straight back?

My shoulder tend to curl down giving me a arching back. Anyone as a tric to help me straightned my back without causing to much back pain or HA?

[nsalem656]

I don't know much about straightening back but when it comes to pain to do something I love ice packs. They work great on the back especially.

[selmaS]

  Do u have kyphoscoliosis type of scoliosis which again is related to EDS, it causes the shoulders to round down and forward causing a rounded back...see the pic and see if it is how ur back is-http://sarahcannon.com/your-health/index.dot?id=128098&lang=English&db=hlt&ebscoType=healthindex&widgetTitle=EBSCO%20Health%20Index%20-%20Generic

I wish there was a quick and easy tip...outside of a brace I do not have a way to correct this except to practice posture, one of the NL I saw said to practice Feldenkrais....I found books but did not understand them, my  DD is going to read them and show me how to utilize this method.

[drewlevas]

Thank! But I think I'll stick with heat packs for now! It's way to cold in my region for ice packs at this moment. We leave in an old house and I never get warm enough! Good trick for summer time tho!

[drewlevas]

Well I looked at the picture and yes my back does look like that just not a pronouced. I use to be 5'2'' and my pcp told me at my last apointment that I was 5 feet even! I'm to young to shrink!!!

[nsalem656]

Oops I forgot what time of the year it is. Heating pads are good in cold weather and of course hot baths don't hurt. (I take hot baths in summer too) 0:)

[drewlevas]

Ya hot bat would be nice! But we only have an half bath! It's ok for the kids, but it leaves us the shower. So a good hot shower feels good to.

[nsalem656]

I take hot showers in the summer as well. I'm crazy. The best way to take care of pain is to use what works. I love heat and cold therapy.

[selmaS]

  With raynauds I can not use ice as it make me hurt more...only heat will do for me....once I went for a shot can't remember the type of shot right now, but they sprayed this cold freeze spray to numb the area first....and I had frost bite from it and the mark was there over a yr.....

[nsalem656]

Ouch. That's why I say do what works. Stop doing what doesn't. I didn't like it when they gave me the cortizone shot which had the same freezing method. Was it a cortizone shot?

[drewlevas]

I feel for you. I don't like cold much either! When it's realy cold outside in winter time even if I have my big coat I end up having terrible back pain and HA!

[selmaS]

Yes, that is it...I just could not recall ...love how chiari takes somethings from our memory....lol....and then there are times I know things that surprise me...lol...oh well...

[nsalem656]

I've been noticing certain memory problems, but I can still tell you my favorite poem I wrote in high school by heart. Of course it's my fav but there are things I still remember like the famous speech Macbeth says in Macbeth. I read that in high school. It's weird isn't it.

[nsalem656]

My pains are always the wrist in the winter. Neck pain happens too.

[drewlevas]

I still recal a fable I had to learn by heart in grad school, but I have difficulty to remember what I had for breakfast. I love my brain!

My father used to say: Memory is made to forget!

[selmaS]

  I too recall a poem by memory from 1977....but do not ask me what happened recently it is short term memory that is shot....crazy

[nsalem656]

I like to memorize song lyrics to help me keep my memory sharp and boy do I need it. I can't do notes in class so I have to depend on my memory to get through school. (doesn't always work) I got one wrong on a quiz(among others) and I was conviinced she didn't mention it in the lecture but all the classmates disagreed with me.

[drewlevas]

I'm so glad I'm done with studies before my Chiari acted up! Could you use a recorder in class, you should ask your teachers. I used to to that and it was great. They were letting me do because of my disability (autism!).

[nsalem656]

They let me but it's diffucult in certain classes. Example my fav, subject math and computer science. You have to see what they write on the board or on the computer.

You have autism. It didn't seem like that to me.

My sister thinks I have aspergers. (she's a child psychologist.) I don't know anymore. I just seem cranky all the time.

[drewlevas]

Ya I have Asperger syndrom (syndrome)! At 30 some years old and a lot of work on both my mother's part and mine it can pass almost undetectable now! But believe me I'm still Aspie. I have my mania, and when I get over tired or to much pain it seems that I regress! At my bad days I will rock on myself, I handflip and even make small noises which make my mother go out of her whits!

I'm lucky to have a very comprehensive hubby, for I dont like been touched because the smallest finger touch can feel like a electric shock! I'm a complicated gal! I express myself better on a keyboard then in person!

Crazy hein?

[nsalem656]

Hmm. I'm the same way. Why do I think this and chiari might be related though. Do you know of anyone else with both?

[drewlevas]

Can I ask you what you are studing in? I'm just curious :).

[nsalem656]

Would you believe computer science and math. What can I say I'm good at programming and square roots (not literally).

