Scoliosis & Exercise

Longevity Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Pymble, Balmain, Neutral Bay, Coburg – Melbourne and Barrie, Ontario – Canada discuss scoliosis and exercise.

Scoliosis is a term used to describe any abnormal, sideways curvature of the spine found either in the lumbar, thoracic, and/or cervical spinal column regions (Day et al., 2019). A typical spine is relatively straight, with scoliosis, the spine can curve in one of three ways:

• The spine can curve to the left, shaped like the letter “C”
• The spine can curve to the right, shaped like a backwards letter “C”
• The spine has two curves, shaped like the letter “S”

Scoliosis can result in pain when performing activities of daily living such as walking, standing, or lifting objects and is often accompanied by a decreased range of motion (Day et al., 2019).

 

It is important to manage and maintain a straight spine to enhance muscular function and efficiency. To do so, you must become more aware of your body, especially your spine and posture, and adjust/self-correct your spine’s position during daily activities.

Longevity EP’s provide exercises which focus on core strengthening, proprioception, and posture. Scoliosis exercises should be done carefully and performed with proper technique. Remember, the goal is to promote symmetry within the spine to regain trunk alignment.

1) Core Strength:

Core muscles include your abdominal muscles, back muscles and muscles around the pelvis. These muscles are designed to protect the spine and limit excessive movement. Core stabilisation and exercise has a beneficial role in correcting spinal deformity, reducing the Cobb angle (degree of side to side spinal curvature), and improving quality of life in people with scoliosis (Li et al., 2020; Yagci & Yakut, 2019).

2) Proprioception:

Proprioception is the sense of body awareness regarding position, motion, and equilibrium. It uses receptors located in the skin, muscles, and joints to build the internal sense of your body. There is neuromuscular involvement in the aetiology of scoliosis and the proprioceptive system is involved in maintaining spinal alignment (Blecher et al., 2018). Longevity EP’s provide evidence based proprioceptive, balance and motor control training (Kinel et al., 2021).

3) Posture:

The spine is strong and stable when you practice healthy posture. Poor posture can stress or pull muscles, which may lead to pain. It is important that you practice and maintain good posture throughout the day. Longevity EP’s provide a scientific exercise approach to scoliosis to train neuromotor function and stimulate a self-corrected posture during activities of daily life (Romano et al., 2015).

There are also scoliosis specific exercises which are the Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS) and Scroth methods. SEAS exercises train neuromotor function aiming to stimulate by reflex a self-corrected posture during the activities of daily life . Scroth exercises aim to de-rotate, elongate and stabilize the spine in a three-dimensional plane

(Romano, et al., 2015) (John Hopkins Medicine, 2022).

Aims of Scoliosis and Exercise

• Prevent progression of the spinal curvature
• Reduce spinal deformity, even improve Cobb angle
• Pain management and reduction
• Enhance overall function and ability to perform activities of daily living
• Improve quality of life

 

Our practitioners offer the highest quality service in exercise professions to optimise client overall health and wellbeing long-term.

If you or someone you know has scoliosis, or is struggling with scoliosis, Longevity EP’s are here to help. Call Longevity Exercise Physiology Drummoyne, Edgecliff, Marrickville, Bella Vista, Randwick, Pymble, Balmain, Neutral Bay , Coburg – Melbourne and Barrie, Ontario – Canada on 1300 964 002 to enquire today!

 

 Written By Matt Skelly

 

References:

Blecher, R., Heinemann-Yerushalmi, L., Assaraf, E., Konstantin, N., Chapman, J. R., Cope, T. C., Benwick, G. S., Banks, R. W., & Zelzer, E. (2018). New functions for the proprioceptive system in skeletal biology. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 373(1759). http://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0327.

Day, J. M., Fletcher, J., Coghlan, M., & Ravine, T. (2019). Review of scoliosis-specific exercise methods used to correct adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Archives of Physiotherapy 9,(8). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40945-019-0060-9.

Kinel, E., D’Amico, M., Roncoletta, P. (2021). 3D Quantitative Evaluation of Posture and Spine Proprioceptive Perception Through Instinctive Self-Correction Maneuver in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9. DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2021.663394.

Li, X., Shen, J., Liang, J., Zhou, X., Yang, Y., Wang, D., Wang, S., Wang, L., Wang, H., & Du, Q. (2021). Effect of core-based exercise in people with scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Rehabilitation, 35(5), 669–680. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215520975105.

Romano, M., Negrini, A., Parzini, S., Tavernaro, M., Zaina, F., Donzelii, S., Negrini, S. (2015). SEAS (Scientific Exercises Approach to Scoliosis): a modern and effective evidence based approach to physiotherapic specific scoliosis exercises. Scoliosis 10, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13013-014-0027-2.

Yagci, G., & Yakut, Y. (2019). Core stabilization exercises versus scoliosis-specific exercises in moderate idiopathic scoliosis treatment. Prosthetics and Orthotics International, 43(3), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309364618820144

John Hopkins Medicine. (2022). Schroth Method for Scoliosis. Retrieved from John Hopkins Medicine: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/scoliosis/schroth-method-for-scoliosis#:~:text=The%20Schroth%20Method%20is%20a%20nonsurgical%20option%20for%20scoliosis%20treatment,in%20a%20three%2Ddimensional%20plane.