Any body else got scoliosis ?

[sophi95]

Hi, i have noticed a couple of people on the forum mentioning their scoliosis (curvature of the spine ) which i have resently been diagnosed with and have to wear a back brace. Do people find that this effects their riding at all ? ... im just wondering if my back doesnt hurt when im riding because ihave a back brace on. :)

[Gem at heart]

As a Holistic therapist, rider & having slight scoliosis myself i can tell you that yes it will affect your riding.

For me, i have a slight spinal problem from 2 vertebre that have popped out of place from having children. However it does not affect my riding but it sometimes looks as if i'm 'dropping a shoulder' which i am not! I have to make a real effort to keep strong square shoulders!

At least with Lordosis it looks as though you have great posture :)

Horse riding will help to keep your back muscles strong & healthy in order to support your spine. Muscle & nerve behaviour is the key factor in looking after your spine.

[sophi95]

hi Gem, thanks for your comment :) ...will riding effect my back in a good or bad way ?

[alwaysfallingof]

Hey, I don't have scoliosis myself but have taught lots of riders that do, ranging from very slight to quite severe.

The riding will definitely do nothing to make the scoliosis worse, and may in fact slow the progression of the curve since it strengthens the back muscles.

In terms of how scoliosis affects your riding, you will probably find that in order to remain balanced you drop one hip and the opposite shoulder. This can cause problems with keeping the horse straight. Once you aware of this, then trying to sit straighter may well make your back ache. However, the physiotherapists I used to work with said that within reason this was a good thing because the aching muscles were the ones that needed to be strengthened.

It certainly shouldn't stop you riding. Just being nosey though, are you always going to ride with the brace? A lot of the people I taught would use riding time as part of their designated 'time without brace' per day, so that their back muscles could get the most benefit possible. May not be applicable in your situation, but just thought I'd mention it. :)

[sophi95]

Hi, i have to wear my brace 20 out of the 24 hours in a day, and my doctor say that it is best to keep it on when doing exercise so it can adjust to the position my brace is putting me into whilst i am moving, however i am not sure whether this applies to all exercise :confused: , thanks for your comment, did the people that you have taught wear their brace whilst riding ? ... sorry if im going on a bit (im learning far more about this than i have from my doctor :p )

[Gem at heart]

I don't know your exact lifestyle or condition but if a back brace is helping you then go for it but it may actually be restricting that part of your body that needs building up.

I like to work on 'trouble' areas by facing them head on. Like ALWAYSFALLING OFF has described the aching muscles are the ones that need to be strengtheed but Scoliosis IS a formation of bone - not muscle. The muscles & posture are what caused the problem in the first place. So a healthy diet combined with the right exiercise & regular massage - along with positive thoughts believe it or not will help the situation.

Be very aware of your posture at all times in order not to worsen the condition further & enjoy riding. :)

[sophi95]

thankyou :) ... never thaught about having massages before :p ..will give it a go :)

[Gem at heart]

thankyou :) ... never thaught about having massages before :p ..will give it a go :)

A MUST! It will help you feel better.

[gooster]

I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 13. I have always had problems with knee and hip pain, and when my chiropodist got me referred to the hospital for x rays they discovered I have scoliosis. Apparently I have a very natural position, but I do find that when I am out hacking, I will develop a pain in my neck after a while. Other than that I am fine:)

[sophi95]

same i was diagnosed with it at 13....did you ever wear the brace? :)

[gooster]

Nope, doctors said it wasn't bad enough for the brace. I still remember seeing the x rays though, as he brought in 2 x rays, which I thought 1 was my back, and the other was an abnormal back. Turns out they were both mine, the bottom bit is normal and straight, and the top is bent like a banana!! So I suppose the brace wouldn't have really helped as it is right at the top?

[scoobylover]

I was also diagnosed at 13. I had many hours of physio and hydrotherapy which, tbh, didn't really help at all. A few years ago, I started to have sessions with a chiropractor, who diagnosed a twisted pelvis among numerous other complaints! I am now awaiting an MRI scan, to discover what exactly is going on, as for the last couple of years, I have been suffering sever neck and shoulder pain -and they think it may be related to the scoliosis:mad:

When I was first diagnosed, my Dr advised against riding at all:eek: but did say that if i HAD to, then to wear a back brace. I did this for all of about 2 days, but remember finding it very awkward and restricting.

