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Scheuermann's Disease

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Posted 12/18/2013 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hello All,

I have recently been diagnosed with Scheuermann's Disease, albeit a mild form. For me, I get some pain in the mid back after sitting or standing in the same position for a long period of time. This has been an eye-opener for me since I am an extremely active individual. I play competitive ultimate frisbee, disc golf, wakeboard, snowboard, tennis, lift weights, mountain bike, climb, etc...

I have been working at a desk as a mechanical engineer for the last 3 years and have noticed the pain while sitting or standing for extended periods of time. However, I do not get any pain when I am doing any of the aforementioned activities. I am 25 years old and on my parents insurance for another 4 months so I figured I would get my back checked out while I can.

I have been contemplating quitting my job to pursue a more active lifestyle, since a desk job is just not for me. One of the items that has been appealing to me was a whitewater rafting tour guide. But now I am skeptical because of my recent diagnosis.

My Drs have told me it is Scheuermanns is just something that requires pain management and not to do activities that cause it to flare up. From the sounds of it, living an active lifestyle focused around core strength will be beneficial.

Does anyone have any input on the subject? Such as progression over time, participating in extreme sports, and finally weight lifting. I love hitting the gym, but I don't want cause any long term damage.

Thanks, and I really appreciate any feedback.
Posted 12/20/2013 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
Slingshot welcome to the forum. I am late getting on here but wanted to pop on & say hello. I do not know a lot about your particular situation.

We have had others come to the forum with the recent dx such as yourself. We have a search feature here at the forum & if you will type in Scheuermann's disease you will be able to pull up those posts & read them. I agree staying as active as possible is very important but from what I have read it says to stay away from real physical type of work. So, to answer your question about extreme sports and weight lifting probably not. I would suggest speaking to your dr about this.

Anyway, just wanted to pop on & say hello....Susie
Posted 12/22/2013 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
hey slingshot, welcome to the forum. definitely get your back checked out while you still have insurance. did your doctor recommend therapy??? keep us updated and again welcome...
Posted 12/31/2013 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies.

Yes, right now I am currently enrolled in physical therapy to learn a few additional strengthening exercises and stretches. It has been helpful, but I still get a dull ache after sitting at the office for 4+ hours.

My physical therapist and Dr both seem to agree that I am not at a higher risk for damage in comparison to someone without this condition.

I had the past 7 days off for the holidays and I was outside doing some active everyday, sometimes for extended periods of time. I had no back pain until I got back into the office. After sitting for awhile the ache starts to creep in. Does anyone else have this issue? How do you typically deal with it?

Additionally, has anyone experienced further pain after multiple months of activity? Basically right now I am trying to determine if living a more active lifestyle/career would actually be beneficial for this condition.

Has anyone had success with prolotherapy?

Once again, I really appreciate any feedback.

-Dan
Posted 2/24/2014 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Slingshot,
I'm EJD and was formally diagnosed 12 years ago (at age 35) at Johns Hopkins with ADULT Scheuermann's disease or kyphosis. I can tell you many things about this thoracic (mid-back) disorder, as I've been dealing with it for many years. I do not want to go into too much, but rather help you by answering the specific questions you have now. I was a Biology teacher for 21+ years, so hopefully can help you look into the future. If you need a specific answer, I'll try my best to answer - fire away, my friend! EJD
Posted 2/24/2014 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
EJD, Slingshot has not been back to the forum since he posted the above. I think because we never had many people with this particular disease most people moved on.

Take care....
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