Kyphosis treatment?

I have severe osteoporosis and severe kyphosis due to breaking T10-T12 ten yrs ago. I was in a brace for the first 8 yrs but now have not been for the last 2 years. I technically need a spinal fusion to fix my back but my bones are too osteoporotic. My Dr says I need to go back into a back brace to try to keep the curve from getting worse or else try to get my bone density better so that I can eventually get a spinal fusion if my bones got good enough. I'm worried I may never be able to get the spinal fusion for fear my bones won't get strong enough. So my question is if I don't end up getting the spinal fusion, will the back brace be enough to keep me upright and not let my curve get any worse?

[RubymyT]

Hi

I have kyphosis which started at 12. I'm now 70 , and yes the curve gets worse. I have multiple spinal fractures through thoracic region. I also have a lumbar fusion that is now 11 years old. Please ask your dr. about the wear and tear a fusion takes on adjacent vertebrates . It does have an effect. I know years ago there was a surgery they used to straighten the spine in which robs were place along the spine and a body brace was worn for quite some time. But that was ages ago.

I'm sure wearing a brace will help , won't solve it , but neither will surgery. Its a trade off. brace and some curvature , or surgery and the bad as well as the good .

good luck

[Hidden in reply to RubymyT]

Oh no that sounds terrible. I'm so sorry you've had to go through all that. I'm confused by what you're saying though... See I thought that if I got the spinal fusion that that would straighten the curve back out to normal and fix the problem. Obviously I know that I would still have to be on medicine for my osteoporosis but I thought that that would fix the problem with the curve and with the bones and I thought that that would ultimately be what would be best for stopping the kyphosis from the osteoporosis.

See my kyphosis is due to me breaking T 10- T12 and the severe osteoporosis so obviously that was all caused from my anorexia. I am about to start Evenity and they are trying to get my bones stronger and of course the doctor told me that I would have to gain about 60 lb because he wants me to get above my ideal body weight with a lot of extra cushioning because he said that the spinal fusion is such a huge surgery to recover from. But my big thing is he told me that if I don't get the spinal fusion that I'm probably looking at the spinal curve getting worse and even ending up in a wheelchair with my head in my lap where it would have start affecting my organs and that you know that would cause me all kinds of problems in the future with extreme pain and I'm already in severe pain. But I'm just thinking I don't even know if I could ever get the spinal fusion because it's such a huge surgery to get and recover from with all those rods and screws.

He made it sound like the spinal fusion is the best option by far however what I'm saying is if I can't get the spinal fusion because let's say my bones aren't strong enough to withstand that surgery or if I just can't make myself be okay with gaining the weight needed in order to get the surgery... Then my option would be that he would say to wear a back brace for the rest of my life.

So my question is since that's most likely what I think will happen if I were to just wear a back brace the rest of my life,do you think that that would be enough to keep me upright and not let the curve get any worse? or is the only way to prevent the curve from getting worse getting the spinal fusion? Also if I don't get the fusion and I just wear the back brace not only am I asking will it stop the curve but also will it continue to make my other bones break because of the continual stress on them or is the only way to prevent that getting the surgery?

[Hidden in reply to RubymyT]

Now for your kyphosis does your back doctor have you doing any sort of back exercises to try to keep the curve from getting worse?

[RubymyT]

Sorry I'm curious , can I ask what med you 're using for the osteoporosis ?

[Hidden in reply to RubymyT]

Yes you can ask. I am currently about to start using Evenity although I've not had my first shot yet. It's going to be in a few days. Before that I was taking prolia for about 3 or 4 years and then before that I took all the different bisphosphonates.

[RubymyT]

all the others didn't help ? Did you have reactions to Prolia ? I have terrible foot pain. I'm going to look into some diets to help too. Have you had problems with breaking bones ?

[Hidden]

They all helped to some degree but they're not good enough to build bone enough for me to get the surgery so that's why I'm starting Evenity this week. I did not have any problems with prolia and it has been the best so far as far as helping the bones from breaking. However I have broken four bones in my entire life-one was in my foot and like I said above I broke T10-T12 in my back and my bones are too bad for them to do the needed spinal fusion so my back has horrible kyphosis.

