Post-Scoliosis Surgery Back Pain

I had surgery on my back for scoliosis at the age of 14, which was only a ago, and recently i have began to have iritating pains on my lower back. The thing is i had 2 curvs on my spine and the degrees were at average however as time passed, one of my curvs became bigger till the point where i had to have surgery but my doctor said he could fix only my upper curve (the one that became bigger) and not my lower curve on my lower back because if he insterted the rod and screws lower i would be able to move very little. After surgery my doctor said i wouldt have many problems on the curve he had to leave alone. I am starting to doubt him because of my sharp pains on my lower back now and im thinking my lower curve is starting to grow as well and this scares me. Sometimes the pain is to the point where i begin cry and i am usualy very tolerable of pain and can handle it just fine. I dont want t have surgery again mainly bacause of my lack of movement afterwards. Like other people have said here i do not want to turn to pain killers or drugs and i have also started to get muscle spasms and sometimes i feel paralized with pain from my back because of the rods and screws until i somewhat udjust them until the pain is tolerable and i can make simple movements. One more thing i want to mention is that i know i should, but i do not want to tell my parents about these pains i have been getting until i am sure and positive on what is going on with me and until i give my doctor a call for answers. Is this right of me? Well i would love if someone gives me some advice because my pain right now is horrible and i canot stand it anymore!

Hi! I find I am having the same exact problem. Can u give me details of how recovery was after the second surgery?

I have some of the same symptoms you have. I had surgery for scoliosis 25 years ago and had an 11.5 inch harrington rod put in and two years after the surgery the rod came loose and I had a second surgery to remove the rods now I am having horrible pain especially like you carrying grocerys in the house try to pick up clothes to wash and doing dishes just about anything that is physical. The doctor said my bones and joints in my spine are moving because they did not fuse my bones down after surgey He said I have psuedo arthrosis with movement in my entire lumbar spine along with severe scoliosis. I am in so much pain I want to die. Pain medication does nothing for me but take the edge off. I only take pain medication because I don't want to suffer anymore. I am waiting for disability so I can get better treatment.

Hi! I actually have the exact same thing. I can feel a bump in my back that grinds, and bothers me especially in the car or sitting against any flat surface really. My surgeon felt the grinding and told me it had formed a bursa, but didn't really say what to do about it. He didn't seem too concerned. Could it be that the rod is too long? Oh, and I also randomly get a sharp pain in my upper back right between/under my shoulder blades... Help!

I'm 26, had fusion at age 14 (and Herrington rods placed). Recently I had a chiropractor tell me he really felt bad that I had this surgery and at first, I started feeling sorry for myself. I mean, the pregnancy was a breeze, but i've had some serious hip/lower back pain, and now one leg is longer and that has caused plantar fasciitis!

But you're right--our parents (or GRANDparents in my case) did what they thought was best at the moment for their kids/teens. There is no going back. I found many of the tips on here helpful, such as PT/exercising/massage therapry, etc. I'm going to the chiro tonight to do therapy he recommended 2 months ago for me. I'll keep you all posted.

Hang in there, everybody -- and baby your backs!

I am 47 and had Harrington and Luque style rods put in when I was twenty one. I am in horrible and constant pain and I have been on opiate medications for 25 years. I did have the metal removed from my spine 15 years ago, but although I'm glad I had it done, I am still in pain. I would not recommend this surgery to anyone, not unless you are in danger of really being deformed from it.

I am 19 I had my operation when I was 10 and everything was and is fine, however I am always suffering lower back ache sometimes mild and annoying and other times its much worse, I have two scars one down my back and one from my back round to my side and this scar is very sensitive if someone touches it I hate it! My shoulders are always really tense and my job at the moment requires me to pick up heavy crates of beer I'm not big and I know how to safely lift things but it still makes my back hurt

I had my surgery in 1979 I was 11. Now 44 the pain is so bad and I've reached my limit. I've been told to learn to deal with it. I noticed the pain 10 years ago. It was manageable but now nothing helps. My rod was removed in 1980. So that's not a concern. This isn't a quality life. I've always been active but not so much now. I can't even walk without intmse pain. I'm tired of this

Cheryl, Where did you have your surgery and by whom? I'm curious, as I had surgery in 1980 about 12 or 13 years of age.

