scoliosis and kyphosis

I am looking for stories of climber/athletes who have scoliosis and/or kyphosis issues and have not let it hold them back. What strategies have you used and what advice would you give others?

My fiancee has mild scoliosis and is a solid 5.10 sport leader. Her case is quite mild though - short of a direct examination, you would never be able to tell. I don't think that helps you though.

Good luck with your search. You may want to contact Paradox Sports based in Boulder, CO. They are the largest adaptive climbing organization in the country and have helped countless climbers with various physical challenges including spinal damage. paradoxsports.org/

While the number of kyphotic climbers may be small, keep in mind that there are very successful climbers who are blind, have MS, are amputees, etc. Heck, Sean O'Neill has climbed El Cap, the most famous big wall in America and he is a paraplegic. The only thing that can possibly hold you back is self doubt.

I have one 18 degree curve and one 28 degree curve (opposing) Scoliosis and a lower back injury from the military. I climb as high as 13a. I work with, and benefit from Paradox Sports as well. Climbing, hanging on a hangboard, Hypnosis, and various modalities of massage and Rolfing and Acupuncture are my go to therapies to keep me going. I still endure pretty much constant chronic pain from moderate to severe, and am sometimes basically bedridden for a day or two, or as much as a week at a time. Days spent outside with friends in beautiful places makes it worth all the suffering.

I have mild scoliosis as well and it can be very frustrating sometimes, especially during hard training sessions. My advice is to not think of it as a handicap as much as you can. I often find myself blaming the condition for not sending something, using it as an excuse. I hate excuses of all kinds and when I think about it rationally, there is no benefit in chalking something up to an excuse, whether that is scoliosis or anything. It is kind of like the ape index. It is easy for a climber to think they will never be "great", whatever that means, because they have a negative or unimpressive ape index, but the reality is that the ape index means pretty much nothing unless you let it. Rational thinking, determination, and will power are your friends. Not trying to be preachy but just thought I would share how I deal with it. Stay psyched and happy climbing.

Here is a pic, to show you what I'm up against. It was taken about 10 years ago. I'd guess that the images would be worse at present.

I have a mild form of scoliosis, such that my spine is "twisted" in the mid section. That is the least of my worries though. I've got a shopping list of various spine ailments. Luckily, mild versions of most of them. Spina bifida. 6 lumbar vertebrae, instead of 5. My first sacral segment is half lumbarized (one side is fuzed, the other side is separated). Ruptured disk at L3-L4 (a separated disk fragment is floating out there against a nerve in the left lateral recess). Sacroiliitis, with bone spurs crossing the SI joints.
I have kyphosis in my mid-back region, which I've been fighting against for many years. Most of my facet joints (lumbar, thoracic, and cervical) are hypertrophic/arthritic.
When I went to a rheumatologist, and he viewed my x-rays and MRI's, he at least gave me a "pat on the back." Saying, "wow, I can't believe that you are getting around and doing anything acitve at all!" He also referred to the old saying: "you must hurt 24/7, right?"
The realities that I've figured out are: it is hard to sleep, when any movement wakes you up with pain. But, if you go to sleep early, you might be able to get 5-6 hours of sleep, out of 9 in the bed. Sleeping with various support cushions can help quite a bit. I "lock myself in" to one position, and don't wake up for the first 4 hours. At that point, I shift everything around (to the other side) and might last 3 more hours, on a good night.
First hour after I get up is pretty much misery, but I'm used to it and it doesn't upset/depress me. I'm good to go for a full day after that (work, or climbing), and start hurting again in the evening.