Teenager with Scoliosis?

I'm sixteen years old and I'm a high school junior.
I have scoliosis and I'm told it's the shape of an S. One of my shoulder blades stick out but thats the only thing that is evident when somebody examines my back. Though my legs and arms are slightly not equal, I look pretty normal. I think my spine is bent about 30 degrees, but I'm not sure exactly sure how many degrees it's actually bent. I met many doctors who told me I don't need surgery, but I really want to because I have so many sudden pains in my body and I can't sleep without laying on one side - which is bad for my back. My back isn't going to get worse, the doctors said....but wouldn't a surgery just solve my problem of random, killer pain in my body?
Why won't they let me have surgery? They tell me it's okay, but it's not like THEY'RE feeling how much pain I have to live with everyday.

[sue1112]

My daughter had scoliosis surgery when she was 19 because her curvature was continuing to get worse. It was at about 56 degrees at the time of surgery. Her curvature was also in the upper back and she had some pain but she was more concerned with her appearance. Her shoulder and ribs were starting to be noticeably pronounced.
The surgery was extremely intense. At one point she coded(meaning she stopped breathing and her heart also stopped). Although this is rare to happen during surgery you need to understand that with surgery there is always a risk. It is best to know you have no other options before entering into it.My daughter had 10 vertebrae fused and titanium rods put in her back.
It has now been 10 years since her surgery. Although the curvature is better, there is not a day that goes by when she is not in some sort of pain, The only thing that helps her is knowing that it was a last resort and she would be worse without having the surgery.
You might try to find another type of treatment first. There are some great physical therapist out there that have had great success alleviating pain. I have had pain at different times in my life because of my scoliosis have finally found this type of treatment helpful. I

I am sorry you have to go through this. I know it is very difficult.

[sk123]

If you have pain because of the scoliosis, your doctor(s) should consider some options that would help you alleviate the pain. Your doctors may be reluctant to do surgery because you may have stopped growing. Your spine should not continue to get worse (higher degree of curvature) if you have stopped growing. Typically, they test for this by taking an x-ray of your hand. If you doctors say that your back isn't going to get worse, they probably believe you have stopped growing.

My sister had surgery for her scoliosis, while I did not. She was a special case in which the curvature continued to worsen after she stopped growing. I was the typical case where my back was not getting worse. Her surgery consisted of having a metal rod implanted next to her spine and metal screws to hold it against the spine. It was a very serious surgery and one that took her out of sports for a while. Neither of us had any pain from our scoliosis. If this is the type of surgery your doctors would pursue, it wouldn't improve your back, only prevent it from getting worse. So if you're not getting any worse, then this type of surgery would not help you. There may be other types of surgeries that can help your back pain, but this is the only one I'm familiar with.

[sue1112]

My daughter had scoliosis surgery when she was 19 because her curvature was continuing to get worse. It was at about 56 degrees at the time of surgery. Her curvature was also in the upper back and she had some pain but she was more concerned with her appearance. Her shoulder and ribs were starting to be noticeably pronounced.
The surgery was extremely intense. At one point she coded(meaning she stopped breathing and her heart also stopped). Although this is rare to happen during surgery you need to understand that with surgery there is always a risk. It is best to know you have no other options before entering into it.My daughter had 10 vertebrae fused and titanium rods put in her back.
It has now been 10 years since her surgery. Although the curvature is better, there is not a day that goes by when she is not in some sort of pain, The only thing that helps her is knowing that it was a last resort and she would be worse without having the surgery.
You might try to find another type of treatment first. There are some great physical therapist out there that have had great success alleviating pain. I have had pain at different times in my life because of my scoliosis have finally found this type of treatment helpful. I

I am sorry you have to go through this. I know it is very difficult.

[sk123]

If you have further questions, you may also want to sign up for the health chat tomorrow. A specialist on back pain from Cleveland Clinic (one of the best hospitals in the country) is answering questions for free for 1 hour.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_chats/register/43

[Tailzz]

I also have scoliosis and got diagnosed at age nine. I have a brace and although slightly uncomfortable, they do help. At one point my bottom curve was 39 degrees and I would have had to have surgery if my next brace didn't work. Braces can make miracles happen. After 3 months, my bottom curve was back down to 20 degrees. I would suggest getting a back brace If you don't have one already and if you don't, try it. I've had my brave for 3 yrs now and would strongly reccomrnd it for someone with a severe curve like yours.

Stay strong xx

I would be happy to talk to you further If you need to.