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Scoliosis testing in schools in UK
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My daughter Emma is 11 years old and last March underwent corrective scoliosis (curvature of the spine)surgery for an S curve of 80 degrees and 70 degrees which had been diagnosed the previous March. After a traumatic time, physically and mentally, she is now doing very well and has gained in confidence as well as height. She has started a petition to try and get schools in the UK to test children for scoliosis to try and detect the problem before it gets to the need for surgery. The doctor has said that Emma has probably had scoliosis for the past 5 or 6 years and if she had done the forward bend test it could have been diagnosed earlier. Her sister who is 6 has now been diagnosed with scoliosis, although mild they are keeping an eye on it to see if it progresses like Emma's.
Emma would much appreciate if everyone could take a couple of minutes out of their time to sign her petition which she intends to give to the Prime Minister to raise this awareness. The petition can be found at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/start-testing-for-scoliosis-in-schools
Many thanks and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all. Christine, Emma and Megan -
Good luck to Emma - I know my school did test as I remember the posters in the first aid room...but that was a few years ago!
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Good luck Emma.
I have lifelong scoliosis, unfortunately the not operable type. It's such a simple thing to diagnose, it should be done during the usual health checks that kids have these days. I support your idea. 
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when I was at school they checked us for scoliosis..but not til we were 11 or 12.
I think they are cutting back on a lot of tests anyway. The sight tests at 6 or 7 have gone round our way. They just send a letter out advising you to get your child's sight tested now.
Good luck with your petition.This is a reply to this message.
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I thought all the schools in this country checked for scoliosis
http://www.sauk.org.uk/
the above organisation ran a watch that back campaign years ago I supplied some of the posters through the school nurses, its also a good place to find out more about scoliosis.
My 40 year old daughter had surgery for it many years ago.This is a reply to this message.
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Hi Emma,
Just to wish you all the very best with your petition in regards to scoliosis. I have spinal stenosis/spina bifida occultta. It was not noticed until I was 27 years old and has become a big problem lately. So I belief in what you hope to achieve and I am very happy to put my name to your petition. GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESSThis is a reply to this message.
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So glad that Emma is doing well and trying to raise awareness for others. I think I read about your petition in the SAUK Backbone newsletter. I will definitely sign up.
I'm an 36 year old woman with scoliosis (never had surgery) and it was never tested for in my school days. I don't think schools were even aware of it. Things definitely need to change!
Other people with scoliosis might be interested in my scoliosis blog at www.notgillianmckeith@blogspot.com
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hi my name is ezabeth mcdaniel as growing up and goin to school i was liveing my life fine until i was 18 years old and i found out i had scoliosis. they said i was fine and there was not much they could do. i am 20 years old now and i am dealing with so much pain in my back leg i cant work i cant be on my feet long i cant even walk for 5 minutes with out my back and leg hurting i dont kno what to do i cant work my back is just getting worse.
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How long is it since you were seen by a specialist? (I'm guessing 2 years...)
It might be worth asking your GP to refer you for a follow up. Even if there is "nothing" they can do, they can help you manage the condition with physio and pain killers.
I can empathise with you... Try to maintain the strength in the muscles which support your back. Keep moving.
The best thing my Mum ever did for me as I grew up was keep yelling "Sit up straight put your shoulders back!".
Try to hold yourself up and straight as possible, develop as good a posture as you can, this will keep the muscles working and will in time help ease some of the discomfort you do have.
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Hi Christine, Emma and Megan
My daughter Ria is 13 and just today was diagosed by our consultant with scoliosis. We are completley new to this and Ria is constantly being looked at by coaches/pe teachers etc as she is exceptionally sporty, is swimming for the County etc always used by the school for all their A team sports. Nobody picked it up. I am more than happy to sign your petition. We only just spotted her right shoulder blade sticking out last week at the dinner table and though it was just bad posture but checked it with the GP anyway. We have moved swiftly with this to find that she has an S curve of 46 degrees and 32 degrees.
The consultant has said it will just need monitoring for the moment to see how it progresses and he will see her again in 3-4 months he seems calm and not concerned. As you can imagine I am tearing my hair out as these degrees seem high right now from what I have read.
May I ask, was Emma's surgery sugested quite early on after she had been diagnosed?This is a reply to this message.
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Dear Emma
I think it is fantastic you have got a petition together. Did you know that the government has plans to reintroduce school nurses? We need to make sure they do scoliosis screening as part of their job.
Please get in touch with me if you want to pursue this further.
And best of luck with the campaign,
Madeleine Holt, scoliosis sufferer/Culture correspondent, BBC NewsnightThis is a reply to this message.
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I am all for this Emma , God bless you and lets get screening again in the UK
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Hello, i ve just joined here and hope im not doing anything wrong but i suffer from Scoliosis and would really like contact with someone else with it, my email address is [Personal details removed by Moderator] I am a 27 year old girl and live in West Yorkshire. Feel free to contact me.
