First, he said that scoliosis can in fact get worse as you get older. He said that while it is a slower progression, it can happen. He recommends that I get x-rays every 5 years or so. He mentioned that pregnancy can really increase a curve. Something I wasn't sure about, but was curious.
He went on to say that not only is my spine curved, but also twisted slightly and because of this i'm actually shifted to the right (hence making my "curve and dent" even more pronounced).
He also mentioned that while a back brace (what I had) pretty much just keeps you from getting worse, often with surgery your curve can come back. The surgery just helps it be not as bad...maybe this is why some with old surgery have back pains.
He said that my back pains were in my Quadratus lumborum muscle. This is the muscle that runs from the bottom of the ribs to the top of the hips. The reason it hurts is that during the course of the day I compress and stretch it and thus it spasms. He wants me to get an X-ray (since mine were lost due to the post-Katrina flooding of New Orleans) and see a massage therapist who can work on that muscle (since it's really really deep and can best be massaged while one is lying on one's side - I tried to find a good picture of the position for this, but couldn't) and do exercises at home (but he didn't give me the exercises to do).
I'm glad I finally went.
x-posted to
