Currently, there is a lot of information out there about Pilates for Scoliosis. Through my personal experience, MODIFIED Pilates for Scoliosis is life changing. My physical therapist in Tennessee introduced me to many different exercises for my Scoliosis to help manage the pain and discomfort that come along with it. After the first couple sessions I wised up and realized that I was doing quite a few pilates exercises in physical therapy. So I started doing research. Research is kind of my thing, I'm a nerd like that. So after what probably equated to days of reading about pilates and pilates for Scoliosis, I decided to start a full on personalized workout for my unique situation.
Keep in mind, there are many different degrees and types of Scoliosis. For minor curvatures, under 30/35 degrees, you can probably run around and do a majority of exercises normally without any major discomfort. Discontinue any running or jogging immediately. I am obviously not presuming to be a doctor or medical professional and giving out medical advice of any kind. These are my personal opinions based on my experiences over the last twelve years and recommendations to me from my many surgeons. Running and jogging are high impact exercises. They wear on your joints and bones terribly. This is bad enough for a personal with a healthy spine; with an unstable Scoliotic spine it's dangerous.
If you have advanced Scoliosis, like I do, or a double major curve, again like I do, then your joints and facets are probably already unstable if not non-existent and worn away. I have a double major curve. My thoracic spine (upper) has a curvature of about 55 degrees. My lumbar spine (lower) has about a 47 degree curve and in the last couple years has begun rotating inward. Almost all of my discs are degenerating. My entire lumbar spine and the top of my spinal cord discs are bulging. Good times! So I have significant, crippling pain, and modified pilates has changed my life. I have to share this with others.
The main goal of a pilates workout for Scoliosis is to strengthen your core muscles to take the weight of the rest of your body off of your spine and decrease the stress on your spine. You also gain greater control of the muscles in your trunk area which helps everything. In the past 5 years my body has changed completely from doing very basic and simple modified pilates exercises.
Don't get me wrong. I have very significant back pain almost every day. I am currently typing this on my laptop lying in bed with a stack of 5 pillows behind me, a tens unit on, an ice pack on my lower back and a heating pad on my upper. I have to force myself sometimes to get up and just do it! I tell myself to just stretch and do some one leg circles and a couple side kick series...then I do the hundred...the roll ups....the next thing I know I've worked out over an hour! Every time I do, I feel a thousand times better after and almost always have less pain the next day.
Side note-My quotation/apostrophe key has decided to make my life difficult, so if there are a few missing I apologize. I'm not unintelligent, my laptops just being moody. See....just did it there lol!
To start yourself with very simple low impact exercises lying on the ground a few beginners are here on this "About.com" post with photos http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesmat/tp/BeginnerExercises.htm You can look on that page for other links to more pilates exercises and stretches! Just google lol! If you have bulging discs, like I do, and hard floors (I even do it in my carpeted rooms) try putting a couple towels or a folded quilt underneath your mat so your spine isn't pressing onto the hard floor! I learned that the hard way after two days of debilitating lower back pain. Here is another link from "About.com" for tips on some basic modification and safety to be careful you don't strain or hurt yourself. http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesforeverybody/tp/Modifications.htm
Resistance band exercises are also fantastic. Stick it folded and pinched in half in a closed door. Pull on it really hard before you start working out to make sure its in there well. If it snaps back on you its quite painful! I prefer to sit on an exercise ball while doing my resistance band exercises, it helps strengthen the core double time! Simple rows, standing twists (preferably sitting twists on an exercise ball for extra core support!), woodchop, reverse fly, pec fly, standing chest press, and tricep and bicep extensions are quick, easy, and can all be done by sticking the band in the door at different height levels. Here is a link with instructions and photos from "TheSportsInjuryClinic.Net" for most of the above exercises. http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/resistance-band-exercises1 You do not have to put the band as high up as they show in some of the clips. There are exercises under rehabilitation & exercises including exercise bands, pilates, core strengthening, back exercises, etc that are all wonderful for back pain and strengthening.
I met a wonderful young woman at physical therapy today who is 3 months post-op and Dr. Moreno is her surgeon as well. We spoke for a while about her surgery and her recovery so far. She showed me her scar which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and nowhere near what it would've looked like if I had done it 10 years ago. It reaffirmed for me that I want to have this surgery. That's a topic for tomorrow though. 44 days until my surgery. Wow, that seems really close.
