Category: Health and Wellness
Three or four years ago, I went to the doctor and they wanted to take an x-ray of my back. They found that I had, and still have, a mild case of scoleosis. (If I misspelled that word, will someone correct me?) Anyway, this is because I have been slouching for so long. Can anyone give me advice on what to do so I don't wind up needing back surgery, or a brace? I'd like to reverse this, if that's possible.
You could do worse than ask for physio though I thought that would have been mentioned to you anyway.
Just be really mindful of your posture. Sit straight, no slouching. Believe me, it's difficult, I know. I slouch, too. But eventually, it does become unconscious, after you work on it for awhile. There are also exercises you can do to strengthen your back muscles, which is important, because your muscles can really pull your bones out of whack. You might want to check with your doctors about that. And speaking of doctors, have you ever considered going to a chiropractor? If you do, I'd recommend one who uses the activator method, but that's just me. I was horribly skeptical of chiropractic when I first started it, but I think it helps.
I was going to mention a chiropractor, too. A chiropractor will give you alignments, which will help keep your spine straight, and intact. I also suggest looking into learning certain kinds of back stretches. These stretches will help with posture, strength the bakc muscles, as well as keeping you flexible. As mentioned, just try to be very aware of how you sit, stand, etc. Once you get used to paying attention, and you notice how you feel when you do certain things, it'll start to come naturally. I went to school to be a massage therapist, and posture is a huge importance. I always tried to keep good posture, even before I went to the school, but being in the massage therapy classes helped me to learn to focus on it even more, and now, like I said, it just comes naturally. Speaking of massage, you may also want to give that a try. It'll definitely help you to relax, and massage focuses on your body's tissues, muscles, etc., so that may help you as well. A lot of massage therapist know some stretches that they can use on you, and they can also show you some that you can do on your own. You might also want to look into yoga. Yoga is also great for flexibility, posture, etc.
BTW, the correct spelling is scoliosis (s c o l i o s i s.)
Sounds painful, but I'll try it. By painful, I mean the back stretches.
No no, the bakc stretches aren't painful at all. In fact, they feel wonderful.
Massage will help with muscle pain, and LeAnn's right, most of the time, back stretches are not painful. So if they are, you should really get into a chiropractor, or a regular doctor if you prefer, because something more serious could be going on there.
Point well taken. I'll make mention of that next time I have a physical.
I just found out that I have a bad muscle strain do to enjuring my self in gym class seven years ago. I am now taking classes for massage therapy and my teacher told me that I am in lots of pain because I am not sitting up straight like I should so that is pulling my muscles out of line and causing muscle tenchen wich is causin the pain that I am in. even my norologist said that he thinks that my pain is caused by muscle tenchen so I am hoping to learn how to change my posture while I am in school for massage
I read somewhere, that scoliosis isn't caused by slouching or bedding. *shrugs.
I have to go Monday and get my back x-rayed for scoliosis. Doc doesn't know if I've got it or not.
I've been trying to mind my posture, but it's difficult.
So, what's it caused by?
Ok, i'll apologise at the outset if I start talking medical jargon. Here's my take on it as a physiotherapist.
Scoliosis has a few different causes. Some people have it genetically, others develop it in the adolescent growth spurt. Here, the skeleton grows faster than the muscles. If you imagine muscles like big pieces of elastic band, you can appreciate that, when stretched, as they would be by a quickly growing skeleton, the band will pull the bones out of line, causing, among other things, scoliosis. Scoliosis is quite common, believe it or not, and affects girls more than boys. Unless it causes pain or an inability to function properly, it's not an issue.
Chiropractors are good, but they need to be used in conjunction with muscle exercises. A chiropractor will pop your bones back into line, but it's the muscles which hold the skeleton in place. So, if the musculature isn't changed, the problem will reoccur.
Here's a trick for helping yourself sit up straight. Take a large towel and roll it up. Sitting on a chair with a solid back (or at least one that doesn't have one of those stupid holes at the lower back area) slot the roll length ways behind your back. On your lower back, just about the level of the top of your hip bones, you should feel a curve which goes inward towards your stomach (this is easier to feel when you're standing up). When you sit, the roll should sit into this curve. Push your bum right back in the chair so that the roll is pressed firmly against your back. This is surprisingly comfortable, and will help you sit up straight.
Unless you're in severe pain, or are very mindful of the way the scoliosis makes you look, I wouldn't recommend having any operations. They carry all sorts of risks, for example, the 1 in 1000 chance of lower limb paralysis. They can have huge implications during pregnancy, and having rods inserted means that, should you ever need it, electrotherapy won't be possible in your back.
Try Bowen therapy. This is now recognised in UK hospitals, and can assure you from personal experience, that it is effective and well worth looking at. It addresses the whole body rather than just muscles or bones.
Hope this helps, and sorry for the length of the post.
i have very very mild scoliosis, but one thing that i find t is that when i sit with a pillow in the back of my chair, it helps me be straight because, i feel comfortable.
because if i sit in those woden chairs with the backs that are very hard, i get pain on my ribs, not my spine. and surprisingly, i never had backpain.
You could also do worse than going to see a reflexologist. I did just that when we were on holiday in Okehampton, Devon, at the Mannor House hotel, where they offer, oo, all kinds of sports, crafts and even pampering treatments, so I got an appointment with the reflexologist, who told me among other things, I could have a problem with my neck. Now, I'm naughty, I'm one of those idiots who's never sat up properly on a kitchen chair, swivel chair, front passenger seat or back passenger seat in a car or mini bus.
Don't ask me why, I just felt a lot more comfortable leaning back all the time, so that's now resulted in my neck becoming quite stiff and hurting quite a bit if I remain in a slouching posission for a considerable length of time. People have also told me off for putting my head down and they tell me "book on head" if I drop my head, which also can't be doing my neck much good.
Jen.
I have been slouching for as long as i can remember. i don't think any amount of time spent trying to sit a bit straighter, will help my back.
Actually, it will. You'd be very surprised. It's better to start later rather than never. If you don't start now, then you'll be in big trouble within a couple of years.
Well, here I am a couple of years later. doing a little bit better but I still can't sit up straight for extended periods of time.
all the suggestions here are great ones. i have a couple to add.
i have severe scoliosis which is why i have one leg shorter then the other. i have found a lot of help from physical therapy. learning to do the excercises for my back has caused a lot of improvement in my quality of life.
keeping my weight under control is another issue. the lighter on our feet that we are the better it is for the back.