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scoliosis is suprising common and I was never tested but like most people I know was diagnosed while seeing a doctor for something else, he was checking my chest and he asked if I knew I had it. It didn`t realy bother me but I was aware it was visable so I tried to hide it but then at 23 I was in a horrific car accident and my lower back and pelvis wer broken/crushed which left me disabled and my latest orthopod told me last week that being a wheelchair user has made it much worse and I try to get around the house on crutches and this also has made it worse and my neurologist can`t help either. I know have only one limb without nerve damage severe root canal stenosis the length of my spine, no intervertabrle spaces and herniated discs in my neck, to name just some of the things I have.
I dont`t know if screening would have helped me but my 19 year old daughter has pins and needles in her arms but won`t let anyone examine her and scoliosis runs in familys so i`m worried about her. Also in the passed monthe I have heard about another teenager getting diagnosed by her GP and it upset her and her family the way it was done, she was told she would end up in a wheelchair which is exactly what was said to my uncle when he was diagnosed and I hope any campaign would help stop this kind of upsetting diagnosis its bad enought to be told you have a condition but it should be handled delicatley. you have my full support in your campaignThis is a reply to this message.
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Thank you Emma! I'm very glad to hear you are feeling better. I would like you to know I have a curvature of 57 and 42. However, my condition was not recognised, it was misdiagnosed and I am feeling the negative sides from that.
You are right about screening in schools, but I think that the Doctors should diagnose the condition when you see him/her in a general check up. I was even telling my Doctor that I was in pain, he/she put it to other things. I think it should be more aware to the GP's as well as schools.
You are doing a great job, and I am happy to sign your petition. Please keep us updated with your progress. Thank you once again. You take care.This is a reply to this message.
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Sorry about the delay in replying, haven't checked the boards for a while.
Emma was diagnosed in March 2006, her curves were approximately 55 and 45. Her surgeon was very open with us and said Emma would definitely need surgery but would try and put off as long as possible. By November 2006 her curves had progressed and said she needed the surgery as soon as possible. He wanted to do it before December but she asked if it could wait until after her 11th birthday in January. He agreed and after a few false starts took place in March 2007. Her right shoulder blade also stuck out.
Emma's consultant was fantastic, full of reassurance and spoke directly to Emma. I had total faith in him and the surgery went better than anyone expected ending up with curves of about 20 and 18 degrees which was better than Mr Fender expected, he thought he could get them down from 80 to about 40.
I know how traumatic a time you are all going through and how it is all a waiting game. Try to be strong and ask your consultant any questions you need to. You might be interested in a forum/group on yahoo.com called scoliosisnutty which is full of information and has members all over the world. I found a need to gather together as much information as possible and was always on the net.
Have you any other children? Have they been checked out? I have another daughter, Megan, who is 7 and last year I noticed one of her shoulders was higher than the other - I took her along to Emma's next check-up and found out that Megan too has scoliosis, only a very mild curve but now they are keeping a check on her.
From what I have read Ria's curves are bordering on the need for surgery. I think the surgeons try and wait as long as possible to give the spine the chance to grow before fusion takes place.
How is Ria coping with the diagnosis? Emma struggled to come to terms with it, and when it came to the surgery she didn't want it done but didn't have a choice. Now 18 months after surgery she can't imagine how her life would have been without having had the operation. She is a stronger person because of it.
We all wish Ria and your family best wishes for the future and please ask any other questions you need to, I will make sure I keep checking the boards regularly. ChristineThis is a reply to this message.
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Hi Madeleine, sorry for the delay in replying, I haven't checked the boards for quite a while. I have just been in touch with Rebecca and given the go-ahead for the link. Good luck with the site. Christine
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I am sorry to hear about what you have been through.
I am also surprised that this teenager was given the diagnosis in such a way by her GP. He/she needs a referral to a specialist spinal surgeon who can assess their curves and then decide treatment or monitoring. There is no way that their GP can foresee their future as living in a wheelchair. Emma's curves were 80 and 70 degrees when she had surgery but at no point did her consultant say she would end up in a wheelchair. Best wishes, Christine.This is a reply to this message.
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Emma is doing well and does not need another check up with her consultant until next August. The fusion is 100% successful.
Yes GPs need to be fully aware of what to look for but both my daughters, Emma and Megan (who has since been diagnosed with mild scoliosis by Emma's consultant) had numerous appointments with their GPs and in Megan's case paediatricians for other medical conditions yet their spines were never looked at. I had only read in a magazine about scoliosis before Emma's diagnosis, I did not know what to look out for but believe that parents should be made more aware of scoliosis and how to check for it.
Thank you for signing Emma's petition.This is a reply to this message.
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Hi
My daughter, Abbi, was diagnosed with scoliosis at the end of May and she is due to have surgery in 3 weeks time. Her curve is 58 degrees. We are all extremely worried about the next few weeks. Anyone else who is due to have surgery soon? It would be great to speak to people who are feeling the way we are.
I am also only too happy to sign the petition. I noticed my daughter's curve quite by chance and then punished myself for not noticing it sooner. I also have a 6 year old daughter and check her weekly now.
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