[Southerngirl2787]

I'm 62, currently with 10 spinal fractures. I'm a small person, technically "at my ideal weight" but it took a bit of doing to gain up to it, 125, but surgeon, and Endo say 130 is better. I'm kypho'd on 7 of them starting at T6 down. I also have 4 fusions, one at cervical 5-6, the rest at lumbar to tailbone. Yes, fusions are tough, but for me, not the pain of living with fractures. Fusion surgery has a rough month post, then it improves. These fractures are horrible, unrelenting 24 hours a day. The kypho has helped with pain and pushed the edema out for slow healing. I have to do exercises, build muscle daily, it's vital. I push my spine up against the wall as much as I can stand, to get it to be stronger daily. Muscles build, then bones build, but you have to eat a lot of protein, walk, do what you can with light weights, I am usually flat on my back using them, so I don't cause harm. It's vital to get your spine strong, and if you have to eat more, then eat more! I understand your mental issues with gaining weight, I'm there with you, but you can overcome it. Don't look at mirrors, keep focused on visualizing standing straight. Walk as much as you can, work your legs to get strong. I take Tymlos, surgeon said the density has improved in six months of being on it. A thoracic fusion will need your back muscles stronger, it's a tough area. But nothing is impossible. I refuse to be a veggie in a bed or chair. I wear a medical grade brace, what my doc explained is to wear it only for safety reasons, but just all the time. It can cause your abdominal muscles to atrophy, and that's not good either. You need those for lower thoracic and lumbar spine. Will it keep you upright, it may, but at what costs to the other muscles? My daughter had scoliosis and surgery at age 14, full spine fusion, the hard brace did nothing to stop her spine from double curves and flipping over.

[Hidden in reply to Southerngirl2787]

Now for your kyphosis does your back doctor have you doing any sort of back exercises to keep your kyphosis from getting worse?

[Southerngirl2787 in reply to Hidden]

I can walk as much as I want. I can do light exercises from the floor in another week, surgery was last Thursday. I do stand up stretches at the island in kitchen, wall push ups, and his favorite is to stand up against a wall, feet along the baseboards, and push abdominals up against wall, then spine, and get head back against it too. It's hard at first, I was 3 inches from the wall with head, now I can just touch it. Hold for 1 minute; do this about six times a day. I am not yet cleared for weight bearing, but have the weights, and bands, and the big ball to use on the floor for abdominals.

[Hidden in reply to Southerngirl2787]

Oh wow you can do so much more than I can, good for you!

[Hidden]

I'm so sorry to hear about your health. So if I understand you right I think you're saying that my best bet would be to try to get the spinal fusion because that would ultimately stop the kyphosis curve from getting worse and stop me from breaking more bones?

Also am I correct in assuming that you're saying that if I weren't to get this fusion and I just wear the back brace that that brace most likely will not be enough to keep the kyphosis curve from getting worse?

[josephinius1]

I so wish I could talk to you guys in person. I've got fractures at T 6 and 7 for sure, and a new one (I'm pretty sure) at T8, or so. My back is starting to curve--you might not notice it casually, but I can feel it. I've also lost between 2 and 3 inches in height, definitely feel crowding in my upper abdomen, ribs. I'm not in 24/7 pain, thankfully, but if I do anything with my arms out, I'm going to need rest, or I'll pay hard. But doctors I've seen so far don't seem to care much. I asked about a brace, answer was "no, you need to use those muscles." The fractures I've found were via x-rays I asked for. I think they either figure if I am still on my feet, I'm fine, or they just hope I'll go away. Just am interested in how other people get doctors to even discuss options/prognosis/etc. I'm 62, too young and at least up to recently, too active to be this bollixed up.

[Hidden in reply to josephinius1]

As you can see with my history I can so relate to you and feel for you and yes I wish we could all just get in one room and talk to each other because we have so much in common and we could help each other but it's so frustrating living in this type of health situation and not having any doctors really treat you with the seriousness that you feel that they should be. I'm only 39 and I feel like how am I supposed to live with this severe kyphosis the rest of my life and the fact that it's already progressed so much within 12 years especially within the past 2 years really scares me due to the fact that I don't think I'll ever my bones will ever be good enough to be able to get the spinal fusion that they say I say desperately need to keep the curve from progressing and ending up in a wheelchair which is the last thing I want.

