Exercises To Help Scoliosis
Teaching the muscles and body how to hold a corrective position through scoliosis exercises is an absolute necessity in long-term success for scoliosis treatment.
There are two main problems that occur with the muscles in scoliosis:
- Imbalance of strength from one side to the other side.
- Postural awareness (conscious and sub-conscious) is degraded (i.e.-slouching, leaning to one side, etc…)
Exercises to Help Scoliosis: Is there really a benefit?
Exercise plays a crucial role in treating adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; it can also benefit different types of scoliosis including adult scoliosis. The benefit gained from various exercises (Schroth for example) can vary depending on the severity of the curvature of the spine, the frequency of exercise, guidance of a physical therapist or clinician, and other variables as well. In fact, a 2018 review (meta-analysis) of the scientific literature found after analyzing fifteen (15) studies from 2005 through 2016 that exercise (Schroth) has a profound influence on patients with idiopathic scoliosis. However, these therapies should not be used by themselves to treat idiopathic scoliosis; and the Scoliosis Research Society has clearly stated that exercise (Physiotherapy Scoliosis Specific Exercises, aka PSSE) should not be used as a substitute, or in place of bracing.
Techniques Utilized by Scoliosis Care CentersTM
Scoliosis Care CentersTM utilizes multiple strengthening exercises specific for scoliosis and equipment that can 3-dimensionally exercise only the muscles that need to be strengthened on the scoliosis. We do this by utilizing a combination of our proprietary 3-dimensional spinal weighting and auto-response training in conjunction with Schroth, and improving Core strength. This exercise program is able to reverse the one-sidedness of the scoliosis, making it more balanced and able to teach the body straighter postures more easily. The 3-dimensional exercises will create both brute strength (conscious) and reactive strength (sub-conscious) for a better hold on the scoliosis.
Improving the patient’s postural awareness in all aspects of their life and their activities is a big part of the Scoliosis Care CentersTM exercise program. There should be no such thing as “I can’t” but instead positivity, optimism, and the mindset of “I can’t, just quite yet.” We are not here to tell you what you can’t do anymore, but rather how to create strength and awareness to continue it.
This keeps the ULTIMATE goal for all scoliosis patients still possible: A healthy, happy, normal life.
If at all possible, we want our patients to continue doing what they love to do; take that away from them and their quality of life didn’t get better, it got worse. Every now and then, we do need to cut an activity out because continuation of that activity has no modified and improved posture and would significantly hurt the improvement of the patient. Activity modification (conscious positional awareness) helps ALL the other treatments have more effectiveness and prevents the collapse of the spine the other 16 hours of the day that they aren’t doing their other, more aggressive Scoliosis Exercises. This is all Conscious Effort throughout the day that has to eventually become a “Good Habit” that the patient can use the rest of their life. Our “Schroth-based” training program focuses on the patient’s activities and teaches them how to do what they love to do but with better posture.
Scoliosis Exercises and Physiotherapy
Weighted Device Exercises
Schroth Physiotherapy
Principles For a Happier, Healthier Life
These exercises and principles applied to daily life will assist the individual in managing their scoliosis throughout the course of their life. Their body awareness in space with sitting, standing, and moving is increased during the training time. Therefore, they will be more aware of how they are sitting at school, at the office, in the car, at the dining room table, while watching television, or on the computer.