See what the community has created for Scoliosis Awareness Month!
Scoliosis Stories
Ava M.
"My scoliosis journey began in 2019 when I was 14 years old. When I went for an annual checkup, my pediatrician told me I had scoliosis after he had me do the forward bend test. I went for an x-ray and that evening the doctor called my parents to tell them that my scoliosis was worse than he thought. My curve was 36 degrees. When my parents asked how we did not know this, the pediatrician shared that he may have noticed it during the prior year's exam but did not say anything since he thought the curve was mild. We were so surprised, especially because I never had any scoliosis related pain.
My pediatrician referred us to a pediatric orthopedic clinic. The outlook did not look too good. My parents did a lot of research and decided to get care from a scoliosis clinic whose program focused on a non-invasive treatment approach to reduce the curve. We hoped we could avoid surgery.
I started with a 2 week intensive program at the scoliosis clinic. It was a lot of hard work, pain and discomfort for the first few weeks. I learned exercises, had equipment customized for my curve and a back brace was made. I had a rigid exercise program and wore my brace for 23 hours a day to stop the progression of the curve.
This journey had not been an easy one, but it was definitely worth it! I am now 17 years old and have worn my brace for 3.5 years. I am beginning the weaning process as my curve is now 17 degrees. I wear my brace for 10 hours a day and will continue for another 9-12 months. I am so happy I no longer have to wear my brace to school.
During my scoliosis journey, I felt alone and sometimes scared. I have created a series of videos with some practical tips and tricks with the hope of helping others with scoliosis as they learn what to expect when wearing a scoliosis brace. I am not providing medical advice and am not a doctor, just a teen with scoliosis. I created Embrace the Brace to help other kids and teens know they are not alone. I wish to provide comfort in knowing there's another teen with scoliosis out there for you!"
Adiesh Sood
"I got diagnosed with scoliosis at an age too young for me to even remember. It was just like I woke up one day for my swimming lessons, my mother glanced upon the curve on my back, and that's that. The next thing that comes to my mind was the doctor examining my spine and studying x-rays.
I was lucky enough to be diagnosed early with a lesser curvature (22° Cobb angle), so I did not need a brace. Rather, my spine curve improved with physiotherapy and caution. At first it was stressful to think about it again and again, but the determination to correct my posture was all it took to reduce my curve to 15° or less, making it hardly detectable with no hindrance to my day-to-day tasks.
It was through this period that I educated myself and others with scoliosis and decided to help spread awareness. Currently, I am working on a research project regarding scoliosis and its early diagnosis. Scoliosis is a deformity where the spine curve can be reduced if detected at an early phase and correct treatments are implemented."
Awareness Videos
Video #1 by Sadhya Bisht
Awareness Posters
Poster #1 by Jaida Glazier
References:
Scoliosis. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Scoliosis. Accessed June 2023.
Scoliosis. Total Spine & Brain Institute. https://totalspinebrain.com/scoliosis/. Accessed June 2023.
Background image adapted from Pinterest
Poster #2 by Mariam Fathima Mohammed
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