Scoliosis Awareness Month

May I take everyone attention? Especially girls. Cause this is something that I want to warned to my fellow friends. If I ask each one of you guys probably many never heard what scoliosis are. Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person spine curved in abnormal way. It's normal your spine bend a bit but when it bend more than it supposed to, that's where scoliosis come in.

If you ever experience low back pain mainly a back pain and feel your shirt sleeves longer than the other one and feel tired than you usually do never take that for granted. Also a pain on the back of your shoulder (shoulder blade) and your ribs.

Go to your parents and ask them to get you to the hospital right away and take an x-ray. Take my advice never take that symptoms for granted. I say this based on my own personal experience. Scoliosis tend to get to girl more than a boy. About 3-5 people diagnose with Scoliosis from one thousand people. 

Many people don't know this but late on March 2012 I was diagnosis with idiopathic scoliosis which is doctor talk for unknown reason for scoliosis. Scoliosis can also be cause of genetic. If someone in your family have scoliosis there's always a chance you also have that too. But it not necessary. Probably just plain luck.

Based on what doctor told me, I start having this since I was 12 years old. And according to her I suffer from a mild scoliosis. There were many symptoms my body signals me but I took that for granted cause too afraid to worry about it cause people tend to say you are old people when you having a back pain. It gotten worst since that day. Many of my friends know how sporty I am.

I always up for everything. Handball, netball, badminton, football, volleyball or any sports at all, I always there to play. So it come in for me as a shock and it pretty much put my dream into pieces that is to be a part of SUKMA team. Yes I have been offer to training with SUKMA team but I have to say no to it since I was diagnose with Scoliosis.

It was a hard decision for me but it for the best. Even though my doctor giving me a green light to keep playing handball I have been advised to avoid high impact sports and also I starting to realize my body can't take it anymore. I just damage it more by being to stubborn to stop. Scoliosis can change you a bit and make you a little bit depressed with the never ending pain.

 If you took a real close look on me you will see one side of me are higher than the other. I also suffer with shoulder, lower back and neck pain. Sometimes it usually give me a real bad headache on the back of my right head also numbness on my right arm. From time to time I also suffer some sort of shortness of breath and some kind of chest pain which is I been monitoring. I don't know if it related but my doctor has advice me to keep an eye on it.

And from my reading it can also be cause of scoliosis where it probably push your lung. But I'm no doctor so hopefully on my next check up I will have some time to talk with her and figure out the true reason of it. It maybe nothing or maybe just the overwhelming feeling I get by dealing with it everyday.

But there's many types of scoliosis. So don't get me wrong. There were types where you need to have a surgery and there were type of scoliosis that you not necessary need a surgery and also there also type of scoliosis it won't changed you a bit and something that you barely feel it. It depends on the degree of the curves. In my case my doctor advised me to do manual therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

Also probably in one year time she will ask me to do another x-ray to see if the curves get worsen or not even though the first assessment seem my spine already fully grow. But it something you can't really predict cause we talking about bone here. It's almost the same like the brain. But then again you never can really predict anything.

It something that can't be fixed but it something that you can prevent it from getting worsen. So like I said never take anything for granted. The pain in your body can be a way of your body telling you something is wrong. Always take care of your posture. Don't sit in front of your computer more than 45 minutes. After 30 to 45 minutes of sitting go take a little walk around the room or doing some stretching before sit back.

Trust me preventing it is a lot easier than deal with it. Because you never want to feel the never ending pain that come in and go. The pain that waking you up in the middle of the night and your arm start feeling numb after waking up. So take my advice never ever sit more than 45 minutes. Also never take a pain killer for the pain.

First of all it's bad for yourself. Second it won't do anything to you. The pain killer are useless against scoliosis pain. So to relieve the pain just grab some ice or buy a cold pack and put it where it hurts. It will relieve the pain a little bit. But my advice is go seek a doctor. Right now I'm under care of a chiropractic doctor.

I used to go to a orthopedic doctor but get so disappointed with his treatment and also how he misdiagnose me after one x-ray and also one MRI scan that cost RM 800!! Not to mention at least 9 injection on my joint. But then again it easy to misdiagnose it. So make sure you tell the doctor everything. And never afraid to have some clash with the doctor.

If you guys have any question never afraid to ask me questions. And if you a victim of scoliosis yourself just remember you are not alone and pain killer is not a way to stop the pain. Be strong and never push yourself when it hurt cause it will do you more damage. Stop your sport activity when it start giving you problems and don't be as stubborn as myself.

Also it will be nice to have some support to get through it. Someone understanding cause you can't get through it alone cause you can be depressed by your condition sometimes. Sometimes you tired of crying yourself to sleep and feeling angry. By writing this, is a big step from me. It always a sensitive matter to me.

Scoliosis have been hard to me. The cost for the treatment are not that cheaper. Trying to keep doing the right thing without risking yourself feeling the pain are almost impossible. But I'm lucky to have family who been real supportive and my best friend who been real understanding and stay by my side after everything. Also a sister that I know who give me some insight on scoliosis and give me advice that I really appreciate.

Also by having scoliosis and telling this story are not my way of getting a sympathy. I just want to raise awareness of Scoliosis. And people should be understanding and never playing around with the subject around someone who diagnose with scoliosis especially myself. Don't talk like you know everything if you don't experience it yourself.

P/S : Sorry if there were something wrong with my article. I write based on my personal experience and from what I know. I always learning something new about my condition.