To an average bystander I am just a normal girl, full of life and as healthy as can be. But the reality can be far different. Last year I became sick after years of ill health had taken its toll and I had no idea what to do. I was being sick, feeling fatigued and had no energy whatsoever. Most of all I was in excruciating pain; my back was constantly sore and I could feel the tension knots bubbling underneath my skin. I had no idea that the pain I was getting was actually serious and after a series of tests I was diagnosed with scoliosis, a dislocated deltoid, hyper mobile joints and the early signs of arthritis in my joints. In short if I didn’t sort out my back immediately then within a few years the damage could become permanent. Naturally I wondered why I had such bad back and joint pain for most of my life and was told that it was partly connected with genetics but it was also caused by a lot of other factors including stress, insomnia, poor posture, mishandling of heavy objects and in general putting too much pressure on my back which I admit comes as no surprise to me.
I have been a certified insomniac for the past 4-5 years and get an average of 3-5 hours sleep every night, which has a huge impact on your back and joint mobility. For example imagine you wake up feeling groggy after a night of poor quality sleep, you spend the entirety of the day trying to shake off the grogginess that is associated with sleep deprivation. I like to call it ‘brain fog’; brain fog exists when the nerves in the Central Nervous System becomes trapped, causing tension knots underneath your skin and blocking the oxygen that you need to think from reaching its destination ‘the brain’. The brain is then left feeling confused and disorientated and it can be difficult to focus and concentrate throughout the day. This is something I deal with on a daily basis but I am not complaining because I know it could be a lot worse and I am far better than I was a year ago.
My mobility to the naked eye is ‘perfect’, after all I am only ‘young’ but the fact that I have to have physio clearly shows that my joints are in poor shape. When I sit in a chair there is a constant strain in my upper back, neck and shoulders and lately I have found that my arms and wrists are becoming more painful too. Because I don’t have a desk in my room I have to use my bed to ‘blog’ and as comfortable as that can be it is also incredibly bad for your posture. I remember being told off growing up for ‘slumping’ and now I wish I heeded their advice because my spine is now curved and if it gets any worse it will need to be operated on. At the moment I can’t afford any more physio because living in London is incredibly expensive but my physiotherapist recommended that I research into ‘riser recliner chairs’ which while usually associated with assisting the elderly with their mobility is also available to people from all age groups who may have spinal disorders, arthritis, stress and anxiety and other mobility related disorders. In short the chair would help me improve my posture while supporting my back whose core has become weakened over the years. In an ordanairy chair spending too much time sitting down is bad for your mental and physical health but because the recliner chair has been specially formulated to ‘support’ the back and joints you can spend longer periods of time sitting down.
Its always important to remain active even when you do have back issues and if you are dealing with scoliosis like myself you should always check with the doctors what sports or exercises you can do alongside your physio. I do a lot of dancing and walking which has left me with strong legs while I am recommended to do Pilates alongside my physio to strengthen my weak core and support my back. That being said after a long day of work exercise can be the furthest thing from your mind and when all you want to do is relax, the recliner chair is definitely on my must do ‘relax list’. I often struggle with focusing on myself and promoting self-care but with my back I know that it is essential because I don’t want my back to become older than its years.
Are You Dealing With Scoliosis?
*Disclosure
Please note this is a collaborative post but all thoughts and opinions are my own and are not affected by monetary compensation.
I have scoliosis as well as Ehlers Danlos Syndome – I can relate to a lot of what you’ve written. Unfortunately dancing is definitely not something I can do (although I do try sometimes) but I find swimming and aqua aerobics are great for keeping my core strength up.
Never thought of using a rising recliner chair but my Grandma has one and my Grandad always did too (he had Parkinsons Disease). Will take a look into the benefits – definitely up for relaxing if I can 🙂
Ana you look great sorry to hear about your health issues. Hope you are looking after yourself. R
I am sorry to hear about your condition Ana. Good to remain active.
Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis of Scoliosis. I have insomnia too but lucky don’t usually suffer from bad back unless I have been sitting at my desk for longer than 10 hours which is normal for me.
You look awesome but really sad to heard about your health issue 🙁 Get well soon always and keep shinning
I’m sorry to hear about your health issues I must admit scoliosis isn’t something in know much about.
Sorry never heard of your condition but would be interested to hear more about it. You look beautiful and hope the health issue improves x
I am sorry to read this – you always look so amazing. My sister suffers with a form of scoliosis. Kaz x
You looks nice and pretty on all your post, But this made me shock I’m so sorry to hear about your condition, I hope you feel better soon.
So sorry to hear about your struggles but you face them with such beauty and grace. I hope that things ease and you are able to get the treatment and the chair which will help.
Thanks for sharing,
Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN x
http://www.fashiondujour.co.uk
I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but you seem to be very clued up on what this means for you and what you can do to help keep on top of things as much as possible. I completely sympathise with your ‘brain fog’, I have Fibromyalgia and one of the worst features of that for me is the brain fog… some days it can really be relentless and is so difficult to handle. I wish you all the best, lovely. xx
So sorry to hear about your condition – it’s not one I knew anything about before reading this post. Stay positive x
I’m not really dealing with scoliosis but bad back anyway. I have times when my back is aching so badly that I can’t walk nor sit. Over the years I have figure it out that part of it is mental and if i don’t feel good my body reacts to it with my back.
So sorry to hear about this! Love the outfit x
I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11, so I can totally relate to this.
I can really relate to you post. Although I don’t have Scoliosis .. my back was broken in a car accident when I was a teen. I’m so thankful I had a good surgeon and haven’t had a lot of problems .. although it’s something I’m thinking about .. especially as I age. I’ve found the stronger my core is .. the easier it is for me to stand up straight and avoid discomfort. Pilates have been amazing! Thanks for sharing your story
I was born with Scoliosis 56 years ago. The one piece of good news I want to share with others is that you can rise above the pain and restrictions and live a happy fulfilling life. I have found that exercise is absolutely key. By making walking, stretching and core training part of a daily regime we give ourselves the best chance of living a ‘normal’ life. You have to stay strong mentally and at times push through the pain barrier, but the effort is worth it.