Does Lumbar Scoliosis affect pregnancy and sex?
June 15, 2009 - 3:47am
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i have scoliosis in the lumber region of my back and i was wondering if it affects pregnancy and having sex.
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Hi, Damilola. So glad you found us at EmpowHer. Thanks for your question!
Can I ask how old you are? I'm assuming you are perhaps a teenager?
Have you ever had surgery for your scoliosis? (Either spinal fusion or a Harrington rod?)
Do you have pain associated with your scoliosis? And how severe is your spinal curve?
With sex, scoliosis is like so many other things -- it affects everyone differently. If you can be active in other ways -- sports, for instance -- without pain, chances are you can have a fulfilling sex life without pain. If you do have pain or difficulty, a little experimenting with different positions may be all you need to do to relieve the discomfort. Here's a page that talks about sex with back pain or back difficulty:
http://www.spine-inc.com/glossary/s/sex.htm
And here is a page from a scoliosis support group where they are talking about having sex (some had the surgery, some did not):
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Scoliosis/advice/4540587-sex-having-herin...
And in terms of pregnancy -- good news. The National Scoliosis Foundation cites a study done by doctors in Delaware who studied 355 women who had scoliosis. They studied them to find the answers to two questions: (1) whether pregnancy made scoliosis worse, and (2) whether scoliosis seemed to be of any risk to pregnancy. They found the answer to be primarily no in both cases (and this was for those who had had surgery AND those who had not had surgery). The women who had not had surgery had a greater risk of having their curvature increase than those who had not had the surgery, as you might expect.
Here's that study:
http://www.scoliosis.org/resources/medicalupdates/scoliosisandpregnancy.php
And here's an article about healthy pregnancies in women with scoliosis:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/317629/women_with_scoliosis_can...
So while you may have some increased challenge with either pain or flexibility, as long as that is manageable it looks like everything else is easily handled. Does this put your mind a bit more at ease?
Did you have any more specific questions we can answer that this information didn't cover?
Thank u for ur reply. I am 26yrs old and i just got married in Feb 09. i have not had a surgery and i do not hope to have. I have had it since i was much younger but it was not attended to and it was not until last week that i found out that i had Scoliosis. I started experiencing pain in my right waist in December. When i cough, sneeze , laugh or miss my step, i get a sharp pain from my right waist. i have to hold it. I am going to do MRI Scan as advised by the Doctor. I do not always experience pain during sex, it depends on the postion i am. i was just wondering wheter the weight of pregnancy can affect the back and if losing weight will reduce the load the back carries.
thank u
Congratulations on your wedding!
It did appear from one of those links that the weight of pregnancy can affect the spine somewhat, although if my memory serves me correctly, it was not a large change.
Are you very much overweight? Do you feel that it affects your lumbar region?
I am linking you to a page that says being overweight and/or having more than a 50-degree curve are two things that are more likely to give an adult scoliosis patient trouble as they age:
http://www.scoliosis.org/resources/medicalupdates/adultscoliosis.php
Do you know what "degree" your curvature is?
Hi, Damilola:
I have mild lumbar scoliosis (about 20 degrees), have been married over 30 years and bore 3 children to full term. I did suffer lower back pain during pregnancy (labor wasn't fun, either), and also had to be careful with positions during sex. I didn't even know I had this condition until just within a couple of years ago (and I'm almost 60)!
What has worked for me since learning about my condition is strength training focused on my abs, and I have a wonderful personal trainer and a sports therapist working with me. When I first started training for my first marathon, I had to wear an athletic back brace for runs longer than 8 miles. Now in my 5th season, I've been able to complete 3 marathons and several half marathons without the extra support.
So, do check with your doctor about treatment and appropriate exercises to help you through your pregnancy (I'm assuming that's on the horizon) and beyond.
All the best to you!
Hi, I am a 30 yo mother of two, and when I was 14, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I had a brace for 2 years, 24 hours a day, and didn't experience pain until I was 17. My doctor told me that I would not be able to carry a baby to full term, because I have lumbar scoliosis, and now I have 2 healthy kids. I do, however have a couple pieces of advice. Do not over use your back, no jarring movements, I would not recommend running, or shoveling dirt. Keep yourself if the best shape possible, I swam and practiced gentle yoga. Before you get pregnant, get in the best shape possible, and if you can, don't gain more than 45 lbs with your kids ( I did not follow this advice and regret it. )Finally, don't count on an epidural to work, be prepared for natural childbirth. With my first, I was 23, and the epi worked, with my second a year ago, they couldn't get it in the right place and the only thing that went to sleep was my thigh. There is no reason that you can't live a full and active life, as long as you take care of yourself, and make modifications to your life. Also, nix the high heel shoes, and get some orthotics ( I wear good feet). Best of luck to you!