Scoliosis Research Paper

I am writing a personal story about scoliosis since I am the one that had it or has it, whichever. Scoliosis, if I am going to be blunt, is a curvature in the spine typically in the shape of an “S” or “C”. This may cause a “bump” on the back. Scoliosis is not a disease; it's an abnormal curvature of the spine. In addition to curving, the spine rotates, making the ribs look uneven. I had the pleasure of getting an “S” and lopsided ribs. Other signs include a shoulder or hip that looks higher than the other, or the chest may appear uneven. Which no surprise I had uneven shoulders! Basically I will be sharing my 4-year story of the tragic bone disease everyone seems to call Scoliosis. Scoliosis is not contagious and is usually a painless condition.

Signs and symptoms of scoliosis include uneven shoulders, a prominence of the shoulder blade and waistline discrepancies. Scoliosis is reported to affect two to three percent of school-age children. It appears most often in adolescent girls and has shown a tendency to run in families.” I believe I was diagnosed at the age of 13 my seventh grade year in junior high. It is stated that it was hereditary because my Aunt has it, but hers was nowhere near as bad as mine. Also, I had a cousin who had it, but theirs was not as bad as mine neither. Despite most popular beliefs, scoliosis does not result from lifting or carrying heavy items, athletic activity, sleeping, sitting or standing postures. I was diagnosed by this doctor because one day I was getting my hair done and lady told me to sit up straight and I thought I was. My mom told me I wasn’t, but I told her I felt like I was. Spare the minor details; I went to the doctor and was diagnosed. Now skipping to the treatment because this is where I get emotional about it

During the first year I had a 23 degree curvature in my spine. It was pretty mild but to stop it from growing any further they gave me a Boston back brace. I didn’t want it, but it would help me. They measured me and I got it within 30 minutes; my mom made me try it on and walk around the hospital and sit down. I’m pretty sure I cried because I did not like it at all. I thought of it as embarrassing and I would take off when I could which in the long run wasn’t a well thought out idea. The brace that I wore was made of hard plastic that covered my torso and went down to my hips. The hard part was tightening the three huge Velcro straps on the brace so the internal pressure pads could do their job—constricting motion and muscles that might cause the curves to grow. Finding clothes to cover the of the brace was a near impossibility and I cried many times in front of the mirror when trying to figure out what to wear. Wearing the shell of plastic was a