[josephinius1 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for responding! Oh my gosh you are so young! Do you know why you have osteoporosis? What have your scores been? It's so weird how this affects some people. I do have osteoporosis in my family but I think it's been much more typical in the sense that my mom and grandma were "old", like--sure, my grandma seriously shrank but I don't think it was that much until after like, age 90. (She lived to be 104. Never complained of back pain, just hip, but she had to have had fractures. Maybe she wasn't stressing her back much by the time she had them? Or maybe she was just one tough old bird?) My mom barely registered OP in her spine and hips, it was her wrist that got her on meds, and apparently they helped because her last DEXA at age 82 has her in the osteopenia range, except for her wrist. (??) So, now I'm thinking heredity isn't as big a factor in my case as...what? Thyroid issues? That's something neither of them have dealt with so...that's another issue doctors--in my case--failed to help me with, I got prescribed a Thyroid med, and was sent on my way. Rarely did I feel truly well, but it was like, "We gave you the drug, that fixes you as long as you keep taking it." Now as I'm researching osteoporosis, it appears thyroid issues, whether medicated or not (?) are associated with all sorts of downstream issues, which my body/experience attests to but no one, not the cardiologist I saw for PVCs and an excessively slow heart rate, not the naturopath who prescribed hormones (for energy, not for bone health,) that shot me back into perimenopause 7 years post-menopause, (necessitating a D&C when bleeding had been going on continuously for 6 months,) not my primary care nurse practitioner who actually did seem to care, not the chiropractor I saw for my chronic upper back pain, not one ever connected any dots. And now that I'm seeing a new PCP, a physiatrist, a new naturopath, a physical therapist and an endocrinologist, as well as two different urgent care physicians, armed as I now am with a diagnosis, (my husband requested I get a DEXA; doctors would probably still be missing the osteoporosis otherwise, because "we don't screen before 65,") it's not much better. The only thing they seem to agree on is nothing. I only just barely can confirm fractures, but only the physical therapist (that I've only seen once, so far,) has even hinted that this might actually impact my life. If that's how it is for me, I can only imagine how much worse/harder it must be for you.

[Hidden in reply to josephinius1]

I'm sorry to hear about your pain as well. The reason that I have severe osteoporosis is from 27 years of anorexia which caused me to have only maybe eight periods in my life so therefore I don't produce estrogen so therefore without estrogen your bones get really bad osteoporosis and that's why I've broken for been so far three in my back. I take Evenity now started yesterday for my osteoporesis but since I'm still underweight with the anorexia and still not producing estrogen my bones are osteoporotic and need all the help they can get

[josephinius1 in reply to Hidden]

💕💕💕heAh. Well dang. But how good of you to share this. Anorexia is bad/hard enough; osteoporosis is not something people tell you you're likely to face on top of it, but clearly it is. I am so, so sorry. 💕

[Hidden in reply to josephinius1]

Thank you so much for your empathy. Yeah it is horrible I mean if I could go back I would have listened to all the advice that the doctor had given me when I first got anorexia and I would have done anything to avoid the road ahead I mean I thought the worst thing that would happen would be that I could you know have a heart attack I never dreamed that instead where it would hit me is with my bones and give me severe osteoporosis and a permanently broken back I did not know that that it could get this bad and then to have hot flashes on top of it and I got RSD as a result of it which is a chronic pain nerve disorder which has given me a whole host of other pain problems I mean anorexia has literally ruined my life and if I could be like the poster person for saying look this is a warning don't this could happen to you do not do not do not do not go on a diet this is what I would say to every person who's thinking about it because it's like a drink you don't know that you could be susceptible to it it's like I started out wanting to lose five pounds never dreaming that I would never be able to give up this disease / illness

[Hidden in reply to josephinius1]

Now for your kyphosis does your back doctor have you doing any back exercises to keep the curve from getting worse?

[josephinius1 in reply to Hidden]

I don't have a back doctor per se...no specific advice on how to keep kyphosis from getting worse. I think the general thought is "increase strength" so I can maintain "good posture". It's a lot harder than just remembering "not to slouch" at this point, but I am trying to at least sit up straighter when I'm driving/have enough brain power available to think about it. I think my big problem is when I'm working though, and I don't have the brain power or strength (yet) to even try to cut hair and keep my shoulders back/down and shoulder blades pinched. At this point, I can't achieve that position without having my arms locked at my sides, and it does hurt--not in a bad way, but it takes conscious effort to maintain a painful position, I think. So far, any "posture correcting" braces I've procured for myself do nothing. So, best I can tell, I'm...wearing away at those wedge fractures and adapting my muscles to hold that curve in place on a daily basis. I wish someone would say I need to be stronger, do rehab, at least let current fracture heal, before I do even 4 hour work shifts, but it still seems those who tend to me figure if I'm doing it now, I'm okay to keep at it, even if every inch of my back and good portions of my front are inflamed by the end of the day.

