How to Look Good Twisted?

We have all heard of Gok Wan and I am sure many of our readers follow his show for fashion advice and tips, I know that I certainly do.

Just recently we have been discussing clothes shopping when you have Scoliosis, how we try to hide our curves, what bikinis we should be wearing, how to hide our rib humps, those with Scoliosis will be following the drift.

All of us girls on the support group were wondering if Gok Wan wanted to take on the Scoliosis challenge and give us girls advice on how we should dress our rib humps, uneven chests and curved spines and put smiles back on the faces of women around the World who struggle daily with pain from their spines.

A little about Gok Wan
Gok Wan presents the inspirational fashion series that shows women "How to look good naked". This fantastic TV programme shows women how to look good with their clothes on or off no matter what their body shape - and all without a surgeon's scalpel in sight...

Gok Wan also has another website which hosts lingerie advice, fashion and style tips along with tips from Gok himself

So, Gok Wan we call out to you, us twisted sisters need your help with advice and style tips on "How to Look Good Twisted"

Thanks, the girls from the Scoliosis Support Group

Scoliosis and Clothes Shopping

Clothes shopping for people who have Scoliosis has always been an issue, either you hide away from the public or you let it all hang out, whichever one you are you are reminded that you have Scoliosis when you go to the shops for new clothes, majority of us come home depressed. Clothes shopping with Scoliosis is a constatnt reminder that we are more curvier than most!!!!

We have been discussing clothes and rib humps and scars on the group, and we have some very interesting views to clothes and Scoliosis.

Unfortunately, there are many Scoliosis patients out there who are not quite as aggressive as myself as I tend to run with the attitude of "who cares what others think of me, I have Scoliosis, so what!", I wear up to date fashion and I don't let my Scoliosis dictate what I can and cannot wear to some extents, of course I don't wear what I am uncomfortable in or what does not suit me but I certainly will not shy away from going to the beach because of my lopsided-ness, I do not agree that because we have a disability we should hide it, I am a great fan of saying "if you don't like what you see, look the other way".

I wore a plaster cast for 7 months post surgery, finding clothes that were trendy and comfortable was not an easy task for me or my Mother, but we still managed it and I was always in up to date fashion, we just had to buy bigger sizes, jeans and skirts with elasticated waists, all helps.

Summer is well underway and all the girls have come out in their little shorts, strappy tops, bathing suits, bikinis, high heeled shoes, spagetti straps, and everything that resembles Summer, this is the worst time of year for the Scoliosis patient!

After discussing this topic on the group there are few different thoughts and feelings on clothes and shopping where Scoliosis is concerned, many like to hide away under baggy t-shirts whereas some (such as myself) refuse to hide away and wear strappy tops, bikinis on the beach etc, etc.

A summary of what some are saying about various tops

Tank tops have a thumbs up from members, as they find their flaws are hidden with a button down shirt over the top

The problem that most women and men have when dressing with Scolisis is that most women's tops have straight lines which are meant that way so they hang better and look more respectable, on a personj with Scoliosis this just enhances that the shoulders are not even, some of our ladies are buying polo shirts from the men's section as they are very unisex, they are finding these very appealing as they do not accentuate crooked lines or show the fact that some of us with Scoliosis have our ribs down by our waist!

Two piece bathing suits seem to be very popular amongst our members with majority opting for this option for the beach (myself included), these two piece bathing suits are ideal because they come up high enough to disguise the Scoliosis. I have also seen other groups talking about tankinis and apron top suits because they cover the stomach, these are popular with those who have just come out of a brace as there are usually marks on the skin.

If you are wearing a brace at the moment and have a pool party to go to then we have some ideas to get you going:
Take a loose shirt with you to wear over your bikini/tankini/two piece
Remove the brace hours before to allow the marks to fade
Wear something underneath your brace that day to reduce the marks on the skin

We have found that dresses with a band under the boobs makes your lower body look more equal, these are hit with our ladies.

I also find that linen trousers are a good hit with me as they tend to hide me very well because the trousers flow better, so I have linen trousers in every colour! I also like shorts and longer tops that cover the band of the shorts so I look even.

If you have Scoliosis and would like to share your thoughts on clothes then go ahead and tell us what you like best.

Chriopractors vs Scoliosis Specialists

OK, so I am seeing a lot of blog posts coming out saying things like "have Scoliosis, come visit our Chiropractor", since when did the Chiros become professionals in twisted spines? For starters they are not medical doctors so I advise that you see a proper Scoliosis specialist before you see a Chiropractor!

When I had my surgery in 1989 with a Harrington rod from T4 to L1 I was told in under no circumstances should I see a Chiro, Dr Jackson told me this from Southampton General Hospital, over the last 5 years that I have been running groups and chatting on various other groups, the general consensus across the board is do not see a Chiropractor, some groups do not even allow you to talk about them!

I do have a slightly different view to most I have to say, I do allow people to talk about their treatments because I am all for sharing and if a patient had good results then share them, we are all individuals at the end of the day and we react to different treatments, however, these people who have used them are long in the tooth with Scoliosis, such as myself who is in to year 20 with the good old Harrington (go faster stripe) rod and are willing to take risks.

