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And the hits just keep coming.

DD7 went for her chiropractic consult for the car accident today. Her neck area shows signs of injury from the accident. Nothing that can't be corrected in a short amount of time.

Her spine however has a sway, or as the doctor described to us, scoliosis.

She's 7. He said the ages where it really starts to go haywire is between 10-18. He says that after the initial treatment plan, that we can maintain it with adjustments every 3-4 weeks.

I'm overwhelmed, confused, scared, at a loss.

With a community of 40,000, surely someone has experience with this. What do I do? What can I expect? Is early detection and treatment the key? Will this follow DD her entire life? Why her?

*Disclaimer - Yes, I know the insurance is going to fight paying for her overall treatment. It's the accident plus "pre-existing" conditions. I know I'm in for a fight.

My daughter (now 23) was diagnosed at about age 12 or so. She has had no treatment or anything and has not had any more backaches than any other person when they overtax themselves using back muscles. So you could be in for nothing unusual, but I'm sure others with different situations may have more info for you if it is more severe.

I have two structural deformities in my spine...scoliosis and hyper-lordosis. I didn't find out until I was 16ish when I starting having back pain and back spasms that would leave me convulsing like I was having a seizure (oddly the pain started into arm and traveled down my back which took a few months). I was on a lot of muscle relaxers and had a molded back brace. Had to go through some painful tests to make sure my nerves were ok.

Ok...that probably sounds really scary. But, now that you know, you can take some preventive measures to help. Like teaching her good posture and good nutrition (carrying extra weight is not fun for a back). She will need to be aware of her limits. I wrestled from 8th grade to my senior year...probably not great for my back. The chiropractor helps me a lot because my nerves tend to get squished back there. Knowing early always helps. Good luck!!! ((Aubrie and DD))

[This message edited by TattoodChinaDoll at 11:48 AM, June 17th (Monday)]

I have scoliosis; it was discovered by my 6th grade teacher. She told my parents about it, but by that time they had spent so much money on my flat feet they didn't even want to look into it.

It never bothered me until recently (I'm 58 years old), and it's just a dull ache over my left hip. It does not impair me in any way (other than the fact that I can't lay on my left side for long periods of time.) I walk/hike long distances, I lift weights, I ride a bike--it has never been a problem.

I don't know that chiropractic can do anything for her, but I'm sure there are others here that may have a different story. I would suggest you don't tell her about it.

Holy Crap TCD. Yes it does sounds scary.

We are clean eaters and she gets good exercise. Little to no fat on the kids. Will stay on her about posture. (Lord knows mine is the pits too) I don't want to say anything to her about this because I'm still trying to understand it, and how or if it will impact her at all. She's got enough going on with still trying to process the wreck. (DS had a total breakdown Saturday night.)

Dr. didn't act like it was a "huge" deal but of course as a parent, you hear a scary word and your mind starts racing with why, what, when, where, what's up, and then millions of questions arise.

ETA: She has the slight curve in her spine and the cock-eyed hips. I "think" it's treatable with the chiro, but I guess it's a time thing. *shrug*

[This message edited by Aubrie84 at 12:54 PM, June 17th (Monday)]

Did a regular Dr or an orthopedic surgeon confirm this? If not, see them before signing up for a lot off chiro treatment. Friend of mine had it at age 13. Was given exercises to do, talked about a brace. Lots can happen between now and puberty that may make this a non event.

Scoliosis can vary in degree of severity obviously. I have it. It's not terribly uncommon. I wasn't diagnosed until my hairdresser of all people told me to stand up so he could make sure my cut was even and he showed me that my one shoulder was slightly lower than the other. I went to the doctor afterwards.. he said "yep" but it's slight, and there's not much we can do now (I was 20).

I can tweak my back with exercise or just walking sometimes and it will bother my hip and my leg. But at 40 I can count the number of times it's bothered me on one hand.

I highly recommend seeing your paediatrician for an actual diagnosis and treatment plan, if one is actually needed at all.

[This message edited by metamorphisis at 1:04 PM, June 17th (Monday)]

I agree with Pentup and Meta. Have your daughter checked by her pediatrician.

My school nurse said I had it but that it was too late to do anything about so I don't even know if I said anything to my mother because the nurse said it was too late My shoulders are slightly uneven, that's it.

Her pediatrician will be able to better diagnose it and give you a game plan about exercises or if a brace will be needed at all.

Good Luck

Aubrie Honey take a deep breath. You have dealt with a lot this past week.

