Bent But Not Broken

What is scoliosis?

What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is an abnormal curving of the spine. Your spine is your backbone. The spine runs straight down your back. Everyone’s spine naturally curves a tiny bit. But people with scoliosis have a spine that curves too much. The spine might look like the letter “c” or letter “s”. Scoliosis usually affects girls between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Often times there are not any symptoms for scoliosis unless it gets severe. When you do experience symptoms and effects of scoliosis, you may experience things like one shoulder higher than the other, some cases the hip may appear higher than other, head may not be centered over his or her body, shoulder blade may stick out more than the other one, and the ribs are higher on one side when you bend forward from the waist. Most of the time scoliosis does not cause pain. When back pain starts it’s because the curve in the spine is causing stress and pressure on the spinal discs, nerves, muscles, ligaments, or facet joints. It is not usually caused by the curve itself. If you or anybody you know is experiencing any of this you should see a doctor.

More than a back problem

Hearing the word scoliosis people often tend to just think of it as affecting your back, and affecting you physically. I was one of those people before having surgery I thought scoliosis just had an effect on your physical life. I soon learned that scoliosis affects you mentally and emotionally as well. I saw myself having good days and bad days and go from happy to sad quite often. I felt as if no one in the world understood me or what I was going through while dealing with scoliosis. I got to the point where I was so miserable and tired of holding all my feelings in that I made an Instagram page for girls dealing with \scoliosis and in less than a week I had more than 100 followers from around the world. Realizing that I wasn’t alone in the world made me realize that I had to spread awareness to scoliosis I wanted everyone in the world to know that scoliosis is more than a back problem. Not only was I motivating and sharing my stories with young girls they were motivating and sharing their stories as well we instantly became a scoliosis family where we could laugh together as well as cry together. I came in contact with girls dealing with eating disorders, self-esteem problems, depression, self-harm and much more. I let the girls know that they could be themselves and no one would judge them. Every morning I made it my job to tell the girls how beautiful they are and how you have to love yourself and constantly encourage yourself. In life as young girls we tend to let society determine who we are and who we should be but I try to encourage girls to be them no matter what because how you see yourself is the only thing that matters. As the old saying goes If God made us all perfect no one would be unique. So as young girls we should be happy that we are perfectly imperfect. I want all scoliosis teens and just all teens in general to know that the love of God and self-love is the most important type of love you can have. Love God and yourself first then everything else will fall into place.