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Showing posts from January, 2008

Scoliosis surgery and less recovery time?

I just read a post from Houston regarding a new technique for back surgery, I am glad that Scoliosis surgery is getting better as each year rolls on by, I just wish all this great technology was around when I needed my surgery :( -- New techniques for back surgery are getting kinder and gentler. But we've never had a kinder, gentler scoliosis surgery until now. How about a surgery with a six week recovery instead of six months? And having two inch incisions instead of one big one? It's rare to have something new for scoliosis. But the X-LIF is new and a blessing for Linda Jaynes. "I used to fall a lot because leaning forward I fell," she said. "It didn't matter whose house we would go to -- she would lie on the floor or on the couch," said Linda's husband Jerry. ABC13 have a movie for you to watch - Scoliosis surgery

Gardening and Scoliosis

Since feeling a lot better with myself I have started the gardening once again, I just love to be outside in the garden, trouble is, gardening is such hard work, especially when you see the weeds I am packing in my garden! Gardening knee pads are wonderful or I have found that an old sofa cushion is even better - thing is, I struggle to get up off the floor when I am using a cushion and this makes me ache even more, catch 22 scenario - yet again for someone who has Scoliosis. If I remember, I drag the cushion around but I find that leaning on one on my knees, which makes me part bent over, seems to be the most comfortable way for me to garden. Do you garden and find it hard work with Scoliosis? Tell me what you think :) Speak soon and have a good one

Curve Types Scoliosis

There is more than one type of curvature that can occur in people with Scoliosis, more often than not we think of a curved spine when we hear someone has Scoliosis. If you are diagnosed with scoliosis, your doctor will use x-rays to determine how great the curve in your spine is, and to determine what type of curve you have, you may also be given the Adam's Forward Bend Test which is another way of your Dr determining Scoliosis. If the normal rounding of your back is too great, then you have a condition known as kyphosis. The term kyphosis means that there is a “hyper” or excessive forward curvature in your thoracic spine. Your thoracic spine is the part of your spine that is located in your chest and connects to your ribs. The normal degrees range from 30 to 40 average. In scoliosis, the spine column is also different in the basic mechanics. If the curve in your lower back is too great, then you have a condition known as lordosis and many people who had surgery in the early 80'

Aches and Pains - Scoliosis

Since writing about my "Creaking Post Syndrome", we moved our bed into the 2nd bedroom, this means I no longer have to climb over the end of the bed to get in and out of bed. This teamed with the fact that we have damp issues with the house was really making me feel old every morning. Now that I am able to get out of bed in the normal manner, the pain has subsided and I feel great in the mornings again - I was getting concerned about this as I have had my Memory Foam Mattress for a few years and always felt really good in the mornings (my bed is my sanctuary) but when we moved house this seemed to change and at least now I know why the pain was coming in the morning - us Scoliotics don't need to be climbing over anything! My period is now on its way however, this means I will be in agony for at least a week and on my pain killers so that my life may continue - it is such a shame that us Scoliotics have to prepare for such occasions and worry about the time of the month,

Upright MRI Scans

FONAR have announced they are to provide upright MRI scans, this breakthrough could end Breast Cancer in later life which can be caused from overexposure to spine X-Rays. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) Report shows a 70% higher risk of breast cancer for women with scoliosis. The NCI report says, "Researchers have found that women with scoliosis, or abnormal curvature of the spine, who were exposed to multiple diagnostic X-rays during childhood and adolescence may be at increased risk of dying of breast cancer.... The 5,466 women in the study, who received an average of 24.7 X-rays, were found to have a 70% higher risk of breast cancer than women in the general population." The report goes on to say that "although radiation exposures to breast tissue are much lower today than during the time period covered by this study, they are not insignificant." Raymond Damadian, M.D., president and founder of FONAR, said, "I'm delighted to announce our invention for

The Creaking Post Syndrome

Yup, that's me, I sound like a creaking gate in the mornings so I decided to create a syndrome, there are so many popping up these days, I thought "why not create my own", Drs don't seem that bothered with our pains and aches - according to them Scoliosis doesn't cause pain - laughable really! I think I have some kind of arthritis in my Facet Joints, I have always had problems in my facet joints since surgery, however, I did not know this until I got hold of my medical notes - they failed to tell me - oh how great! Not sure if you have noticed, I am feeling slightly sarcastic today, I think it is because of my "creaking gate syndrome", I am fed up with getting up every morning feeling achy and having pain and then having to smile and pretend everything is A OK.

Is the damp making my Scoliosis pain worse?

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope your New Year was a good one and may 2008 be a good year for you. I had to stay in on New Year's Eve, the first time ever! I got up New Year's Eve morning and struggled to walk, I got better as the day went on but we all decided that I should stay home and not stand all night in the square - I was gutted to be honest for the first time in 31 years I have stayed in on New Year and my Scoliosis was the cause of this - part of my overcompensation syndrome is not missing out!!!!!!! We had friends over for dinner and we cooked lamb for 6 people and that was very nice, at least we had some entertainment, we played games for a few hours until midnight came and the clock started to strike - in Spain we eat a grape per each clock dong and drink champagne, we eat 12 grapes and then sing hehehe It got me thinking this morning when I got up, the house we have moved into has some damp problems in the bedroom and the rooms are very cold - I know damp can