Scoliosis is VERY common. That's why they check all the kids at school from 3rd grade or so on. It's GREAT SUPER FANTASTIC that it was found prior to her starting puberty, and her last big growth spurt. Getting her core strength solid is essential to getting her straight, and keeping her straight. Of course all the common sense stuff like wearing your back pack on both shoulders, having good support from her feet to her chair at school, to her bed is also essential.

My daughters friend had it, and they were able to correct it with no real interrventions other than what I listed. No braces, no surgeries etc. She has a 6 pack now from taking pilates since she was small. AND the stinker looks like she will be about 5'9" !!!!

Hang in there, and know that everything happens for a reason, and this may be part of it.

My step-daughter was diagnosed in 8th grade. Go to an orthopedic doctor to find out for sure. We ended up with one out of Children's Hospital and I would not hesitate to recommend them as a resource. She had a severe enough curve she had surgery with rod placement. She is now 25 and has had no other problems. By the way she was a competitive swimmer and was able to resume competitive swimming, flip turns and all.

My daughter was diagnosed when she was in 6th grade. Curve not as severe and she wore a back brace for a year at night. She has had no further problems. Again we went through the orthopedic department at Denver Children's Hospital. Our pediatrician recommended them and they were AWESOME in both cases.

Don't ignore.....a really severe curve (and it can curve worse as long as growth plates are still active) can really cause problems in adulthood.

You will get through it, but have an ortho doc check her out. They can measure the degree of the curve and let you know what you need to do.

You have dealt with a lot this past week.

Yeah, I'm pretty much ready to crawl into a hole and die. Course that would be breaking my promise to DS that the car accident isn't going to kill me. He was sobbing that the chiro was killing me and I was going to die cause I'm still sore, what if he gets a new mommy, and he doesn't want a new mommmyyyyyyyy, and where will I go if I die?

I'm listening to all of you and because I'm a research freak, will have a ton of questions for my dr. tomorrow morning. He will hate me. I don't care. Looking into a pediatrician for second opinion.

Getting her core strength solid is essential to getting her straight, and keeping her straight. Of course all the common sense stuff like wearing your back pack on both shoulders, having good support from her feet to her chair at school, to her bed is also essential.

We do have the jump on some of this. She has a brand new mattress on her bed, she's homeschooled so there's no backpacks to tote every day, she is more artsy and doesn't do sports so I don't have to worry about impacts in sports or gymnastics.

Thanks everyone for your advice and experiences so far. It means a lot knowing there's other real live people going thru crap in their life and surviving and thriving.

(((((((Aubrie and DD and DS and QS))))))))))

That's enough of the bads for you guys already!

I hope you get good news from the doctor, and GOOD FOR YOU for going in armed with questions! I don't think the doc will hate you for that.

My heart just breaks for your DS....poor baby. I hope he starts to feel safe again, very soon.

Aubrie,

I have scoliosis. It was diagnosed when I was 11 or 12. It was also discovered that I have a (very) mild form of spina bifida that throws my upper spine out of alignment which causes me to overcompensate with my lower spine.

My curvature when diagnosed was severe enough for the pediatrician to recommend a surgical consult with an ortho. We went, the recommendation was surgery and a Full back brace for up to a year post surgery. Surgery was to correct one part of my spine ( I think the upper) and the brace was to retrain the other. I was devasted with the news. A friend of my dad's convinced him to seek a second opinion who encouraged my dad to see a chiropractor.

My parents did not agree on my treatment. Mom wanted me to have the surgery, dad was willing to trying chiro for a limited time. I ended up with chiro treatment for a year to see if any changes could be made.

The degree of curvature was shrunk.. (I think it went from 13 - 10) so we kept up with chiro...in 2 years it was halved. I still have a curve (last measurement was less than 6). My back bothered me when I was pregnant especially when pregnant with twins. I can think of things that I have that might be related to the scoliosis,(migraines, back issues, shoulder pain) But I don't think of them that way.. I have a migraine because I have a migraine. My back hurts because I was under the kitchen sink fixing a drain pipe. My shoulder hurts because I was painting a ceiling... that is also why my neck hurts.

Scoliosis did not slow me down, or hurt my ability to do anything any of my friends were doing.

Get it checked out... find out how severe. That way you can do your research and institute any changes you need to do early. And it may be because of the accident that you need to be aware of your posture and so can DD.

Hugs for your family, One thing at a time.... one breathe at a time.

K

I have it too. Didn't stop me from playing HS sports, or being very active.

It's not that big a deal if s/he thinks chiro would help. But like we learn here about counselors specializing in infidelity - same thing. Some do, some don't.

