Hello, I had scoliosis surgery 6 yrs ago. I had a straight spine as a young person. Mine developed with degenerative disc disease. I am in terrible pain. At the top of where the metal starts. I have continued to need steroid injections / nerve blocks. The Drs don't give narcotics because of the opiod crisis. I rest, ice , heat help.
i was close to the age of 17 (2003) when i had my scoliosis surgery. i am now 31 years old (2017). i have 2 14" Harrington rods, and roughly 15-20 screws. i am fused from T-1/L-3.
I had a lot of pain after the surgery for several years. most of my pain was within my right shoulder blade area. the pain felt like pulling on hair, as if my muscles were caught on something, even though i had x-rays showing that my rods and screws were still in place. i continued to see my chiropractor after i had my surgery. he had me do hydrotherapy, electric stem therapy, massage therapy, and he would even do some corrections with joints that were still mobile.
the pain would get so bad i had to take narcotics just to be able to sleep at night. the muscles in my back were so tense that moving my arm or even breathing became extremely painful and difficult.
my surgeon was a pediatric surgeron in new orleans, and once i turned 18, i could no longer see him. they stopped putting patients into a physical therapy program after surgery some time before i ever needed to have it.
i tried to put myself through a normal workout routine. i even took muscle relaxers. nothing was helping.
7 years later, i found a doctor in houston texas that wanted to try putting me into physcial therapy. i did this for about 6 months and when i wasn't seeing any results, he wanted to try trigger point injections. i had my first round of 7 injections in 2010. even though the side effects were pretty awful, i started to feel relief for the first time. i went back for a second round a year later on my left side. and then again a year later on my right. i haven't needed these injections in almost 5 years.
however within the last 8 years, or so, i have started to develop problems with my neck. my neck would get so stiff and so tight that at times, all it took was moving it normally and it would get stuck and i wouldn't be able to move it at all. last year (2016) i finally had an MRI done on my neck and it showed that my C-7 was rubbing on another vertebra and causing bone spurs. i saw a neurosurgeon for this but told me i wouldn't need surgery and put my back into physical therapy.
i continue doing PT at home now but i still have a great deal of stiffness in my neck and shoulders. at times the pain feels like a heaviness/dullness. as if my neck is tired of holding my own head up.
i'm not really sure where to go from here because i've been on a long road of, what feels like, never ending pain for the last 14 years. if anyone finds any solution that will work, i'm open for suggestions.
otherwise, it's just ice packs and resistance bands. i refuse to continue taking prescription medication.
i also used to love to run but my first PT told me i had to give up running because there was too much impact on my back.
I had a lot of pain after the surgery for several years. most of my pain was within my right shoulder blade area. the pain felt like pulling on hair, as if my muscles were caught on something, even though i had x-rays showing that my rods and screws were still in place. i continued to see my chiropractor after i had my surgery. he had me do hydrotherapy, electric stem therapy, massage therapy, and he would even do some corrections with joints that were still mobile.
the pain would get so bad i had to take narcotics just to be able to sleep at night. the muscles in my back were so tense that moving my arm or even breathing became extremely painful and difficult.
my surgeon was a pediatric surgeron in new orleans, and once i turned 18, i could no longer see him. they stopped putting patients into a physical therapy program after surgery some time before i ever needed to have it.
i tried to put myself through a normal workout routine. i even took muscle relaxers. nothing was helping.
7 years later, i found a doctor in houston texas that wanted to try putting me into physcial therapy. i did this for about 6 months and when i wasn't seeing any results, he wanted to try trigger point injections. i had my first round of 7 injections in 2010. even though the side effects were pretty awful, i started to feel relief for the first time. i went back for a second round a year later on my left side. and then again a year later on my right. i haven't needed these injections in almost 5 years.
however within the last 8 years, or so, i have started to develop problems with my neck. my neck would get so stiff and so tight that at times, all it took was moving it normally and it would get stuck and i wouldn't be able to move it at all. last year (2016) i finally had an MRI done on my neck and it showed that my C-7 was rubbing on another vertebra and causing bone spurs. i saw a neurosurgeon for this but told me i wouldn't need surgery and put my back into physical therapy.
i continue doing PT at home now but i still have a great deal of stiffness in my neck and shoulders. at times the pain feels like a heaviness/dullness. as if my neck is tired of holding my own head up.
i'm not really sure where to go from here because i've been on a long road of, what feels like, never ending pain for the last 14 years. if anyone finds any solution that will work, i'm open for suggestions.
otherwise, it's just ice packs and resistance bands. i refuse to continue taking prescription medication.
i also used to love to run but my first PT told me i had to give up running because there was too much impact on my back.
