Saturday 28th June 2014 is International Scoliosis Awareness Day #ISAD
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, in which the spinal column can also twist, pulling the ribcage out of position. I have scoliosis, something I blogged about last year for International Scoliosis Awareness Day, I have Congenital Scoliosis with my spine having theoretic and lumbar scoliosis of 100 degrees.Although many people have not heard of the condition it is surprisingly common, with three to four children per 1000 needing specialist supervision. Scoliosis is not a disease. It just means that in an otherwise healthy person the spine is curved or twisted. It is not infectious or contagious and it does not develop as a result of anything the adult, child, or its parents did, or failed to do.
It can affect a person’s appearance because when the spine bends to the side the vertebrae (the individual bones that make up the spine) become twisted and pull the ribs round with them, which sometimes forms a characteristic lump on the back and can cause the shoulder blade to stick out. The spine can bend towards either side of the body at any place in the chest area (thoracic scoliosis), in the lower part of the back (lumbar), or above and below these areas (thoracolumbar). It can even bend twice, causing an S-shaped curve. When the curve is S-shaped (a double curvature) it is generally not noticeable and the person can appear quite straight because the two curves counteract each other. If the curve is lower down in the spine, the ribs will not be affected but one hip might be higher than the other.I am blogging about #ISAD to help share with you the great job that the Scoliosis Association UK (SAUK) the only charity in the UK to support people with scoliosis and those close to them. They rely entirely on your hard work and donations to:
• Raise awareness of scoliosis and ensure sufferers and their families know they are not alone and that there is support and help available to them
• Provide a helpline where people can call for information, advice, and a sympathetic ear
• Connect scoliosis sufferers with others in their area so that they have people in a similar situation they can turn to for support, advice, and in many cases lasting friendship
• Help patients get referrals- It is vitally important that anyone diagnosed with scoliosis is assessed by a scoliosis specialist. SAUK has the only list of every scoliosis specialist in the UK and where they are based, so we can advise patients who they need to see
• Provide information on everything from diagnosis to treatment to managing the condition day to day. SAUK is accredited with The Information Standard meaning that our resources go through a rigorous process to guarantee they are accurate, trustworthy, and user-friendly
• Run a network of regional reps across the UK who act as points of contact for scoliosis sufferers in the area and hold meetings and get-togethers
• Provide an online support network through the active and dynamic Facebook community and the online members’ forum, where people can connect and share experiences
• Hold patient meetings across the UK where people can get together and hear talks and advice from scoliosis specialists