I don't think this one does, or is very experienced for that matter.

You could ask if it was entered into the record, pay cash (if so) & seek another. That way, you could at least not have to fight the 'pre-existing' fight.

They should know this.

Say nothing but bland answers to anything the adjuster asks you.

"How's DD?"

Most say; "Fine, she's getting treatment."

You'll be recorded saying she's "fine". See where I'm going?

hugs to all! I know this is a tough time right now.

It really depends on the severity and the child. I know a couple of people who have it and have never had an issue, I know someone who has it and was put in a brace, and I know yet another person who has it and ended up going the surgery route; each one of them is perfectly okay as an adult. It's really something you will need to monitor over time. (((Aubrie & DD)))

(((((((Aubrie and DD and DS and QS))))))))))

It is all very unique to the child.

That's probably not what you want to hear. We'd all like to deal in definites - but scoliosis presents and behaves differently.

My son had regular medical visits and physicals throughout childhood. He was diagnosed with ITP in his teens, treated aggressively, went into (and has remained) remission.

Joined the military - and THERE, they discovered that my 6'4" son should really be about 6'7" but for a 27 degree curvature compliments of scoliosis.

It had never been detected. It had never caused him discomfort. It had never impacted any physical activities or sports.

It still doesn't. He did have to get a medical waiver for the military but he's happily adjusting in a transfer from Army military intelligence to Army Special Forces.

It doesn't have to be a life sentence, Aubrie. :) At least not an adverse, negative, painful one.

Get various opinions. Consult your pediatrician. Follow recommended care and treatments as/if they are recommended and if/when they feel right for your child.

(((((((Aubrie and DD and DS and QS))))))))))

Quick update.

Went to our appointment this morning and grilled the doctor. Things are much more clear today.

He's not a doctor that's in this for the money. He's in the business to heal and prevent further hurts. I have family members that are flat broke. They pay "if and when" they can. This doctor is one of the few out there that is pro-healing vs. pro-profit. I have faith that this guy has our best interest at heart.

He said he is not officially diagnosing DD with anything. He said it looks like it "could" be scoliosis because the curve is there. He is going to treat her for the accident injuries and see if he can adjust the curve in her spine in the meanwhile. At the end of her treatment, we will xray her again and see if there is improvement, or little/no change and go from there.

If it is indeed scoliosis, this accident was a blessing so we can nip the whole thing in the bud. We can see if the treatment she is getting now will help.

Scoliosis is a possibility. He absolutely didn't mean to panic me and QS yesterday. (Not a hard thing to do these days)

So yay I guess. We're breathing a bit easier on that front today.

Only wish we had good news about my truck. The adjuster just called and wants to total it. *sigh* Now to fight for my truck. Or a decent settlement. Or something.

Thanks everyone for the help, support, PMs, and advice. I'm copying and pasting this thread in case it's needed for the future.

Sorry you are having a rough time overall! Thoughts are with you and your family!

I'm glad your discussion with the doctor went well. Sounds like you and your daughter are in very good hands. Scoliosis really is a minor issue most of the time, especially when caught so early.

I know you love your truck, but I am going to make one suggestion as you look at what to do next... if they want to total it, there probably is a good reason. While the value part may come in to the equation, it could also be a safety issue if the frame is bent.

I was in a very similar accident a few years ago - I was at a standstill ready to turn left, and a young (texting) girl hit me from behind at about 45 mph. My van - which was recently paid off and only had 80,000 miles on it, was totaled. I did not want that and did lots of research on how much it cost to fix it versus value. In the end, a trusted mechanic told me that fixing it would actually be CHEAPER than totaling it, however, there could be safety implications down the road. Simply put, with the damage to the back end, they could not be sure the van would be safe to drive over the long run.

Just be careful. It's infuriating, but the safety of you and your family is so very important!

(((Aubrie)))

Thanks stroppy. My first question was, "How is the frame?" The adjuster said it was perfect. Nothing wrong with it at all.

I just can't see how a back door, bumper, back window glass, and a driver's seat is $7,000!?!? I don't want the whole dang truck restored. Just repaired. The restoration is me and QS's project. Cheese and crackers. QS and I will be pow-wowing tonight to see what we wanna do.

Life is just way too much fun sometimes.

Great news about your daughter.

I do want to reinforce getting her core strength up will help prevent it worsening, or even from being something real.

Fight for the truck!! Those are such cool old vehicles, I would be trying to fight for it too.

Can you get pricing on the repairs that they are offering the $7K for ? It may be worth taking the check, and the truck and doing it on your own.