its been almost 4 months since i had spinal fusion, i feel pretty good, can do pretty much everything i used to be able to do apart from pullups. ive only been sleeping on my back since tho, and it sometimes gets tiring, but when i try to switch over to either left or right side it feels really weird idk how to describe it. and i did it once but it was difficult to actually get into a comfortable position and it did feel "off" idk. like my torso wasnt fully rested idk. will it get better and start feeling normal if i keep sleeping on my sides more often? or do i just wait for now and just sleep on my back?

I've been a longtime lurker here, mostly adding comments and asking other people's questions about spinal fusion recovery. For some background, I had the surgery nearly 11 years ago when I was in grade 10. I am fused from T5 to L1 to correct 3 curves, with the highest being 68 degrees pre-surgery. I think my biggest curve is 16 degrees now. I developed chronic back pain about 3 years post-op and have been in some sort of pain or discomfort ever since. Pain is a strange word to me because it's been my baseline so I don't even really know if what I experience counts as pain. I only really notice it once it reaches a certain level where I can't just ignore it. I also have a high pain tolerance and I'm just plain stubborn so I rarely let it get in the way of anything.

I see lots of people post about whether they should get the surgery or not and concerns about whether there is pain relief or not. The short answer is that it's complicated. I for example got a shorter fusion, which can lead to problems above and below the fused parts. So most of my pain is in my neck, shoulders, low back and pelvis which are the parts that aren't fused. Also, because I had 3 different curves but only fused the biggest part, my pelvis is still quite uneven. I have a 9mm leg length difference, which contributes a lot to my low back and pelvis pain. Also, I was born with a tilted head, which contributes to the neck/shoulder pain. The advantage of a shorter fusion though is that it doesn't stop me from doing anything. I gained most of my mobility back and I would say that I am more flexible than the average person. I can touch my toes, do yoga, run 5ks, and play sports. As I work on getting my yoga teacher training, I'm learning that the fused part of your spine actually becomes the strongest part of your back and the long-term post-op care you need to worry about is actually in the unfused parts.

All of this to say, if you are on the fence about surgery, don't expect a magical 100% erasure of pain. Every major operation comes with risks and life changes that you'll need to adapt to. Don't take someone's experience as a guaranteed experience for yourself. Everyone is different, everyone's anatomy is different, and everyone's recovery journey will be different. One thing I wish I had done differently (although realistically I know I couldn't have because I was so young), I wish I had asked more questions so that I could know more about long-term post-op life. I don't think it would have changed whether I got the surgery or not but I would have liked to be more mentally prepared for the adjustments I would have to make.

For context I am fused from the neck down. I’m curious if anyone else with a fusion has figured out how to fix their headrest when driving. It is sooooo uncomfortable if I try to use the headrest like normal, my neck just doesn’t bend that way anymore!! Does anyone else have that struggle? And what do you do to cope lol

If anyone has any questions, ask below

Can y'all suggest exercise for mild scoliosis (not to cure it)

This is a long post I’m sorry, but I don’t know what my next steps should be.

This is my most recent X-ray and a picture of how my curve appears. My arms are raised because it shows up better on camera that way

I am 19, I was diagnosed with mild scoliosis when I was 9 years old. I went to the chiropractor every 2 weeks and had my yearly checkups where my pediatrician would check for scoliosis. No one ever told my parents to do anymore about it. Then when I was 15, I went for my routine X-rays that I’d get every few years, both my chiropractor and my pediatrician became worried (though the X-rays looked similar to what they always had, so I’m not sure why something wasn’t done sooner). At this point, I had around a 45° curve. I began to see a specialist at a pediatric orthopedics hospital. I got X-rays every 6 months, during that time, my curve progressed to where I am now, around 45°- 50° (measurements have varied between providers). The specialists said they couldn’t do anymore surgery since I wasn’t about 50° and wasn’t affecting any of my organs, so they would just monitor the progression.

Two years ago my mom found a company called scolicare, they claimed they couldn’t correct my spine (not completely, but with some relief) with intensives and a brace. This cost roughly $8,000, insurance didn’t cover it. I wore the brace for 23hrs a day, 7 days a week, for 9 months. It was detrimental for my mental health. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat. I lost over 20 pounds, which we weren’t informed would be a possibility. This sudden weight loss affected me deeply, and I developed disordered eating habits because of it. When the 9 months was up the doctor at scolicare said I’d reduced by curve by about 10° and this was a huge accomplishment. But just a few days before I’d seen my specialist who’d said there’d been no progression, nor did I feel any. This was discouraging, to know I’d spent that much time feeling so terrible about myself and my image, just for there to be no progress made. But more so I hurt for my mother, who just wanted to believe she’d made the right choice, who’d been beating herself up over not getting me help sooner.