I’m experiencing the same thing just now after having my operation 5 years ago when I was 13. I don’t know what triggers it but I always get it when I’m run down, stressed or hungover. My surgeon did say to me that it would take a lot of time for the muscles in the lower back to recover but I have only started getting this pain in the past year or so
I too had two 12 inch rods put in my back and now have the same pain especially at night when I lay down. There are lidocaine patches that can be prescribed and an over the counter pain reliever that helps take the edge off called asper cream with lidocaine. There are pain management doctors that can help but I have not found any cures. Lidocaine patches are the best. Worse pain I have ever had.
I had the same surgery 14 years ago. Since then I have experienced upper back pain, at times so bad that I can only go to bed. Over the years Ive taken a lot of time to figure out what exactly was wrong and how I could alleviate some of my suffering. I have a knot in my right rhomboid major due to muscle trauma. When you body undergoes such a major procedure sometimes the body doesn't heal right and that one spot is basically dead tissue that doesn't get any oxygen. The only thing that would help is rubbing the knot out, usually Id use a tennis ball against the wall. It makes a very gross and loud popping sound as I work at it but it would help to an extent. Next I started seeing an acupuncturist. Which has honestly changed my life. I have nerve damage from when they took a rib bone out (for the infusion instead of my hip) and I cant feel anything from my right armpit to mid rib cage, and with acupuncture I can get partial feeling back. Its really amazing. It started working after the first few sessions. I carry a lot of pain in my shoulders and neck and acupuncture once a month helps loosen the tight muscles. Also most insurance plans cover it. I experience most of my back pain when I'm stressed or sitting at my desk for too long so exercise has also helped greatly. It was scary at first and I took it slow but our bodies are truly amazing and Ive gotten a lot stronger. Take the time to try and pin point your pain, when It occurs, where its located, and what alleviates it. Study the way your muscles work and seek alternative natural care. I hope this helps! And good luck!
I would ask to see a scoliosis surgeon for adults. They would know what needs to be done. Sounds like something needs to be taken out or adjusted.
One person had the rods removed because had one break after doing yoga. Don’t do yoga. But my surgeon said they were fine after having them removed.
I got scoliosis surgery six years ago, when I was 12 years old. I have two rods and sixteen screws in my back and when I went for my 5 year check up, he said that some pain is normal. He set me up with a Physical Theripist to show me exercises, because he said a lot of people don’t work the muscles so they tend to hurt. But if it’s that bad, I would maybe contact the hospital or doctor that done your surgery. If you can’t, maybe contact a specialist because something could be seriously wrong. If the surgery was done correctly, you shouldn’t be in constant pain. It may have been done too early and a correctional surgery is required, or maybe something came loose. It’s always good to get it looked at though. It could definitely be life threatening.
Thanks John for sharing your experience......I have the same problem.......and I will look for a NUCCA, because I felle my pain is increasing every day.....Good luck .....
the rods cant breack i dont know were you got that from
Hello. I had the surgery 4 years ago went through physio and recovered pretty well but I love to exercise and perhaps shouldn't have but lifted heavy weights etc. and experienced repeated pain after workouts sometimes but generally learnt what not to do and what I could do without pain. However recently, less than a week ago something feels to have moved specifically at the bottom of the metalwork. It's swollen up and super painful, cannot bend. Hoping it will pass but really want a long term solution. Is it possible to get metal removed?
If I had the choice again I would not have surgery but then I would not be who I am and know: This society brings us up in a way that makes us want to be perfect but nature is perfect in every way shape and form.
If I had the choice again I would not have surgery but then I would not be who I am and know: This society brings us up in a way that makes us want to be perfect but nature is perfect in every way shape and form.
Hello. I had the surgery 4 years ago went through physio and recovered pretty well but I love to exercise and perhaps shouldn't have but lifted heavy weights etc. and experienced repeated pain after workouts sometimes but generally learnt what not to do and what I could do without pain. However recently, less than a week ago something feels to have moved specifically at the bottom of the metalwork. It's swollen up and super painful, cannot bend. Hoping it will pass but really want a long term solution. Is it possible to get metal removed?
If I had the choice again I would not have surgery but then I would not be who I am and know: This society brings us up in a way that makes us want to be perfect but nature is perfect in every way shape and form.
If I had the choice again I would not have surgery but then I would not be who I am and know: This society brings us up in a way that makes us want to be perfect but nature is perfect in every way shape and form.
this is something you need to take up with your physician them self something you should of done before lifting weights.
To my understanding on what I have read about scoliosis its a condition that only gets worse with age unless surgery is performed like you have had, its that metal frame work in your back that will stop the deterioration of the spine any more so it will be there for life unless you want to end up in a wheelchair later on in life.
To my understanding on what I have read about scoliosis its a condition that only gets worse with age unless surgery is performed like you have had, its that metal frame work in your back that will stop the deterioration of the spine any more so it will be there for life unless you want to end up in a wheelchair later on in life.