Scoliosis can be an incredibly debilitating condition even at the best of times, but when the person with the curved spine is also pregnant, the results can be catastrophic.

 

 

Yes, scoliosis and pregnancy are a troublesome combination. The weight of your unborn child significantly increases the load on your spine, and this can cause scoliosis to progress rapidly over the course of the pregnancy. Bearing children tends to leave scoliosis sufferers even worse off than before; post-birth, the mother’s Cobb angle will often be far greater than it was before she became pregnant, and the symptoms of her spinal curvature far harder to ignore.

 

Knowing this, many scoliosis sufferers decide never to have children, but if you want to be a parent then you don’t have to let your curved spine get in the way.

Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we have helped many scoliosis sufferers to sidestep the problems that often accompany pregnancy when your spine is abnormally curved.

 

 

People with scoliosis frequently come to us and complete a ScolioGold course before conceiving a child, and our treatment techniques help to keep their scoliosis stable during pregnancy. Many of these patients have also reported that they generally did not suffer from the back pain that commonly affects pregnant women, even those with perfectly healthy spines.

 

Roz Couch (46, Surrey) came to the Scoliosis SOS Clinic for treatment in 2006 prior to having any children. Our ScolioGold treatment course reduced her Cobb angle measurement, and as the X-rays below illustrate, this result has been maintained (and indeed reduced slightly further) over the last 10 years and through two pregnancies.

 

 

 

Roz’s story was featured in Baby Surrey magazine shortly after the birth of her first child – here’s what she had to say about her experience:

 

 

 

 

 

The spinal fusion procedure is a major surgical operation that usually takes several hours to complete. The success of the operation depends on many factors, including the flexibility of the curve and the surgical techniques used. The goal of the surgery is not a perfectly straight spine, but a balanced spine in which fusion prevents the curve from getting worse. 

 

I experience a lot of back pain – does this mean I have scoliosis?

 

If you require a brace, you will often have to get a cast taken of your back; this will be done at an outpatient appointment, so you will not be required to stay overnight at the hospital. Scoliosis braces are often made from a rigid plastic, although flexible braces are sometimes used instead for milder curves. While many scoliosis sufferers worry that a brace will be visible through their clothes, most modern scoliosis braces are designed to be difficult to see under loose-fitting clothing. Usually, a scoliosis brace will have to be worn for 23 hours a day, coming off only for showers and baths; however, in some cases, the patient is only required to wear the brace at night.

 

Many of the patients we treat here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic have experience with scoliosis braces. The video below features an interview with one such patient, 12-year-old Yana from Malta:

 

If you already wear a scoliosis brace…

If you suffer from scoliosis, you may have been told that you need surgery in order to correct the curvature of your spine. Many people undergo scoliosis surgery each year, but while these procedures can deliver the desired results, there are a number of reasons why a scoliosis sufferer might decide against surgical correction. Surgery always comes with a certain level of risk, and scoliosis surgery specifically can, on rare occasions, lead to complications such as vertebral degeneration and pseudarthrosis.

If your scoliosis is particularly severe (for example, if the angle of your spinal curve exceeds 45°) then surgery may be the only effective treatment option.

• FITS (Functional Independent Treatment for Scoliosis)
• SEAS (Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis)
• Kinesio taping
• Myofascial release
• Osteopathy

We recommend that you book an initial consultation at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic – this will allow our scoliosis consultants to assess the severity of your condition and make an informed decision as to whether or not ScolioGold treatment would be an effective alternative to surgery in your case.