Curved spine
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I then decided to wear the brace only at home and not when I was at school,” said Ms Tan.Īt the end of 2005, she went for an operation and her spine now has a nine-degree curvature. The brace also gave me rashes and bruises on my hips from the friction. “I didn’t like it because it was so restrictive. Within just a year, her spinal curvature increased from 10 degrees to 65 degrees.ĭuring that period, Ms Tan had to wear a brace. However, I had a very supportive family who helped me feel that I wasn’t abnormal,” said Ms Tan, 24. “When I first found out I had scoliosis, I felt that something was wrong with me. One group member is landscape architect Nadia Tan, who was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11 during a school health check-up in Primary 5. They also do bedside support for those about to have surgery. The group now has 216 members and they conduct meet-ups twice a year to give encouragement to those considering surgery. She started Scoliosis Support Singapore in 2005 to provide sufferers with the support they need. It was quite difficult for me,” Ms Liew added. “When I went for my operation, I did not have any support and I didn’t know what to expect after my operation. When she was diagnosed, she found there was not much information and few people available to talk to about the condition. Ms Liew, 39, learnt that she had scoliosis when she was 13 and has since had three operations to treat her spine. Scoliosis Support Singapore cofounder and president Jasmine Liew, who also suffers from the ailment, said: “The support group was put together to connect scoliosis patients and to raise awareness about scoliosis.” I can also provide reassurance to parents with children who have scoliosis.” “My story helps to give others confidence and advice on dealing with scoliosis. “As a member, I am able to share my story with others and show them that I am okay, even after surgery. I feel I can persevere through difficult situations and take on challenges quite positively now,” said Mr Yap, who is a member of Singapore’s only scoliosis support group. “I feel one thing I really learnt from my experience is resilience.
![curved spine curved spine](https://www.caringmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/forward-head-posture-WEB.png)
His spinal curvature has stabilised at around 60 degrees.
#Curved spine full#
It took three months of physiotherapy before he could finally regain full mobility.
#Curved spine how to#
Mr Yap’s parents decided that he should have an operation after sitting his Primary School Leaving Examination.Īfter surgery, Mr Yap had to relearn how to walk and had problems getting in and out of bed. “I also often left my books in the lockers provided for us in school.” However, by the time he was 12, Mr Yap’s curvature had worsened to 110 degrees.Ī curvature greater than 40 degrees is categorised as severe, said Associate Professor Kevin Lim, chairman of the division of surgery and senior consultant at the department of orthopaedic surgery at My classmates would often help to carry my bag, my school would arrange for my classes to be on the first floor so that I didn’t have to climb the stairs with heavy books, and my mum would divide my textbooks into five parts so that I did not have to carry a heavy bag to school every day. “My family, classmates and school were very helpful during that period of time. However, I knew why I had to wear it and I ended up accepting it as a part of my life. “I was also not able to do a lot of sports because of the brace. “Wearing a brace every day was hot and uncomfortable – I even had to sleep and exercise with it. However, Mr Yap had to wear a brace for 24 hours a day to minimise more spinal curvature.
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They noticed he was walking unevenly and that one of his shoulders was higher than the other.Ī doctor who examined Mr Yap found his spine had a 60-degree curvature and recommended surgery to fuse his spine with metal rods to correct the problem.īut his young age and the risk that surgery might result in his body not being able to grow any further prompted his parents to hold off going for surgery for as long as they could. His parents first realised there was a problem when they took him to a park. The graduating pharmacy student at the National University of Singapore has scoliosis, a condition in which a normally straight spine curves laterally. Mr Yap, 25, has to squat slowly to prevent hurting his back due to a debilitating affliction he has had since the age of four. PHOTO: GIN TAY FOR THE STRAITS TIMES Group provides support for patients dealing with scoliosisīending down to pick something up does not take much effort for most of us, but it is difficult for student Aaron Yap. (From left) Scoliosis Support Singapore co-founder and president Jasmine Liew, with group members Nadia Tan and Aaron Yap.