Scoliosis getting worse with age

I am an active 59-year old, normal weight, non-smoking woman, on HRT.

I have had idiopathic scoliosis since very early childhood – you can see it on my early photos. However, I never had any treatment for it as I was growing up, e.g., bracing. It was not bad enough to need surgery.

I have had a number of associated problems over the years, the worse being a recurring dislocating left patella, which I had surgery for when I was 25. Didn’t work, and the leg (left) is much weaker than the right one.

Since menopause, I have noticed that my scoliosis (diagnosed when I was 36 as S-shaped and corkscrew), has got worse since menopause, when I was 52. It is all the way through my spine, from the sacral and lumbar region, through thoracic, and into my neck, and I have facial asymmetry as well. I also have an ‘oblique’ pelvis.

I have lost height, I can no longer sleep on my left side, I now have to go downstairs one at a time, and worst of all – I have sacroiliac (SI) joint pain, especially on my left side. I feel like the left side of my thorax is lengthening at the side, whilst the right side is shortening (squashing up), with my pelvis ‘dropping’ more on the left and ‘hitching’ on the right compared to my younger years.

I used to be an avid fitness fanatic (I was a step and Bodypump instructor for 20 years) and fast long-distance walker, with a long stride length. But now, I struggle with a lot of exercises and I am also starting to find even urban walking on flat surfaces difficult.

For the SI joint dysfunction and pain, I have had NHS physiotherapy, but this was just traditional SI joint dysfunction therapy including bridge work, and other exercises to strengthen my glutes. It didn’t work. Worst of all, the physiotherapist was adamant that scoliosis does not get worse with age – mine definitely has!

Is there anything I can do to help the situation to ‘stretch out’ my scoliosis and redress my hip imbalance please?

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