Hello again,

As June is Scoliosis Awareness Month I thought I would write another blog post about it. I am more than just my curve, but my curve gives me a lot of pain. Therefore I have to be aware of my posture all the time. 

The problem with this is I’m too busy being aware of my surroundings as a Visually Impaired Person. So my curve is another element I must try hard to be aware of. It takes a lot of energy to be aware of you posture. However, it also takes a lot of energy to not be aware of it. 

The more you let it slide the more painful it becomes because you have tensed up and you have allowed your muscles to set and become tense. You start to hunch over, you hold yourself in a position which might be natural to you. But over time becomes uncomfortable. 

One of the reasons I am glad the lockdown has eased, is that I can now go for a sport massage. Some of you might not think this is reasonable. But when you are in pain and you’re taking tablets on a daily basis, you really need to consider the option of a sport massage. I chose to go for one as I knew I would be expected to go back to work and needed to feel as comfortable as possible. Which on top of all the Coronavirus stuff I also had to feel comfortable with my back. 

I had not been for a sport massage since early February, it is now June. Although I have not been in work since March, it does not mean I have been without pain. 

When I went the guy who does my sport massage did wear PPE, so it was as safe as it could be. He obviously washed his hands as soon as he came in. There was also hand gel for us to use, which we did. When we finished we went straight home and washed our hands. 

My back feels a lot better. My muscles feel soft. Where as before they were hard and tense. We have another appointment booked for a months time. The pain is still there. But I am able to now sit up straighter and lean to both sides better than I could before. 

Due to Coronavirus a lot of operations and hospital appointments have been put on hold. This means those waiting for their Scoliosis operations have had to wait too. Surgery is usually a last resort for a lot of us. The pain gets to be too much. When you have the surgery you are in so much pain afterwards. You’ve had two metal rods, known as Harrington Rods placed down either side of your spine and screwed together with your spine in the middle. This is done in an attempt to stop your curve getting worse and to correct the curve. 

Personally I’ve never had it done. However if you go to SAUK you will find a lot of info around the surgery and what comes afterwards. It’s scary and there can be complications. But the level of support you receive is immense. I have spoken to physios who’ve worked with those who’ve had it done and they tell you how difficult it will be, they don’t sugar coat it. But they also tell you that they will be there to help you get through it. 

Thank you for reading my blog and don’t forget to check out my other posts on Scoliosis. 

Twitter: @PhilippaB

Instagram: @VisuallyImpairedPip