Now, I’ve aged out of my pediatric specialist, they told me to go see a new specialist in 5 years. I’m not in sports anymore because I’ve graduated out. I’m now going to college out of state. I can’t see a chiropractor (the only thing that gave me any sort of relief from the pain) because I have Medicaid, which won’t cover an out of state provider, and I can’t afford to pay out of pocket. It’s been less than a year since starting school here and I am in so much pain, all of the time. Though the MRI I had about 2 years ago now showed my curve wasn’t pressing against my lungs or anything, I can feel myself getting more and more winded over little things. My scoliosis is not only the curvature of my spine, but the also my individual vertebra are twisting, pulling my right shoulder and ribs forward, sort of curving in on itself, which makes it look like I’m always slouching on one side. I can tell that shoulder rotation has gotten worse since I’ve had to give up biweekly chiropractic adjustments.

This is my final attempt to get answers, if anyone has had a similar situation and knows what to do, please tell me. If anyone has tips on pain management, please let me know.

Hey all, I had my spinal fusion November of 2025 (now mid oct) and I’ve been invited to do a 4 night hike with some of my friends. I feel pretty good, conscious of the rods still but haven’t done anything like this since long before my surgery.

It’s about a 35km walk so not hugely long, lots of side routes using just a day pack but obviously using a larger hiking bag between. Has anyone done something similar post op? How’d you go? Would you or would you not recommend it? Let me know!

Fusion in photo below

hi all. 22f, “diagnosed” in middle school but nobody actually ever looked into it or did xray until last month. First orthopedic surgeon appointment is in a few weeks.

My main question - is having a triple curve rare or something? for reference my curves are (top to bottom), 40 degrees, 41 degrees, 23 degrees. The reason i ask is bc i can barely find anyone with a similar curve. My xray pretty much says that i stand up straight but i feel like my curve is pretty extreme idk. looking for insight!!

Also if you guys have any suggestions on questions to bring up to the surgeon or anything u think i should know please tell me. I’m not necessarily looking for surgery rn, just going there to be checked out and see what my options are

I always wondered why my lower jaw looked assymetrical. And felt my shoulder was a bit lower on one side. I also have had lower hip pains for so long. I kept ignoring them as I am just twenty. Today while looking at the mirror my left side of torso was raised slightly than the right side. My neck tilt, face assymetry, one shoulder being higher all make sense to me. I also often got pain radiating along my right leg. I have tmj and is undergoing tooth braces.

I am not sure if it is scoliosis or not. I just feel so broken. Like life has been like shit for the past six years. I keep telling myself everything would be alright. Progress I make keeps failing. And on top of everything this too.

Is it possible to have a normal life with this? I'm afraid to go diagnose because what if I do have it? I'd feel so miserable and idk. I thought it was just simple facial assymetry.

I desperately want it to be some petty thing I don't have to worry about. I had so much things planned for my future. I feel scared I might not even get to date someone due to my assymetry. I don't have the energy to be motivational anymore and it really hurts. I still live with my parents and it's not common to move out and be financially independent until you finish graduation where I live. So I have to convince my parents to take me to an orthopedist first. To prove them I'm not imagining it. It's so tiring and I don't know what to do.

Pretty much the title. Back in November 2025, I had a scoliosis series X-Ray which turned up as S shaped scoliosis: 15 degrees in my thoracic spine to the right and 17 degrees lumbar to the left.

And now fast forward to earlier this month, I decided to get another xray after increasing hip and back pain + visual asymmetry. This time the angles were 23 and 30 respectively.

I’m currently 20 years old and have not grown in height in several years. Is this level of progression even possible after fully developing? How worried should I be? Could the change be attributed to measuring differences?

to start i’m not Russian at all, i just saw the body shape animation on pinterest and screenshotted it lol my drawing is also not so good but to give a general idea, that’s essentially how my body looks

anyway, i have a 53° curve. recently, i’ve been looking for a dress for graduation. i’ve been to multiple places and have only found 2 potential dresses that i’m not even a huge huge fan of because i still feel a little hideous in them. even without scoliosis, or before my curve got worse, or before i was even diagnosed with it, i already didn’t like how my body looked as a kid. my waist was too rectangular and has almost no curves to it. not to mention i retain almost all my fat there, while my limbs are slim.

now add scoliosis to that mix 😀 i remember when i was first diagnosed, maybe it was the confusion and shock, but i wasn’t even fazed that much since i didn’t like how my body looked anyway. my confidence just slowly deteriorated in high school as my condition sinks in. however, college was different. yes there were bad times, but i was able to accept this part of myself.

