Trouble Walking

[sixpence]

Over the past couple of years, I have had increasing trouble walking until now I can just about manage a maximum of 20 yards. This is because of the pain I get from my back and my leg.

I was diagnosed at age 10 with scoliosis ("s" curve and lateral twist) and spent a couple of years in a back brace, but unfortunately, I have noticed that I am now becoming more bent and twisted as I become older (although I am only 48). I have developed pins and needles, some numbness and pain in both mu left leg and my right arm.

I do have other health issues, such as epilepsy, asthma and fibromyalgia, all of which I keep as much under control as I can.

However, seeing a GP with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia nowadays seems to automatically exclude me (or anybody for that matter) from treatment for anything else. I appear to have been thrown on the scrapheap. I do not qualify for physio, or even to see a consultant, I have to just sit on the sofa and vegetate, which I am not prepared to do.

I am trying to exercise at home, using yoga spine exercises to try to strengthen and balance the muscles of the spine.

When I walk I have to use a stick for support. However, I am putting most of my weight on the stick and as a result they are breaking. I want to get out and about.

Please, has anyone any suggestions?

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[Dr Damien]

dear sixpence

doesnt seem fair that you are having your health problems ignored by these professionals, having said that there might be other reasons for the lack of enthusiasm on their part

It is more likely than not that your problems are related to the arthritic changes you have in your spine...unfortunately age is something we cant change...
on the positivee side, your pain isnt constant and it gets relieved by a position so there is hope...

I would suggest you try your hands on acupuncture and perhaps consider private treatment if you can afford it...
im suggesting acupuncture because i believe it would help in curbing the pain as well as getting the muscles relaxed first..unfortuntely yoga exercises and all exercises in general will only work if the range of motion is available anatomically otherwise you can cause more damage by forcing any stretch or range...
your acupuncture sessions should incooperate, some added massage, advice plus home exercises particularly for your posture, spinal stabilization and flexibility...

Having pins and needles with numbness is not a good sign so i suggest you get assessed quick by a professional for treatment...although your medical history is full (epilepsy, diabetes) im sure a good MSK physiotherapist will be able to assess how suitable you are for this...

I have seen people with degenerative backs who are practically bent over and needing a stick or frame to walk and could barely cover the distance of their bedroom to toilet suddenly discard their sticks and walk into town after two or three sessions of acupuncture so its worth having a go at it

[estherderu]

dear 6pence,

I would suggest you go back to the GP and ask for X-rays.
Your problem could very well be related to your scoliosis and possible postural collapse.
If this is not the case, it will give you an impression of how large your scoliotic curves are and if you need to have this
checked regularly.

good luck in your endevours

Esther

[Dr Damien]

just going to add to estherderu's contribution. I agree that an xray would be good as a first line of investigation, as not only does this give an idea of what the problems could be, it also shows on a basic level the state of the bones. Moreover it gives a baseline for further analysis in the future as estherderu as kindly advised...

A few problems with the x ray investigation.
1)being still frames, they only show a static picture of the problem...your problem is a dynamic one, x rays wont give that information
2)unless there is an underlying fracture or suggest some osteoporosis , they offer no added value to clinical management
3)most GPs frown at repeated xrays if there isnt any real value from it, so it might be difficult to keep a log of repeated xrays simply because you want to monitor how bad your scoliosis is
4) xray information has been known to not often correlate with the clinical problem, i.e you can have a degenerated back as suggested by the xray with no symptoms really, and you can have a clear x ray with a myriad of problems

so yes go for an xray to rule out a fracture, get a basic idea of the state of your bones and to see if you have any collapsed vertebrae or spondylos or retrolisthesis...
i am suspecting that a fracture isnt likely since you say you have been trying out some yoga exercises (dont think you would be able to manage those if you have a fracture). Considering the possibilities of spondylos or retros...usually unless they pose a significant risk to the spinal cord/neural tissue...they often are not touched by the orthopedic surgeons
which comes back to conservative management...

A lot of the patients i have seen have had all the xrays possible with no real added value to their management