Here’s a little story about me … 

One day, when I was just 3 months old my mom was playing with me, as she normally would during tummy time. As she played with my legs she started  to notice that one of my legs seemed to be significantly longer than the other. For a couple of weeks she kept looking at my legs and still noticed the same discrepancy. When she took me to the doctor, he began to explain that  having one leg longer than the other can be  completely normal in most cases. In fact, the majority of  people do  have some slight degree of leg length discrepancy and it goes unnoticed until much later in life. For most this doesn’t cause functional limitations since the difference is very minimal. It might show its way through postural imbalances, back pain or discomfort during physical activities. Possible causes are; slight muscle imbalances, slight hip misalignment, injury or previous spinal trauma.  As an adult, our body adapts to postural changes and it can go unnoticed. For a growing baby, having different leg lengths can give rise to some major concerns. 

My Dr.  sent me to do  many tests to detect what was causing this. Possible conclusions were genetics, abnormal skeletal development, neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy or uneven muscle growth development. All of which brought about some concern that there could be something wrong with my development. I was sent off to get some scans and x-rays to find out what was the root of the cause.  

The results from those tests were that I was born with scoliosis and I had severely uneven hips which was causing one leg to seem longer than the other. 

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a condition that relates to the structure of the spine. It is when the spine has an abnormal curvature. A normal spine has 2 curvatures that are noticed when you look at the spine from a side view. Those curves are called kyphotic and lordotic. When you look at the spine from the back, it is supposed to be  aligned straight with no real curves and even spacing between the vertebrae of our spine.  When someone has scoliosis those 2 curves can be affected but the noticeable difference is detected from the back where there is a lateral deviation of the spine and it is not  aligned straight. This can cause noticeable differences in posture, it can lead to excessive curvatures, uneven muscles, and in sever cases it may lead to breathing or heart problems or slight paralysis due to spinal nerve compression. 

How can you develop scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a condition that can develop during adolescence. Rapid periods of growth can cause some spinal deviations and misalignments of our vertebrae. This is known as idiopathic scoliosis.

Some may develop it later in life due to degenerative changes in the spine. This is called degenerative scoliosis and is  usually caused by ageing and the natural wear and tear of our spine. Some sign and symptoms are: 

• Severe back pain: uneven pain
• Uneven shoulder alignment 
• Uneven leg length  
• Sever bad posture 

There is also congenital scoliosis which is the type that I was diagnosed with.  This is when abnormal spinal curvatures are  present at birth and  can be due to abnormal spinal development during pregnancy. 

Scoliosis diagnosis ranges from moderate to severe. I was diagnosed with a moderate level of  scoliosis. Since my spine still had a  lot of growing to do,  there wasn’t much to know about the progression of my growth or if it would cause any  physical limitations.

For those that are diagnosed with a severe case of scoliosis  it can cause physical limitations, breathing problems, pain or discomfort. Oftentimes it is coupled  with neurological disorders. This is called neuromuscular scoliosis. Neuromuscular scoliosis develops as a secondary complication from  neuromuscular conditions that affect muscle control and coordination. These conditions are; cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy (aka:  muscular degeneration) , spina bifida (aka: spinal birth defect), or due to injury of the spinal cord. In those cases, the individual will often develop  severe muscle weakness and imbalances that contribute to the development of scoliosis. This is because our spine can’t support our muscles.  This can lead to progressive curvature of the spine.  

In most cases scoliosis is not reversible. Sometimes surgical intervention is required to help correct the spine through the installation of rods to keep the spine straight. There is also the use of braces for those that are still growing to promote proper spinal development.  

There is one type of scoliosis that can be fixed: it’s called functional scoliosis. This is a type of spinal curvature that occurs as a result of temporary or reversible factors rather than structural abnormalities in the spine itself. Unlike structural scoliosis, where the spine has a fixed curve due to congenital, neuromuscular or degenerative causes, functional scoliosis involves spinal curvatures that can be corrected with changes in posture and exercises. 

Functional scoliosis may develop due to factors such as muscle imbalances, leg length discrepancies, poor posture, or uneven distribution of weight on the spine. 

Things that can cause functional scoliosis:

• Always carrying  a heavy bag on one side of their body 
• Always leans to one side of their body while standing or sitting
• Sleeping in the same position
• Constantly practicing poor slouchy posture 
• Always slouching at our desk 
• Getting comfortable sitting on the couch weirdly
• Sitting with one leg crossed over
• Hunched down looking at our phones
•  The  list goes on… 

These are all factors that are becoming more and more predominant in society, especially with the increased  use of technology  coupled with the rise in decreased physical activity. All the factors that I’ve listed can add up over time and can cause severe discomfort because they can cause  the spine to curve temporarily. 

If repeated over many years, this bad habit will cause a shift in your anatomical spine and it can create poor posture. 

The spine is the anchor for our entire body. Many of our muscles attach to our spine that help with movement and proper posture. If something abnormal is happening to the structural level of our body the rest of our muscles, bones and ligaments will tend to shift in that direction. Our body will try to compensate for any abnormalities but it won’t necessarily know how to correct itself. It will attempt to maintain or restore some balance and stability where it is lacking. 

This is why maintaining good posture, exercising regularly, keeping active to strengthen the muscles supporting the spine, and avoiding activities that may strain the back can help promote spinal health. Exercises that target our core strength and flexibility can help to  improve posture and alleviate discomfort associated with scoliosis or any bad posture habits.

What does my life look like with scoliosis ?

When I was first diagnosed, the option that my Dr and parents opted for was chiropractic care. This would allow for my Dr to monitor my spinal growth and to see if my condition would progress or remain stable. I have been followed by a chiropractor since the age of 3 months. To this day I am followed by my chiro every other month to get adjusted and maintain proper spinal health.

In a later post I’ll dive into the details of chiropractic care and what my journey was! For now , let’s get back to my story… 

Over many years as my spine continued to grow, with chiropractic intervention and my conscious efforts, my spine is almost completely straight and I’ve been able to restore almost all of the proper spinal curves. There has been no physical limitation or any major concerns. I was able to do many activities as a kid, I was enrolled in dance in my younger years, I played volleyball as a teenager and I continue to stay active on a daily basis! 

If you’ve gotten the chance to read my other posts you may notice a trend… Teaching others about the importance of posture! Especially when it can be treated simply by making a conscious effort !

Maintaining proper spinal health is something that is near and dear to me since I’ve been exposed to its importance since a  very young age. The benefits of having good posture are endless some of which are:

• Reduces musculoskeletal pain or discomfort
• Improved breathing 
• Better circulation 
• Reduced risk of injury
• Having better sleep due to reduced pain 
• Positive ageing…

These are perhaps factors that we (myself included ) can take for granted and steer away from. Your back is just as important as any other muscle group in the body! 

If I can help 1 person realize the importance of posture  then I’ve done my job ! Making small efforts whether it’s 10 minutes of exercises or making a conscious effort to maintain proper posture, or anything in between  can make all the difference in the long run. 

Our bodies are made to be ergonomic, it requires fluidity in movement, proper alignment and adequate support in order to help it function at its best ability. So that’s what I’m here for to guide people to better take care of themselves starting with one spine at a time 🙂