[HeronNS]

I can't offer any advice about your use of a brace except to make sure you consult with a knowledgeable physiotherapist who has experience treating people with osteoporosis. You probably already know there are ways to move to help protect the spine, and there are exercises to strengthen supporting muscles, but with your history these would need to be specifically designed for you.

Have you seen my (slightly old but still relevant) post on improving bone health?

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

And although I expect your doctor must have done all investigations before prescribing any bone med to you, there is this item on secondary causes of osteoporosis:

osteoporosis.ca/medical-con...

Hope things improve for you. 🍀

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for your advice and yes I have been being treated with osteoporosis meds as I was usually taking probably up but now they're going to switch me to evenity because they know that my bones need more help. I'm supposed to go for my first injection tomorrow thank God. I was in physical therapy for my back but where they were treating me with strengthening my back muscles but the thing is since I developed this repetitive strain injury like tendonitis type pain in both wrists over the summer it's been about 5 months but I've not been able to do my back exercises and because it hurts too bad to do the resistance bands for my wrist but now I feel like my pain is increasing even more and I feel like I'm being more and more hunched over without doing those back strengthening exercises. however I don't want to go back to doing the back strengthening exercises if it's going to increase the pain in my wrist so it's like I feel like I don't know if I should go back to it or not. I've got two different doctors one of the doctors thinks I should go back to the back strengthening exercises to try to prevent the kyphosis from getting worse however the other doctor who is the more knowledgeable one and is the actual surgeon that would do the spinal fusion if I needed it has never ever told me to do physical therapy which is really odd. So I don't know if he thinks that it just isn't going to do any good or not but for the past couple weeks I've been hearing this popping cracking grating sound in my back so I'm fearful right now of trying to restart the back exercises because I don't know if that sound is my bones breaking or fracturing or what. I'm very worried about this sound and I called his office to ask if I should come in for an appointment and since he's so busy they just brushed me off and said oh it's probably just air bubbles making noises don't worry about it but I am worried about it. the surgeon wants me to get a custom back brace made in about a week and I don't feel comfortable with them making a back brace if we don't even know if anything is broken or fractured in there plus that I'd also like his intake on if he wants me to go back to doing the back exercises or not.

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

Now for your kyphosis does your back doctor have you doing any sort of back exercises to help keep the curve from getting worse?

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

I have a couple of exercises from my physiotherapist to slow down becoming stooped over, but no one has ever told me I have kyphosis, just bad posture (since childhood!). The main thing I do, apart from trying to remember to stay straight, especially when reading or using a device, is to place a foam roller on the floor and lie on it, at my shoulder blades, and let my head hang back. I can also roll back and forth on it, and hear llittle pops, which physio says is a good sign. It's actually easier to do this now than it used to be, but that may be because my polymyalgia is not symptomatic at the moment and I've regained full range of motion in my shoulders, so maybe cervical spine is also happier?

[BanjoGal]

I'm in the same boat - not a good candiate for surgery because of weak bones. The back brace helps alot (once I got over the vanity and the inconvenience). I hope my bones gets stronger, but until then at least I can walk pretty well. Not sure the brace will 'cure' anything or help the curve not get worse, but I think it must help as it keeps your back in a straighter place.

[Hidden in reply to BanjoGal]

Well I'm glad to meet you as it's nice to see somebody else who is going through the same thing although I'm very sorry to hear that someone else is going through the same thing as well. I agree with everything you said and yes I hope that the brace will at least keep me upright enough and hopefully my bones will get stronger and hopefully the brace will be enough to keep me out of a wheelchair and keep me from keep the kyphosis from getting any worse. However the problem i have with wearing the brace is how hot it makes me as I am always hot all the time from Hot flashes and no estrogen production. So I hope I'll be able to stand wearing it all the time.

[Hidden in reply to BanjoGal]

Has the brace been helping to keep you upright and kept your kyphosis from getting worse? Did they say that you would have to wear that the rest of your life and are they trying to prep you for a spinal fusion or have they already said that that's not ever going to be an option? Did they give you a bad prediction like me that if you don't get it that you could end up in a wheelchair?

