SCOLIOSIS-a Moms observation

[Guest guest]

The Charge manual has pointed out that scoliosis is often a concern for

Chargers.

And now we have research pointing to a direct link to CHD7 to add the

exclamation point.

I just want to say that in our case, has always been followed by

ortho, of course.

She has always had pt/ot/mobility. She had hippotherapy and swimming.

Right up to age 20, when we discovered the chiari malformation, she was very

active in sports.

Yet, pictures of her at 16 and 17, compared to those at 20 and 21, are

shocking.

Specifically between ages 18 and 20, there was an acceleration of the

progression of the

scoliosis that we had no reason to suspect or anticipate. In fact, even

though at 16

she was at a 23 dgree lower curvature, all appeared to be holding steady,

and all

therapies seemed to be sufficient to sustain that. Consequently, it wasn't

a front burner

issue.

So, that changed in a 2 year period, progressing to 43 degrees, and with

forward rotation.

Di has 2 extenuating circumstances: right leg shorter, and chiari, which

also involves scoliosis,

so her experience may not be " normal " to Charge. Then again, also is

progressing despite active

therapies.

Besides hoping that medical finds some biochemical help, I'm suggesting that

it is an

area requiring continued high diligence, as scoliosis can stay stable for a

long period of time,

and then become very active, out of the blue, with no obvious probable

cause.

(many underlying probable causes-most of which all Chargers are subject to.)

I'm thinking of all our 10 year olds, who are stable right now. Could there

be a direct

link to puberty? That seemed to be our time-frame.

But regardless, 16 years of combined slow progression including long

stretches of stability,

changed rapidly and signicantly.

Correction isn't so simple. Hopefully, increased measures for prevention

will be successful.

Just maintain long term diligence. ;-)

in Ma.

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