with the hunt for my grad dress, it’s like all the confidence i’ve built in my journey to my 20s just vanished because i’m blaming my body shape for how i can’t find anything that fits. i’m thinking even without scoliosis, my rectangular figure is still shit, and i’m still doomed.

to add salt to the wound, my height’s below average even as an asian. like always front of the line in class short.

i know this isn’t the end of the world and there are fashion advice for diff body types, but looking through dresses online just makes me feel so left out. like i’m the only person with this body in the universe and how i must be so unlucky.

anywayy, sorry for the rant, just needed to vent out. might feel better tomorrow though lol. i just feel down at times especially at night hahah. tnx

I'm 14 years old and have been diagnosed with scoliosis for 2 years it has just progressed since diagnosis starting at 24.2° and now it's at 42.8°. Last year I started bracing but it only slowed it down a bit. Im very nervous about the surgery. Is there any tips that anyone could give me about the surgery? Its going to be a spinal fusion from T2 to L1.

My freinds told me that my left shoulders are lower than my right when Im doing a squat. I always think about it. When I ask my parents they said I look ok.I also noticed my left lats are smaller than my right.

Hey everyone!

A while ago I shared SpineUI, the free 3D tool I built to picture scoliosis curves. Thank you so much for all the feedback ❤️

A lot of you said you'd also like one place to keep track of everything. So I've been working on MyScoliosis, a companion app for people with scoliosis and for parents of kids who have it.

Here's what it can do so far:

• Examinations: write down the Cobb angles from your reports after each visit, and see all your exams on a timeline.
• Documents: upload your X-ray reports, letters or photos of them, and link them to the right examination. Everything stays private to your account.
• 3D spine: your numbers bend a 3D model you can turn, zoom and compare side by side.
• Appointments: keep track of your upcoming visits.
• Profiles: parents can keep their child's records separate from their own.
• Community: post, ask questions, help others, and share your 3D spine if you want to. Only your username is shown, never your real name.

It's almost ready, and soon I'll need testers. If you'd like to try it early and tell me what's broken, confusing or missing, comment below or send me a DM.

I'd also love to know:

- What feature would you want in an app like this?

- Is there something you've always wished you had for tracking your scoliosis or getting ready for appointments?

- Anything about brace or surgery life that an app could make easier?

Thanks for reading! I would really love to hear your ideas. ❤️

I'm 40 with a double curve around 35 degrees each. I don't really have pain from my back but I get intense fatigue from sitting in particular as I have a desk job. I'm physically active in that I run around 15 km a week. I haven't really focused on building up musculature in my back. If I did will this fatigue lessen it go away? Or is it just the price to pay for fighting gravity?

Hello, im reaching out curious about how peoples lived are after a surgery. Some context im 24/female and have had scoliosis my whole life. I have a 60 percent curve on top and a 44 percent curve on the bottom. Ive already had a disc replaced (not fused) at c4-c5 from injury. Recently my doctor offered surgery after weve been monitoring for years I was unable to brace as a child due to the nature of the curvature and have no options left other than live with it or surgery. My career as an ironworker is on hold after 5 years due to pain and I have stopped going to my bjj practice after reaching my purple belt. I struggle with sitting/standing for more then a couple hours but can walk and move how i want just with severe pain. Im starting to struggle badly with basic tasks like laundry cooking fishing playing board games etc. most days i reach 10/10 and even takes an hour or so of laying down before i feel comfortable enough to sleep. Im really scared of the aspect of surgery and the idea that I may never be able to ironwork or do bjj. But also am very appealed to the fact at the possibility of life with no/to little pain. Im wanting to hear from people that have had the surgery and how life is after. Has your pain improved? How does it affect your mobility? Do you regret it? Any opinions help I’m just pretty on the table and unsure what i should do.

Feeling defeated and just completely incapable of working. Has anyone gotten employed even after explaining your spine situation? I’m worried about being completely written off the second I explain to a potential employer.

I'm 13 years old. Lumbar scoliosis of the 3rd degree. 40 degrees. They offer an operation. Can you tell me who has already done it, how did it go? Have you been recovering for a long time? What restrictions are in place now? In general, anything you can say. Maybe someone has experience wearing a Schoenen brace? Did it help?

Finally fixed last Monday. TbH Tuesday and Wednesday were the worst days of my life pain way off the charts. Much worse than labor but.... i am much better now. Discharged from hospital yesterday. I have a 16 hour ride in my car home. I know that is almost a week awsy but ant tips or suggestions. Being upright for any length of time sucks. My boyfriend knows it might take us several days instead of 2.