New Zealand - I have a bent spine!!

R&A

21st February 2007, 03:21 AM

When I got the results I discovered I have "mild thoracic curvature", apparently I've reached the age of 25 having never noticed I have a bent spine and presumably slight future hunchback tendancies!! :laugh

The doctor ticked the boxes to say there's no reason for me not to work/ live effectively in NZ and everything else in my medical was ok.

Has anyone else had a similar discovery during their medicals and how did it affect your application? I suppose I have to submit the x-ray plates (which is a shame as I quite wanted to keep those :laugh ) and I'm hoping that the worst that will happen is it takes a little longer to process than normal if someone has to check the xray.

Does anyone have similar experiences?

Thanks.

stu70

21st February 2007, 03:34 AM

Almost all folks in this world "suffer" from it. I would be surprised if you had a "striaght" back. Its all kosher for immigration purposes. The key in life is not to grow a wishbone where the backbone ought to be though.

:laugh

StevieD

21st February 2007, 03:36 AM

R&A, you keep the x-rays you'll be glad to hear! :)

You only have to send the medical results.

R&A

21st February 2007, 03:38 AM

Yeah, I'm not at all worried about health aspects - I've managed fine up until now. Although I was pretty suprised when I looked at xray, it really is pretty wonky :laugh I just know NZIS can be pretty picky about any abnormalities picked up in medicals however minor and the radiologist had to tick 'abnormal box' next to skeletal and soft tissue on my form. They say I'm abnormal so I have to send my xray - horay, even bigger envelope! I'm just hoping it wont take ages for them to review my deformity to decide I'm a safe bet :laugh

R&A

21st February 2007, 03:41 AM

Thanks for your replies.

R&A, you keep the x-rays you'll be glad to hear! :)

You only have to send the medical results.

Hmm. It says on the form to submit the xrays if ANY abnormality is found. Its official, they ticked the abnormal box (I am a freak!) so I suppose I have to send them however minor it seems to be.

Maybe I could get them to return the xray:roll

Kim39

21st February 2007, 06:53 AM

We have just recently gone through the medical process and it turns out that my 15yr old daughter has exactly the same - its called Scoliosis. The radiologist made a comment on the forms " slight curvature, but nothing to significant, our doctor told us that nothing would come of it and true to his word it didn't.

As Stu has said, most people probably suffer from it and never realise it. It just takes something like this for it to come to the fore. Don't worry about it as i am sure all is good.

Kim

gil

21st February 2007, 07:02 AM

The key in life is not to grow a wishbone where the backbone ought to be though.

I LOVE that! Did you think of it, or is it just a saying that I've never come across before? It won't let me add any more rep for you Stu, but I would if I could.

Gil

stu70

21st February 2007, 07:46 AM

No it is not my original Gil, I saw it somewhere and it stuck with me so I do not deserve the rep but your kind words are much greater reward anyway.

Another thing while we are at it, we always tend to magnify our problems (we are all guilty of it) but isn't it true that our "reality" is really our thoughts about an event (such as scoliosis)and the feelings/emotions these thoughts create which we perceive as reality? More to the point, we are all conditioned to worry about things in life-big and small. I am trying to rid myself of that habit. Wish me luck. :)

suebeenz

21st February 2007, 07:59 AM

I got my xray done a year ago, and it didn't show a curve at all. I got it done recently again, and it shows a definite curve. I've come to the conclusion that I just wasn't standing up straight, while trying to pin my shoulders to the screen.

Not sure about in your case, but something to think about it. :nice1

CjChris

21st February 2007, 09:41 AM

Well, my x-rays not only show a curve, but "degenerative changes" as well (apparently the family trait of arthritis). I am otherwise very healthy and try to take care of myself (always have).

I'm just about ready to send all my medicals and ITA off, so we'll see what happens! I was concerned about the results of my x-ray at first, but I figure there are lots of other things I've heard people getting into NZ with that surely my scoliosis and a bit of arthritis won't seem like a big deal.

I'm just going to think positively rather than worry about it! It feels good to vent here on the board and compare notes, though, doesn't it? :yes

Good luck!

Christine

gil

21st February 2007, 02:02 PM

[quote=stu70;116371]No it is not my original Gil, I saw it somewhere and it stuck with me so I do not deserve the rep but your kind words are much greater reward anyway.

My pleasure :D

Another thing while we are at it, we always tend to magnify our problems (we are all guilty of it) but isn't it true that our "reality" is really our thoughts about an event (such as scoliosis)and the feelings/emotions these thoughts create which we perceive as reality?

That is so true. You've put your finger on exactly what makes lots of people fail to take responsibility for their reality.

More to the point, we are all conditioned to worry about things in life-big and small. I am trying to rid myself of that habit. Wish me luck. :)

Good luck with it, I gave up worrying along with regretting years ago, when it dawned on me that most things I had worried about didn't happen and that if I did the best I could at the time, what was to regret.

Sorry R&A if I have hi-jacked your thread somewhat, and I hope all goes well with your plans. Afetr having my second child, I suffrered from a bent spine/poor posture (as some called it!) and a wonderful chiropracter got me sorted out again. Then I spoilt it by having two more children :laugh

All the best,

Gil

Jenny & Mark

21st February 2007, 02:07 PM

most people probably suffer from it and never realise it. It just takes something like this for it to come to the fore. Don't worry about it as i am sure all is good.

