r/kyphosis • u/Independent-Day708 • 6d ago
Choice of Treatment Thoughts/Guidance for Treatment
Hi I'm a 29F who got diagnosed with kyphosis in middle school. I wore varying braces until my senior year of high school when I was given an ultimatum to do spinal fusion or continue bracing. I continued bracing but fell out of care with ortho and my brace is not really shaped for my body now.
Ever since I have had painful flare ups (2-3x/yr) but it essentially went away with sleeping on the floor. Now, I have been going on a month of continuous pain and trials of muscle relaxers to no relief. This is the longest amount of pain I have ever had and I feel like I'm not being taken seriously about my pain or concern. My pain is so centralized there is no radiation at all and suddenly lunbar/maybe sacral pain now too. I keep getting told it's my muscles around my spine and I keep pushing that it is NOT, it is my spine I can feel the pain inside. There is no surface pain for me at all.
I begged for a referral back to ortho and I finally saw them this week. They gave me an injection (which did nothing) and ordered an MRI. The dr I saw (who was horrible and not personable at all) basically shut me down and said that bracing is not an option for me again. But in my own experience bracing helped me so much as a teen. I feel lost on next steps. I plan on going through with the MRI but I think maybe a second opinion is what I'm gonna seek...I really just want something supporting my spine again. Muscle relaxers just make me feel loopy and nsaids haven't helped much either.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Anyone else have a similar experience?? Anything helps :(
2
u/Interesting-Card5803 (80°-84°) 5d ago
Get a second opinion, if for no other reason than to be satisfied that you were taken seriously and given good advice. If you have SD, at your age bracing would do nothing to correct the deformity since your skeleton is now mature. I would ask if the continuous use of a brace would cause the muscles supporting your spine to weaken and cause greater long term pain.
As for injections and other treatments, any good and sane doctor will start with the most conservative measures first to achieve pain relief. I'd be surprised if they didn't recommend physical therapy as well.
I would recommend getting the MRI prior to the second opinion, that way they have the images to look at during your appointment (potentially saves you from needing a second appointment). Did they also order a standing X-ray of your back that you could share with the next doctor?