I had my surgery June 25, 2007 when i was 17. I had a 51, 52, and 17 degree curves. I had two 17 inch Harrington rods put in. Ever since my surgery I have been in severe painlower left, middle, and upper right and a burning tingling across the whole lower strip of my back I am 23 I am on 210mg of morphine a day and 32mg of dilaudid a day. I am still in pain but with am able to at least get out of bed now and do simple things around the house before I got on the pain meds I could not even get out of bed for weeks at a time sometimes had to get a urinal and bedpan it was so bad. I have been on the pain meds for four years now the pain seems to be getting worse and worse.

Like many of you on here, I had a Harrington rod placed in my back to eliminate the progression of my Scoliosis. I had this done in 1983...I was 12. I am now 42 and can say up until now, I haven't had any issues with my back accept for the fact that you can see my curve getting worse through my clothes. My right side protrudes quite a bit past my left, even when standing up. I have had pain in my neck and shoulders but have always contributed that to stress...until now. Last week, I began feeling severe pain in my lower back (my curve is in the middle) to the point of not being able to sit without being in pain, sharp pains that shoot all the way around to my sides from the middle. It will even get worse when I bend over. I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get comfortable and the positions I used to sleep in aren't comfortable anymore. At the time of surgery, I had bone removed from my left hip to help fuse the rod and spine together. That has given me problems in the past like an aching feeling or during cold months (I live in Texas so we don't have many) and sometimes just a dull pain in that area. This is MUCH different. This is very painful. I am scared to go to a doctor because I don't want to be told I have to get the rod taken out or that something bad has happened inside and I must have surgery. That surgery was the most painful thing I have ever undergone and there is no way I want to experience that again!! Also, I am the bread winner in my family and have a child who needs me, therefore I am not able to miss work to be laid up recouperating from back surgery. Have any of you had this problem if you had the surgery?? It will be 30 years in March that I had this done. I feel like there was a guarantee on this rod for 30 years and my time has expired! PLEASE HELP!!!!

In reply to keridaniels1313, I too had a Harrington rod fitted but when I was 16 years old in 1979 and further fusion surgery when I was 39 to correct the curvature to my left hand side and they did shorten the rod to fit all the new fusions.   I am now 49 years old and pain does wake me at night. I have always been unable to move my neck to the side without pain.  There is a 'crunching' noise that I can hear when moving my head from left to right.  Every now and then I go to a practitioner to have it manipulated but it always comes back.  I do also suffer with pain in my lower back which, when it takes hold, can literally take my breath away.   Following my Hysterectomy in August 2011, I was told by the hospital to have a 'DEXA' bone scan which revealed that I have ostopenia and will have to take HRT for a very long time and calcium/vitamin D supplements for ever.  I try to keep as active as possible but there are days when it is very difficult to keep optimistic.  I work full time and have two healthy children (13 and 18).  I find stretching as much as I can, for me, is one of the best remedies.

Like everyone else, I had my surgery 18years ago and have had pain off and on ever since. I know a lot of people don't like pain relievers but Aleve works wonders for me and its obviously over the counter. I'm from Texas and Baylor Hospital has a new Scoliosis department that y'all may want to check out, especially if you feel like something has shifted or broken. I would think that could become very dangerous. Also, talk to your doctor/insurance to see if they would cover massage or chiropractor. 

I can relate to your story it sounds Identical to mine. I had surgery 25 years ago. I had an 11.5 inch harrington rod put in my back for severe scoliosis and it came lose at the top by my neck. I am also 47 years old. They removed it two years later. Now 25 years later I am in severe pain especially my entire lumbar spine. I went to a different spine specialist two years ago to find out why I was in so much pain when sitting standing and walking. The pain also radiates to the front of my body my lower abdomen. He did a couple of MRI's of my entire spine only to find out my entire lumbar spine is moving because the surgeon who did the surgery did not fuse my bones down when he removed the harrington rod. Now two years later I am now on disability and cannot go anywhere anymore I am in worse pain then two years ago when I first found out my lumbar spine was moving. In addition to spinal stenosis and degentive disc disease. It seems like every couple of months the pain gets even worse and I have no life anymore. I use to be so active always going out with friends and to work. Now no more working, going out with friends or doing anything anymore. Sometimes I just want to end it all the pain is so bad. They want to steroid injections with medication and I am so scared of injections in my spine. But I may have no choice at this point. I would not recommend this type of surgery to anyone. I have never heard anything good about it from anyone.

I am 33, had scoliosis surgery 18 years ago, and I hurt all the time. How r u now?