[BanjoGal in reply to Hidden]

I won't be a good candidate for surgery ( putting rods & screws in) until my bone density increases by a bunch & I have more muscle mass (I'm pretty skinny) both of which take time. I'm on Evenity now; long history of bone meds none of which have been successful. They told me indefinitely with the brace. I worry about wheelchair but figure if I keep mobile, exercise (I do lots of core strengthening exercises), swim & walk as much as I can, I can manage for a long time wth the brace. It's not perfect but it does help alot. I am determined to keep moving.

[Hidden in reply to BanjoGal]

Yeah that's the exact same thing with me with the band density and not having enough weight on me to get the spinal fusion so I'm in the same boat as far as they want me to wear the brace forever unless I were able to get the spinal fusion, but I'm just afraid that wearing the back brace won't be enough to keep the curve from getting worse. I am not in a brace currently but I am supposed to be getting a custom back brace made in a few weeks. I've been putting it off because I don't want to have to wear one as with going through hot flashes right now I'm hot all the time and I've worn braces in the past and I know how hot they make me. I'm glad that you're able to be so physical and active as I'm sure that helps you whereas I can't be physical or active at all as I'm disabled in a lot of other ways from all the other pain conditions that I have and with my back it's to it's in too much pain for me to do any sort of exercise at all. Right now it is so hard for me to even stand but more than a minute without having to sit down or if like if I'm standing and I'm trying to go grocery shopping like I have to hold on to a cart because if I tried to stand on my own the pain is just so severe that I feel like I have to sit down or I'm going to pass out.

[Hidden in reply to BanjoGal]

Is your goal to try to get your Ben strong enough and if so would you then put on enough weight to try to get the spinal fusion? Or are you just trying to survive with being in the brace the rest of your life? Because I'm trying to make that decision too as far as if they were to get my bones good enough and the only thing was stopping me was my weight then I feel like I'd be more motivated to get it the spinal fusion if I knew for sure that that if I didn't get it that the brace wouldn't hold me up and keep my back from getting worse. I think what scares me the most is my back getting worse and I don't want that curve to keep progressing because I'm already in enough pain as it is and I definitely don't want to end up with more back pain or end up in a wheelchair or end up any more curved over. I just wish I didn't have to wear any brace at all and didn't have to get any surgery at all and that the curve wouldn't move.

[BanjoGal in reply to Hidden]

I wish I didn't either but I try to remember I survived Stage 4 cancer. It was treatment for many years ago that caused the situation now. Regardless, get the custom brace. I hope my body mass & density go up (& I am working on them) but for now, the custom brace keeps me moving a lot better.

[Hidden in reply to BanjoGal]

Glad to hear that you're doing better. I will get the custom brace made I just don't know if I'll be able to tolerate wearing it if they can't get these hot flashes to stop. I'm helping my bone density goes up as well as I'd love to get the surgery if I could. If you do you get your bones strong enough and you get your weight up enough are you going to try to get the spinal fusion?

[Hidden in reply to BanjoGal]

Not for your kyphosis does your back doctor have you doing any sort of back exercises to help keep your curve from getting worse?

[RubymyT]

Hi ladies

My kyphosis, (I don't like saying it that way , its like I own and want it)

Anyway my curvature started at age 10-12 , was sent to physio for exercises.

That was it. I was told I'd never be able to carry a child . I have 3 , so they aren't always right.

I never had any other treatment until I had a lumbar fusion at 60. But needed rehabilitation before surgery to straighten core muscles.

In my 30's I was on large dose steroids for 6 years , they do wonders on your bones as well as your teeth.

Now at 70, I go to a Major medical hospital with a pain clinic. The thoracic spine vertebrates are all lemon shaped now , like wedges . The specialist said my spine is curved side to side, front to back and now has begun to spiral .

I know now I should have had rods put into my spine a long time ago.

A long time ago I heard the Cleveland Clinic builds something like a cage around your spine to support it. Whether that is still a practice or not , I'm not sure. There are plenty of diets that are supposed to help build bone , maybe that besides the meds could help your bones get stronger.

I've been watching these sites to see what they have to say. But like anything else , you have to judge whats right for you.. Looks to me ,your Number 1 thing to put your efforts into is bone strengthening , before you can do anything else.

Worrying definitely doesn't help.

I always tell my daughter , knowledge is power.

Maybe eat the best you can and take supplements , wear a brace if it makes you feel better , none of that will hurt you.

Best foods

Best supplements

Best exercises

youtube.com/@OptimalBoneHea...