[drewlevas]

Well I read on the internet, don't ask me where I can't remember that both are believe to be related!

They found out that kids with severe autism that had symptoms of HA and where found to have Chiari after an MRI scan, and that had the decompression done where improving. This kids where going from deep autism to light autism after the surgery and the HA symptoms where almost gone.

Grrr I wonder why I cant find this article again! I should have printed it out! I read that last summer at the library, before I got a laptop for my birthday!

[nsalem656]

It probably is on a library database. Maybe not. That gives me hope. HA is headache right?

[drewlevas]

Yes this could be helpfull

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological%20Disorders/Acronyms-and-computer-short-hand/show/509?cid=186

[nsalem656]

Selma and you are great to give me the link but I can't memorize them all in one day.

[drewlevas]

I actualy cheat! I keep the link as a bookmark on my computer desktop, so when I dont remember a link I go and open it to check it out. ;)

[nsalem656]

snicky. We all do what we have to do to get by. I guess.

[irislita]

Haha...my sister too thinks i am authistic.i can be really weired too...but i really connect it to chiari...which lets u explode like a bomb sometimes too...

[nsalem656]

Now that I think about it the symptoms definity can be innerchangable with aspergers.Burst out fits are irritability and a symptom of chiari.That means sis was incorrect. I wonder how many other psychologists were wrong about their patients.

[jiggle93]

so much to say after reading this!!!!
First, my nephew has aspie. He was finally admitted into a school that specializes in autism. He has been there for about 6 mo. now and my sister in law says its like night and day difference in him. But with the comment on how autism and chiari have been found together...I would love some more info on this. I have never heard this, and she hasnt either. Has me very curious.
Also, my oldest DD was sent to a specialist because she had leg pain. They discovered she has patella femoral syndrome . While there the Dr noticed her spine/ribs/shoulders. he said that this is a birth defect. We had never noticed it as a small child. It has increased as she has gotten older, now teenager.  For the life of me I cant remember what he called it, but explained that her frame/bones were formed to curve in. Nothing to help but she could try exercises to help the muscles. He never gave us any exercises. Now I am thinking about the EDS, as all of my kids are beyond flexible and perform little freak shows to friends and guests showing how unique they are because of the things they contort their body into.  I too am very flexible and use to be able to sit and put both legs up and behind my head.  So many things to wonder about now!!!!

[drewlevas]

I'm sorry I realy cant remember the link for the article. I'm still looking for it.

[selmaS]

  All 3 of my sister's boys are in the ADHD spectrum...one is dx'd with aspbergers....so this is interesting....

[drewlevas]

This is not the article I read last summer but they're not bad either:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/health&id=5251919

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/health&id=5251975

[drewlevas]

An other one:

http://archive.blisstree.com/feel/chiari-malformation/

[drewlevas]

and one more

http://www.informationaboutautism.com/resources/Chiari_Malformations/

[selmaS]

  This makes me wonder if chiari gives symptoms similar that were mis dx'd as  autism and ADHD...as I am sure not all with the Dx have chiari....

This sure throws another log on the fire.....

[nsalem656]

It's more likely that the ones with chiari and adhd /autism like symptoms are just mis dxed as adhd/autism

[selmaS]

  That is what I meant to say.....

[nsalem656]

I meant I agree with you. Doctors have been mis dxing me since I remember. I can't even get rid of the bad ones because I end up with more bad docs. :( At least I have an explanation for why I don't feel right.

[selmaS]

  I have been researching chiari and down syndrome....my SIL has downs and I swear this is what is an issue for her, but my MIL thinks it  is just her limitations as a result of having downs....there are too many high functioning people out there with downs that I do not accept that, plus I know what she was capable of and have see a down hill slide...and it is GERD related, balance issues, head and neck pains....and they ignore what I say and what she says as everything hurts her...she now has OCD so bad and never had it b4, and it is also related to chiari....I keep looking for more articles and I send them, but I do not think she reads them....My MIL that is,,,lol....

[drewlevas]

Well I also have two autistic kids. I want them checked for Chiari, but the doctors wont lisen to me.

[nsalem656]

I was told I had learning disabilities but everytime I get tested they say it's vague, yet I'm smarter than most of the disabled out there (more likely because I like to read and college). I'm not sure anymore.

[selmaS]

  I did poorly in school....had a very hard time...never was tested, but, I do not think I have an issue, now, back then....I did wonder.

[nsalem656]

I did poor in grammer school. I also was made fun of lots. I did well in high school but was still made fun of. I failed out of college the first time I tried. I eventually fought my health problems and them to get back in. I'm lucky I'm as successful as I am.