and what they can provide to relieve your pain, I don't think they are as bad as people make them out to be.