5 Questions to Ask Your Spine Surgeon Before Minimally Invasive Surgery
Before you say yes to spine surgery, make sure you have the answers you need. Here are five important questions to ask during your consultation.
Living With Adult Scoliosis: How to Stop Letting Pain Slow You Down
We most frequently talk about scoliosis being a concern for parents because adolescents are the ones who are most often diagnosed with the condition, which is defined by a spine that develops an S- or C-shaped curve.
But did you know that about 9% of adults also live with scoliosis and its challenging symptoms?
If you’re an adult who’s been diagnosed with scoliosis, you likely want relief from your symptoms and to be able to depend on an excellent, knowledgeable provider. Dr. Benjamin Cohen has many years of experience diagnosing and treating scoliosis in children and adults, so his level of expertise is very high, and his sensitivity to the unique needs of his patients is unmatched.
Living with scoliosis as an adult
If you’re an adult with scoliosis, there are two types you could potentially be living with — idiopathic, where the root cause can’t be determined, often because the problem was missed during childhood or in a person’s teen years. Symptoms worsen in adults, and the middle and upper back are most often impacted.
The other type is called degenerative scoliosis and occurs because of conditions like spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), arthritis, and osteoporosis. Most patients with this type of scoliosis are over 65 years of age, and the lower back, or lumbar region, is most often affected.
The challenging symptoms that adults coping with scoliosis deal with include:
- Shoulder and hip asymmetry
- Heigh loss
- Difficulty walking
- Fatigue
- Feeling out of breath
- Shooting leg pain
- Leg numbness
- Leg cramps
- Lower back pain
Those with spinal curvatures that are greater than 50 degrees can also suffer balance problems while both sitting and standing, and this can also lead to the development of degenerative disc disease for those with idiopathic adult scoliosis.
How not to let adult scoliosis symptoms get the better of you
The difficult symptoms that adult scoliosis causes can stop you in your tracks, but there are things you can do to make life better, movement easier, and pain diminished or eliminated.
1. Keep moving
As the saying goes, “motion is lotion,” and if you live with scoliosis as an adult, this couldn’t be more true.
Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise (think walking, biking, or taking a dance class) so you get at least 30 minutes of movement in five days a week.
Another goal should be to do strength and flexibility training at least twice per week, but ideally three times a week.
Having a strong core and lower back is key for scoliosis symptom relief.
Getting connected with a good physical therapist can be very helpful for your movement as well.
2. Be mindful of your posture
Maintaining good posture can really help how you feel. Standing up straight helps ease scoliosis pain, so you should strive to keep your head directly above your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips.
3. Lose weight if you need to
The strain of excess pounds can exacerbate your scoliosis pain and other symptoms. You can get there if you pay attention to your diet and complement that with exercise.
4. Embrace the hot and cold
Both heat and ice therapy can help relieve both the swelling and pain that accompany adult scoliosis.
5. Rely on over-the-counter pain relievers — occasionally
Using products like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can offer relief, but don’t use them too often.
6. Seek treatment for a condition that’s causing your scoliosis, if it’s degenerative
Getting care for conditions like osteoporosis and disc degeneration, which cause degenerative scoliosis in older adults, is essential.
If Dr. Cohen recommends you get surgery for a severe curvature, he may favor a minimally invasive procedure that’s best for addressing your particular spinal condition, like:
- Spinal decompression, done by making more space for the spine by trimming bone or disc removal
- Spinal fusion, a stabilizing procedure that connects two or more adjoining vertebrae
- Spinal reconstruction uses hardware or bone grafts to stabilize and redesign the spine
If you’re enduring adult scoliosis-related problems and pain, you can and should get relief by investigating both the home care strategies we’ve mentioned and making an appointment with Dr. Cohen.
Simply call our Garden City office in New York at 316-246-5008 to schedule time with Dr. Cohen so you can improve your quality of life.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Cervical Disc Replacement vs. Spinal Fusion: Which is Right for Your Neck Pain?
If conservative treatments fail to resolve your neck pain, spinal fusion and cervical disc replacement may help — but how do you decide which procedure is right for you? Here’s what you need to know about these surgical solutions.
Tips for Keeping Your Discs Healthy
Discs are your spine’s shock absorbers, but they dry out with time and wear out, setting you up for pain and movement problems. Learn how to support your disc health and lower your risk for uncomfortable symptoms — and even future surgery.
Scoliosis Signs Many Parents Miss
Scoliosis is a spinal curvature usually developing in childhood with often unknown causes. Without early diagnosis and treatment, symptoms can worsen, possibly requiring more invasive care. Learn about its subtle signs here.
Read This Before Your Spinal Surgery
Careful and complete preparation before spinal surgery is critical. It sets you up for success and a better recovery. Learn what steps you can take to make your procedure and recovery period as easy as possible, here.
Preventing Spinal Fractures as You Get Older
The risk for a spinal fracture skyrockets as you age, especially if you live with osteoporosis. Learn how to avoid a life-altering spinal fracture, as well as effective treatments if you do suffer one, here.