[sophi95]

gosh lucky you!!! ... i absolutly hate the brace but hopefully it is helping me :) ... i think your right about the top curve thing, i have a small bottom curve and a larger top curve and aparently this balances me out more ? thanks for your comments by the way members !! ....learnt more from this little thread than i ever have from the doctors :rolleyes:

[hot.to.trot]

my friend who rides has scolisosis and it dosewnt seem to affect her

[sophi95]

oh dear ... i had an MRI scan and it was kinda scary ...hope you get better soon :)

[Madaz_Maddy]

Hi, i have noticed a couple of people on the forum mentioning their scoliosis (curvature of the spine ) which i have resently been diagnosed with and have to wear a back brace. Do people find that this effects their riding at all ? ... im just wondering if my back doesnt hurt when im riding because ihave a back brace on. :)

I do. Doesnt sound as bad as a lot on here. Never been advised to wear a brace. With regular visits to Chiropracter I find little problem with riding, he uses ultra sound, massage and manipulation, (the later I hate:p).

When I feel unbalanced when riding I know its time to head back for another appointment!! The worst it effected my riding (ignoring pain) was when it caused a twist when rising trot, felt very odd and looked funny, had my instructor in stitches, needless to say I didnt carry on with the lesson.

My chiropracter always says he's plsd I ride and have a manual job as its helps keep things relatively strong and supple between sessions.:p:p

[sophi95]

hi thank you for all your comments :) its made me feel alot more positive about my back as i was starting to worry about the riding aspect of things:p but i am now feeling reassured :)... i think i will deffo give the massage a try :)

[Bobby-Boy]

I got diagnosed with it a year ago just after my 15th birthday, they didnt feel it was bad enough for a brace but I had to goto many physio appointments which I didnt find helped! Horse-Riding keeps me supple although I often get told for dropping my shoulder on a circle when really it is just my body! lol

I do get pain in my back and my hips especially but I am just careful what I do on what horse and I know when to stop (as soon as I feel pain!)

feel free to PM if you want a chat!


xx

[alwaysfallingof]

did the people that you have taught wear their brace whilst riding

In general...no. But let me think if I can give you a few examples - we had one little boy with a severe lateral curve and rotation and he didn't tend to wear his brace when riding. However, I kept an eagle eye on him and had all sorts of nasty exercises to make sure he sat up straight in my lessons.
One woman I taught had a fixed scoliosis and paraplegia after a RTA, she never wore a brace because it wasn't the typical kind of progressive scoliosis.

2 little boys I taught did wear braces, both had scoliosis secondary to CP and so also had generalised muscle weakness - the brace was very necessary.

Erm...I also knew a girl with moderate scoliosis secondary to hemi CP who didn't wear a brace, but her thoracic and lumbar curves balanced themselves out so she sat fairly centrally.
We had 2 people riding who had had the operation to insert a rod to straighten the spine, so they obviously didn't need braces but were still able to ride at walk :)

I think its the kind of thing you have to work out for yourself, if your doctor says wear it for exercise then he may have good reason, but my attitude has always been that if you offer a muscle too much support, it'll never gain the strength to be able to maintain the position it's being placed into.

[sophi95]

thankyou for your comments :)

[ShariN]

I have had scoliosis all my life but did not find out about it until I was 10 years old if I remember correctly. The curve is at 35% and the lower part of my spine is twisted vertially too. I did not wear a back brace because back then, it was either major surgery which rarely worked or you learned to live with it.
Because of this..if you look closely my shoulders are not level and niether are my hips.
Many instructors when I was very young, did not or could not understand that I just could not do what they were asking. For in fact my body was as straight as I could make it and what they were seeing what the scoliosis did to me.
Is why I ended up taking classes to become Ceritified as an instructor back when.
So in that respect it can affect you.
I also was never as strong as other children or adults for that matter but I sure never let it stop me from doing things!

You all know I also broke my back from the waist down a couple of years ago.Took me 8 months to just sit on Dyfra........

I rode back then as I do now. In fact.. riding my Icelandic mare because of the different movement of her walk and tolt comapred to trotting breeds..she makes my back feel better. Riding strengthens my back, like nothing else has been able to do.

Also ride in a Charles Owen body Protector, while pretty stiff, in time it will mold to your body and offer great support to your back.

[sophi95]

Hi sharIN, my curve sounds about the same as yours except i have two curves, one on the bottom and one on the top. I think my brace like your body protector helps me have a straighter position whilst riding :) ... its good to know that your icelandic horse helps ease the pain, i have never riden one before so i wouldnt really know about it easing the pain a little :)