My Struggle With Scoliosis

Everyone is dealing with a battle we know nothing about. Whether it’s depression, grief, insomnia (which I have dealt with myself), or dealing with low self-esteem. Sometimes these struggles are obvious, but most of the time they’re invisible. It’s important not only to celebrate our wins but to also share the flipside: our low moments, failures, and what keeps us up at night (quite literally in my case). 

I was first diagnosed with scoliosis back when I was 16 years old when my mom noticed that something was off and my pants weren’t fitting straight on me. We consulted a General Practicioner, and he confirmed her suspicion. Afterwards, we consulted a surgeon, who said I’d be just fine and that I just needed to stay active. Unfortunately, in 2012 my back completely locked up. I was in excruciating pain; getting into my own car was a nightmare and for an entire weekend I couldn’t move.   

To this day, my left lower back is constantly in pain. So regular maintenance is a must. Professionally, it does take a toll on me, I have to take breaks from my desk, I do some stretches and get in some movement when I can. 

I see a trainer once a week and also an osteopath and massage therapist on a monthly basis. I spend a lot of time and money on keeping my symptoms at bay. I perform ELDOA exercises and myofascial stretches which are techniques created by a world renowned osteopath. These exercises and stretches are designed to increase the space within a joint to relieve pain. This improves posture, increases range of motion, and helps prevent injuries. Sometimes I use a heating pad to relieve the pain.

After suffering from insomnia, I also realized the importance of self-care. I meditate, practice yoga, and also take CBD/THC. These remedies helped with insomnia and even relieved some of the tension from scoliosis.  

Having any condition makes working difficult at times, and in Canada employers only provide an average of 5-6 sick days per year. When I was working for companies I never found it to be enough because life happens, we don’t feel well and unforeseen circumstances pop up. On top of that, employers don’t acknowledge the fact that some people suffer greatly from their periods and may require more sick days per month.

Some individuals also have invisible disabilities like diabetes, ADHD, arthritis, epilepsy, or like myself, chronic pain and fatigue. On top of that, many conditions have arisen due to the pandemic. All of these conditions and the implications of the pandemic should be taken into consideration and companies should be more flexible and understanding.  

I would say that getting diagnosed early on for scoliosis is crucial. The sooner you know something is off, the sooner you can start taking action to reduce symptoms. If only my pediatrician had noticed it when I was still growing, I’d be in a better position and my symptoms would be much less severe or nil.  Unfortunately, in North America we’re lacking when it comes to early scoliosis detection.

If you struggle with scoliosis, be diligent and consistent, stretch daily, walk, see a trainer, go to a professional like an osteopath, see what works and what doesn’t for you. If you work at a desk, make sure you get up every 30 minutes to stretch, grab some water or coffee, or just stand. It’s also important to keep extra weight off because that will just cause more strain on your back and body as a whole. Keep moving, and remember, you’re not alone!