Appointment tomorrow to have an ultrasound done on my pelvis and find out what the fluid build up in my hip causing me so much pain is from. I am relieved that everything with my health is getting worked out and in a few months I am going to be a whole new woman.
Thought to close the night...Gary Kelley once said, "There's no better time than the present to be better than we were yesterday."
Always With Karma,
Amanda Marie
Keep in mind, there are many different degrees and types of Scoliosis. For minor curvatures, under 30/35 degrees, you can probably run around and do a majority of exercises normally without any major discomfort. Discontinue any running or jogging immediately. I am obviously not presuming to be a doctor or medical professional and giving out medical advice of any kind. These are my personal opinions based on my experiences over the last twelve years and recommendations to me from my many surgeons. Running and jogging are high impact exercises. They wear on your joints and bones terribly. This is bad enough for a personal with a healthy spine; with an unstable Scoliotic spine it's dangerous.
If you have advanced Scoliosis, like I do, or a double major curve, again like I do, then your joints and facets are probably already unstable if not non-existent and worn away. I have a double major curve. My thoracic spine (upper) has a curvature of about 55 degrees. My lumbar spine (lower) has about a 47 degree curve and in the last couple years has begun rotating inward. Almost all of my discs are degenerating. My entire lumbar spine and the top of my spinal cord discs are bulging. Good times! So I have significant, crippling pain, and modified pilates has changed my life. I have to share this with others.
The main goal of a pilates workout for Scoliosis is to strengthen your core muscles to take the weight of the rest of your body off of your spine and decrease the stress on your spine. You also gain greater control of the muscles in your trunk area which helps everything. In the past 5 years my body has changed completely from doing very basic and simple modified pilates exercises.
Don't get me wrong. I have very significant back pain almost every day. I am currently typing this on my laptop lying in bed with a stack of 5 pillows behind me, a tens unit on, an ice pack on my lower back and a heating pad on my upper. I have to force myself sometimes to get up and just do it! I tell myself to just stretch and do some one leg circles and a couple side kick series...then I do the hundred...the roll ups....the next thing I know I've worked out over an hour! Every time I do, I feel a thousand times better after and almost always have less pain the next day.
Side note-My quotation/apostrophe key has decided to make my life difficult, so if there are a few missing I apologize. I'm not unintelligent, my laptops just being moody. See....just did it there lol!
To start yourself with very simple low impact exercises lying on the ground a few beginners are here on this "About.com" post with photos http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesmat/tp/BeginnerExercises.htm You can look on that page for other links to more pilates exercises and stretches! Just google lol! If you have bulging discs, like I do, and hard floors (I even do it in my carpeted rooms) try putting a couple towels or a folded quilt underneath your mat so your spine isn't pressing onto the hard floor! I learned that the hard way after two days of debilitating lower back pain. Here is another link from "About.com" for tips on some basic modification and safety to be careful you don't strain or hurt yourself. http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesforeverybody/tp/Modifications.htm
Resistance band exercises are also fantastic. Stick it folded and pinched in half in a closed door. Pull on it really hard before you start working out to make sure its in there well. If it snaps back on you its quite painful! I prefer to sit on an exercise ball while doing my resistance band exercises, it helps strengthen the core double time! Simple rows, standing twists (preferably sitting twists on an exercise ball for extra core support!), woodchop, reverse fly, pec fly, standing chest press, and tricep and bicep extensions are quick, easy, and can all be done by sticking the band in the door at different height levels. Here is a link with instructions and photos from "TheSportsInjuryClinic.Net" for most of the above exercises. http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/resistance-band-exercises1 You do not have to put the band as high up as they show in some of the clips. There are exercises under rehabilitation & exercises including exercise bands, pilates, core strengthening, back exercises, etc that are all wonderful for back pain and strengthening.
I met a wonderful young woman at physical therapy today who is 3 months post-op and Dr. Moreno is her surgeon as well. We spoke for a while about her surgery and her recovery so far. She showed me her scar which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and nowhere near what it would've looked like if I had done it 10 years ago. It reaffirmed for me that I want to have this surgery. That's a topic for tomorrow though. 44 days until my surgery. Wow, that seems really close.
Appointment tomorrow to have an ultrasound done on my pelvis and find out what the fluid build up in my hip causing me so much pain is from. I am relieved that everything with my health is getting worked out and in a few months I am going to be a whole new woman.
Thought to close the night...Gary Kelley once said, "There's no better time than the present to be better than we were yesterday."
Always With Karma,
Amanda Marie
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