Sadly, the medical solution for scoliosis in children is to snip the backs of the vertebrae off and insert steel rods next to the remaining spine - evasive, pernament and imperfect - even though scoliosis in children has been proven to be naturally corrected through wellness chiropractic care. For adults, the problem can be corrected depending upon its stage of degradation.

Scoliosis is not good. It weakens the central nervious system and can greatly reduce one's life expectancy. :(

Mark.

SarahEDH

21st February 2007, 02:14 PM

R&A, I also had to send in an x-ray with my ITA due to the radiologist checking "abnormal" on one box, along with the comment "slight abnormality" in regard to a compressed vertebrae. My regular doctor didn't think it was significant and offered his own written comment to this effect. I don't know if this helped, but it couldn't have hurt any.

CjChris

21st February 2007, 03:02 PM

Scoliosis is not good. It weakens the central nervious system and can greatly reduce one's life expectancy. :(

Mark.

Gee, thanks for this bit of info, Mark. I guess I'll just plan to die young and happy in New Zealand.

R&A

22nd February 2007, 03:59 AM

Gee, thanks for this bit of info, Mark. I guess I'll just plan to die young and happy in New Zealand.

Me too then CjChris! :yes

There is a huge range by which the spine can be affected by scoliosis. I would imagine that anyone who has made it to adulthood without even noticing a slight curve in their spine will not be affected in any significant way. The doctor at my medical said it was insignificant and my mother (a senior nurse) and none of my family gp's have ever noticed it and now it has been noticed I have been told it is so slight it would never have been treated had it been discovered!

I appreciate that it can be a significant problem in its severe forms but slight curvature of the spine is neither uncommon nor life threatening and I think maybe you could have been slightly more tactful there Mark! :)

Kim39

22nd February 2007, 03:26 PM

Gee, thanks for this bit of info, Mark. I guess I'll just plan to die young and happy in New Zealand.

Jeeze i just thought that myself. Your a happy go lucky sort of chap aren't you Mark. I think if there were concerns for my daughter then the quack would have mentioned it as well as the radiographer. Am sure she would have made more than a small note on the x-rays, and more importantly submitted the results to the med board.

Kim

Kim39

22nd February 2007, 03:28 PM

Me too then CjChris! :yes

There is a huge range by which the spine can be affected by scoliosis. I would imagine that anyone who has made it to adulthood without even noticing a slight curve in their spine will not be affected in any significant way. The doctor at my medical said it was insignificant and my mother (a senior nurse) and none of my family gp's have ever noticed it and now it has been noticed I have been told it is so slight it would never have been treated had it been discovered!

I appreciate that it can be a significant problem in its severe forms but slight curvature of the spine is neither uncommon nor life threatening and I think maybe you could have been slightly more tactful there Mark! :)

Well said bud:clap

Kim

stu70

22nd February 2007, 03:58 PM

Kim39

22nd February 2007, 07:52 PM

Fortunately or unfortunately I have 5 doctors in the immediate family (not me Thank God) and minor scoliosis is rather common (per them). It should not cause any issue what ever with either NZIS or the person herself/himeself. Regards,

Appreciate your comments Stu. Just wish folks would think before they jumped. As i say, our quack just laughed it off and wasn't concerned one bit. Nicola was has been diagnosed - to a degree, said was it anything to do with her mattress:laugh Think she has been watching to many silentnight adverts.

Kim

Jenny & Mark

22nd February 2007, 10:53 PM

Your a happy go lucky sort of chap aren't you Mark. I think if there were concerns for my daughter then the quack would have mentioned it as well as the radiographer. Am sure she would have made more than a small note on the x-rays, and more importantly submitted the results to the med board.

My apologises, Kim. I did not mean to offend or cause worry - I am just overtly frustrated with the current medical practices and "wisdom?" in regards to Scoliosis.

My wife is a chiropractic assistant and I have seen miraculous correction of severe scoliosis first hand. The medical doctors wanted to insert steel rods into the back of a vibrant child who enjoys figure skating - how debilitating?!! Her scoliosis is now completely corrected. I also have a student who has just been subject to this medical "corrective?" measure. If my passion for healing scoliosis naturally is problemaic, then so be it.

In terms of happy - actually yeah. Try to catch me without a smile on my face. My students frequently ask if I ever get upset or mad. Reading temperment from a text is subject to the state of both the writer and the reader.

Cheers, Mark.

CjChris

23rd February 2007, 09:03 AM

"If my passion for healing scoliosis naturally is problematic, then so be it."

Hey, Mark, we're giving you a rough time, yeah, but mainly because we were just bantering back and forth about this--mostly making light of our own conditions (not meaning disrespect to anyone who has undergone trauma with scoliosis) and your very serious post just seemed out of place!

Were I the "fall apart type," your comment that scoliosis "weakens the central nervious system and can greatly reduce one's life expectancy" would have sent me to bed crying and dreading my early death!!!

Any of the other people on this forum who have scoliosis could also have been hugely alarmed at your comment. You can't just throw a bomb out there like that.

The thread (by my estimation) was started as a means of venting, and those of us who responded to that vent were trying to console the original poster by saying, "Hey, me too!":yes I assumed that is what she needed to hear.

:D