[Hidden]

Ruby I'm so sorry to hear about all that you've gone through and it sounds horrible and I can relate so much and empathize so much with you. My kyphosis is from broken T10-T12 and that's causing my severe kyphosis. I've lost 3" in height and like you fractures are all wedge-shaped so that is putting more and more pressure on the spine making the curve in my back (kyphosis)worse and worse. That is why for now since I can't get the spinal fusion that my doctor wants to correct it he's saying that I need to at least wear a back brace 24/7 but I've not gotten it made yet. He's hoping that I will be able to get my bones strong enough to be able to get the spinal fusion because he fears that if I don't get it that I will end up with the back curve getting worse and ending up in a wheelchair all bent over. That terrifies me but at the same time I don't think that I'll ever be able to get the surgery because of my severe osteoporosis along with the fact that with me being terrified to gain weight I'd have to gain about 50 lb. So my question is if I just wear the brace the rest of my life I wonder if that would be enough to keep me upright and not end up in a wheelchair and not let my curve get any worse...?

What do you do now for pain? Do they give you anything to help with your back pain? Do you wear a back brace now? Has your kyphosis continued to get worse since you didn't get the spinal fusion surgery on your thoracic back? And are you in a wheelchair? I hope you are not in terrible pain. I know I am but I also know that it could be much worse and I just hope it doesn't.

[RubymyT]

I have worn a Fentnyl pain patch for 18 years . I have hydromorphone for break through pain. Every 3 to 6 months get spinal injections. I was getting spinal injections in the Sacral region , I continue those plus I have also just started getting Epidurals.

To gain weight I've been told protein puts on weight and muscle mass.

I found exercises for core strength really helped.

You could probably find them online if you can't get into any kind of a free program.

Look into the arthritis association too

Are you in Canada or U.S

[Hidden in reply to RubymyT]

Well I'm glad you have some pain relief. Okay thanks for your help and advice!

[Hidden in reply to RubymyT]

I take Tramadol but it's just for The chronic nerve pain that I have with my crps. It's not for the pain in my back although I'm sure it does help with that.I went to a interventional pain specialist last week who does not prescribe medicines though and he said there wasn't anything he could give me for back pain but maybe if I ask an actual pain doctor that prescribes pain meds maybe there could do something else but he said there was nothing he could do like injection wise which I was disappointed about.

As I may have told you it's hard for me to do a lot of exercises because with me the kyphosis is due to the osteoporosis so there's a lot of things that I can't do such as lifting weights and other bending exercises. I was on a strengthening regimen for my back where I used resistance bands but ever since I got a chronic repetitive strain injury kind of like tendonitis in my wrists and hands and arms they say that the hand doctor advises that I probably not go back to using the resistance bands because he feels it could make my pain in my wrist and hands and arms worse although I'm fearful that if I don't do these exercises that that could make my kyphosis worse so I don't know what to do....

If you were me what would you do? Would you just give yourself more pain in your wrists to be able to try to give my back the best help it can by using the resistance bands exercises to strengthen my back and hopefully prevent the kyphosis from getting worse, since I'm already in chronic pain with my wrists/arm tendons or would you just give up the back exercises for the sake of my wrists?

I just can't decide what to do and the hand doctor says don't do it and the back doctor says do it and it's like I don't know what to do

[RubymyT]

I forgot , I have stomach issues too. When I can't eat , I use Ensure Plus Calories. Its gotta be Plus Calories , the other ones smell like a cup of meds. I take 1/2 can of refrigerated chocolate Ensure mix with a

1/2 glass of really cold milk. But I put it in a thermal cup that way theres no smell at all. I find I may not feel up to eating , but drinking is easier. Can't drink the Strawberry, looks too much like Pepto Bismol and doesn't taste like real strawberry.

I find its good to have a couple in the fridge for the days you can't eat. Just check the dates.

[MayGodBlessYou]

a chiropractor who i respect suggested that my Mum wear a custom brace. i don't know how many hours a day he meant. endo's and docs say no back brace, so that muscles don't weaken.

seeing my Mum's back curving and just thinking about the mechanics of a crane (which we are not), muscles don't quite have the strength to keep the back straight against the forces of a severe curve.

so i say yes, back brace, sometimes, when sitting, i can't say for what percentage of the time - just to help support the back!

[MayGodBlessYou in reply to MayGodBlessYou]

my Mum didn't get the custom brace made, but i have sometimes lightly put a velcro one on 💔

i would wear a brace if traveling in a car