Functional Scoliosis

Sorry about the delay between posts, had family in town and life just got a bit away from me.

So, in these last few weeks, did you pay attention to how you carry things and how you stand? Do you find yourself using one side much more than the other? Do you lean a bit? When you carry your kids, are they always resting on the same hip? These things and a host of others, like laying on the same side every night or sitting in an un-supportive car seat for hours on end, can all lead to scoliosis.

Yes, scoliosis is that spine thing that you were checked for by the school nurse growing up. I bet you thought when those checks ended, so did your risk of developing it, right? Unfortunately, not so much. Heather Herald Cole, MSPT, describes functional scoliosis this way: "Due to postural habits, single handedness, leg length discrepancy, posture, nerve root irritation, hip tightness, etc. This form of scoliosis can be corrected by exercise if caught early."

So, that's the good news. This CAN BE CORRECTED BY EXERCISE (not surgery!) if caught early. Unfortunately though, this isn't something that's easily corrected on your own at home. You need to either go to a physical therapist or a knowledgeable Pilates instructor. Either way, it should be someone who has experience working with clients with scoliosis and someone who is supportive of a non-surgical solution. You cannot attend group exercise classes (not even group Pilates) and expect results- this is a very personalized, very intensive exercise regime created just for you. And you must be patient. Some of the movements will feel small, and like you're not working very hard at all. YOU ARE! You are learning to use muscles that have, for whatever reason, decided that they'd rather not. Learning to fire all of your muscles evenly will eventually, hopefully, pull that spine back into correct alignment.

For more information on scoliosis visit www.scoliosis.org or just Google it- there is a wealth of information available.