Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Physical Therapy?
I did a little bit of PT (2-3 month...) for my back just after I got the brace. Now, I have stopped. However, I have noticed that whenever I am not wearing the brace my back hurts really bad. Here is my explanation: when my brace is on, my back does not have to work very hard because the brace is doing all the work. Those muscles go to "sleep". Now when the brace is off, those "sleeping muscles" have to wake up and go back to work but do not have the strength to do this because they are never working. Problem. 

For example, during WWII women stopped wearing their corsets because the United States Government needed all the metal they could get for planes, guns, etc (there was medal "bracing" in the corset that held you up and sucked everything in). When women stopped wearing their corsets, their backs went to mush because they had NO back muscles. could this be happening to me?? (yikes!) 

Do you/anyone you know with a brace participate in PT? If so, is it exercises or something other?

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Bad Brace Days...
All you who have to wear a brace...do you have bad brace days?  Some days stink, some days are OK. On the bad brace days, what do you do?

Friday, June 1, 2012

My Scoliosis Story
Summer of 2011 I went to my yearly well-child-care checkup. You know how they have you bend over and touch your toes? I did and my Dr noticed one side of my back was higher than the other side. She estimated about a 6 degree curve (hmmmm...) and sent me in for x-rays just to be sure. My lumbar (lower) spine had about a 25ish degree curve and thoracic (top) was about 23 degrees. 

They sent me in to be fitted for a brace (I was NOT happy with anyone that day) and it arrived 2 weeks later. So I have to wear it 20/24 hours a day. Those four hours without it is usually the best part of my day.

I would love to hear other girls' stories...There are not many people with this "condition", I would love to hear from someone who gets it :)