I would NOT advise this for new kids on the block, if you have been diagnosed by your GP with Scoliosis then you MUST and I cannot stress this enough, go and see a proper specialist in the field of Scoliotic spines, you cannot crack a spine back into place, it is bending for goodness sakes!

Join our Scoliosis Support Group and link with other patients to get help with choosing your surgeon.

There is NO CURE as such for Scoliosis, there are many proved and tested ways to help treat a Scoliotic spine but unfortunately, right now surgery is the only way if you have a curvature in your spine which is over 50º.

As some of you know I tried Bowen which I would say is a lighter form of Chiropractice, no cracking or pulling bones, more manipulation of the muscles, this helped me a great deal but I think now that has worn off and the Bowen is not helping me as much as it did last year so I have not gone for a few weeks.

Now, understand my posting here, I am not slating all Chiropractors across the World, I am writing this post because I am concerned for the Scoliosis patients out there who may not be getting the right care that they need and trust me when you have Scoliosis there is no better Dr to see than one who is dedicated to Scoliosis, it is a bit like asking a builder to write a website, why would you? Why would you take advice from a Chiropractor when you should be seeing a Scoliosis Dr?

I am not a Chiropractor hater, they offer good work to patients I am sure but I have lived with Scoliosis for 20 years now and over those years I have come to realise the importance of dealing with the right surgeon for your Scoliosis.

So, let the discussion begin, what are your thoughts on Chiropractice care, pros and cons?

Do you think that it is OK to be treated by a Chiropractor instead of seeing a Scoliosis Dr? Share your experiences with us and let's get the record straight on Chiro vs Dr.

PowerPumper - Fun Therapy

I just had to share this fantastic new rehabilitation tool or perhaps we should say toy that has come onto the market to help all children from the ages five to eleven.

What is the Power Pumper for?
From watching videos and reading information about this bike/scooter it is a unique mobility device for occupational and physical therapists, educators and children with therapeutic or health-related needs.

This innovative, award-winning, therapeutic mobility device has a unique pumping action which provides movement for both upper and lower extremities, and helps build trunk muscles. The Power Pumper is used in therapy and physical education activities for building endurance and muscle development.

The Power Pumper provides these benefits:
* Rehabilitation - Encourages normal movement in upper and lower extremities
* Appeals to all children
* Children feel safe because of its low center of gravity
* Sturdy, durable construction will hold up to 300 pounds
* For boys & girls ages 5 to 11
* Winner of an Industrial Design Excellence Award
* Meets or exceeds all requirements as set forth by the United States ASTM
* F963-96a, European EN-71 and Canadian CRC 931 safety tests

The Power Pumper Helps Children Develop:
* Bilateral Coordination
* Extremity Development
* Esteem & Confidence
* Social Skills Development
* Praxis or Motor Planning
* Motor Coordination
* Posture Stability
* Spatial Awareness
* Speech
* Regulation of Activity
* Building Endurance
* Directionality
* Muscle Tone
* Visual Skills
* Age appropriate play skills


You may be able to obtain funding for this Power Pumper and the website that is selling these Power Pumpers for children have a section for you to complete which shows you where funding is available.

Funding for the Power Pumper, select the link.

Currently it seems they have the Power Pumper for children in Lime & Green - Black & Red, with the Junior version for 3-5 year olds coming out soon.

They also have the adult Power Pumper version which is also to be launched soon. The prototype attains speeds in excess of 45 mph and handles well. It is estimated that the Adult Power Pumper will weigh approximately 15 pounds and will fold up for easy transportation.

I have also decided to become an affiliate of Power Pumper because I liked the item so much and I can see the benefits that it will bring to many children under-going rehabilitation, movement is so crucial after major surgery and this Power Pumper is just the kiddy to help do that!

Below is a Video for you to view the Power Pumper in use:

Find a Cure for Scoliosis

Today we started a cause on Facebook to help raise the awareness of Scoliosis around the globe while raising money for the Scoliosis Research Society at the same time.

Please help drive our cause, share our link with your friends and spread the word, our aim is to raise $1,000 by the end of September this year.

All of our readers know how Scoliosis makes us feel and wouldn't it be lovely to know where our Scoliosis came from and change us from being "unknown" to categorised with a meaning behind the disease?

Thanks for your continued support with the scoliosis blog, website and support group.

My new Boston Brace

So now I am in my third boston brace. :(

It hurts.

The side that goes up is on the right, whereas it used to be on the left. It feels so different.

It's made me really sick as well.

I don't have holes in it yet, so it is really really hot. Last night, I lost my appetite and didn't eat dinner, then this morning, I went pale and felt really sick and weak. I went back to bed and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I couldn't see anything! My parents were going to call the ambulance.

Oh even though I TRY to stay positive, it's so hard. Bracing sucks. :(

Here's a picture of my new brace (without holes) and my old brace.

Magic!

Today I took Laura back to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) for her one-year post-op check, all is well and she doesn't have to go back there for a year.

What I hadn't appreciated is that Laura had an S-shaped curve, the surgery was on the lower bit. Either because of that, or via some kind of magic, the upper curve has gone from about 25 degrees to 18 degrees all by itself.

I can't rate the RNOH highly enough - they've become a Foundation Trust and I've become a member.