Tag Archives: Back Pain

Scoliois and Chronic Pain

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One of the areas I frequently blog about is Scoliois because I am living in constant pain. The pain does vary day to day, but it is always there. 

At the moment I am sat in my comfy chair whilst trying to rest my back. I am wearing 3 layers, one if which is a long hoody which is quite fleecy. The chair has a throw over it so no cold air can get in where the arms of the chair are. I am considering putting my dressing gown on. Hang on…I have my dressing gown on now.

One of the problems I have mentioned before is the change in the weather causing me to have long periods of pain, mostly occurring more profoundly over the winter months.

I wish more people understood chronic pain.
I wish people understood that I take painkillers on a daily basis because that is a way for me to manage my pain.
I wish people understood that I do go to physio and I do have a sport massage to reset my muscles.
I wish people knew I can’t just get on with it without adapting my day to suit my pain.

Chronic pain will always be there no matter what I do. Also just because you have the operation done to correct a curved spine does not mean that the pain will go away. It will still be there in some form.

For those of you living with the impact of Chronic Pain, remember you are not alone. Your frustration and anger surrounding your pain is completely valid and I also know that hearing this does not make it any easier.

Knowing what can make it easier? I really don’t know.
This blog was just written because I am having a pain day and wanted to write about it. I wanted to share my thoughts to get them out there. Scoliosis is a difficult thing to live to live with. Especially when you were told as a teenager it wouldn’t get any worse and you probably don’t need the surgery…then when you’re in your twenties you’re told it is severe…. What are you left with? Anger… frustration… sadness…. But hay ho…. We carry on.

Thank you for reading my musings. 

Scoliosis Awareness Month Ouch

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Hello all,

Hope you are all well.

June is Scoliosis Awareness month and it true fashion my back has been hurting a lot more recently.

One of the things I need to do is get some more sport massages booked in. They are very beneficial to my back and mental health. The massages really release a lot of built up tension which causes me to be in pain.

The past few weeks I have been trying to do a few more different exercises on top of the normal stretches I have been given by my physio. The one which I am working on is arm and leg raises. It is quite difficult because I also have Dyspraxia so my balance is not the best. Doing these exercises helps with my back pain and helps my balance. So that’s two problems being addressed in one.

Doing the exercises in the long term will help to improve my core strength which will allow me to cary myself better. This will then mean I am using all my muscles, so that I am not over reliant on just the one side of my body.

In the short term it is causing me more me pain as I get used to my back having to work muscles it doesn’t normally, due to my scoliosis.

In the long term it will be better because the muscles are being used more and more. Helping me to stand up straighter, build strength in my shoulders and hips. I know it will be beneficial, it just really hurts.

The exercises along with the sport massages will help me to feel more comfortable, more relaxed and less tense. Reducing my pain and also improving my mental health.

Do you have Scoliosis or suspect someone may have it? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Go to your doctors and ask that they check to see if the person has it. The person will be asked to stand up as straight as they can, then asked to lean forwards. This will allow the Doctor to see if the spine has a curve or if the shoulders are not straight.

If you want to seek any advice then check out Scoliosis Association UK.

I am on Twitter @pbarraclough

Scoliosis

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Hello all,

I have decided this weeks post will be all about Scoliosis. Recently I have adjusted the exercises I do so I can try get a better balance, strengthen my core and shoulders. How exciting.

Doing physio exercises is very tiring. Normally when you go to a physio via the NHS you get exercises to do and they will, if necessary do a sport massage to release some of the tension. This is not normally the case though.

I do my exercises and then I have sport massages separately. Yes they are costly however I think it is really worth it. The sport massage releases the tension and helps you to start again. Then you can do the exercises to rebuild your strength and reset your muscles.

All of this does not stop my need to take painkillers on a daily basis. Right now for example, I am sat in my comfy chair but I have had to take pain killers. I am also wearing layers to keep my back muscles warm.

Scoliosis is very hard to live with and there is no cure. Even if you have the surgery you still have scoliosis. You still have days when you are in pain.

If you have any questions around scoliosis please feel free to drop a comment a below. Also check out SAUK.org.uk

Thank you for reading.
Twitter @PhilippaB

Scoliosis Awareness Month

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Hello all,

Sorry for the delay in posting something. I have had a very busy few weeks.

Seen as it is Scoliosis Awareness Month I thought I’d better talk about this. If you have checked out other pages on my blog or you are following me on Instagram/Twitter you will know I have a curved Spine, otherwise known as Scoliosis. 

I was diagnosed with Scoliosis when I was 13. At the time we were told it is pretty mild and I wouldn’t need to wear a brace. When I got to 16 we were told there was no need to have surgery to correct my spine so I went onto sixth form. The same thing happened when I was 18, I went onto university. We decided this as we were advised it wouldn’t get any worse. Obviously things can change and there are multiple factors involved.

Unfortunately as I got older the pain I was in got worse. Over the past few years I have been getting sport massages, alongside my physio. Thankfully the combination of Sport massages and physio, along with pain killers, has enabled me to reduce the amount of pain which I am in. Although it does not stop it all together. Everyday I am in some form of pain because of my back and it will be like this forever. 

I do low impact exercise, for example my cycling. 

If you suspect you or someone you know has a curve in their spine I would urge you to go to the doctors to get it checked out. If they are able to spot it early then you can have treatment to help. It’s also really important to work on your posture. For example, when I’m at work I try not to lean against the tables. It might feel comfortable in the short term. In the long term it is not. Right now while I am writing this I am having to remember to sit as straight as possible. As I try to do this it feels uncomfortable. It is the right thing to do for my posture. 

Back pain is more common than people realise. Be kind to yourself and take regular breaks to sit down, or have a walk around. Remember that it is not easy living with back pain and everyone is different. There are no quick fixes. The amount of pain someone is in takes its toll on your physical and mental health. So be kind and don’t tell someone with back pain ‘oh you should just….’ because they’ve probably already heard it. 

It has been months since I last went for a sports massage. I have messaged my physio and asked if they can fit me in. I have an appointment. The pain in my back is more prominent lately, I can feel it all down the right hand side. It is also in my neck. As well as the pain I also loose strength in my right shoulder. So opening doors is very tricky. I basically have to put my whole weight against the door to open it.

Really looking forward to my sorts massage. It will be a long time coming. The image below is one I drew a while ago, but did not wish to share. However, I now feel I want to. It was drawn on Procreate.

A hand drawn picture of a back to show a person with a curved Spine.

Thank you. 

While you’re here please check out my post on my fundraising, I am trying to raise £3k for The British Heart Foundation and The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. 

On Twitter: @PhilippapB

On Instagram: @VisuallyImpairedPip