My own journey with chronic pain started when I was around fourteen. I started to notice my back would feel stiff and sore if I stood for longer than a half hour or sat in certain positions, like in the car. But I brushed it off. I honestly didn’t know that having back pain was out of the ordinary - it was just so common for me. As a junior in high school, I learned that my back pain was NOT normal… it was caused by severe scoliosis.
Even after major surgery to correct my curve, the pain continued. I can’t remember a day since then that I haven’t experienced pain and discomfort in my spine which often spreads to my hips as well. Over the years, I’ve grappled with accepting that
