Learn More About Scoliosis
How can you learn more about scoliosis and scoliosis-specific exercise?
So you’ve been browsing my site and learning more about scoliosis, and want to dive deeper. Maybe this is the first time you’ve even heard of such a thing as scoliosis-specific exercise (also known as physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises, or PSSE). Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just scroll on down…
If you’re looking for a more complete definition & explanation on scoliosis, check out this blog for all you could ever want to know!
But wait - what is scoliosis-specific exercise??
You may have never heard of it, but there are exercises that are specifically designed for people with spinal conditions like scoliosis and kyphosis, which is a rounding of the upper back. The concept was first developed over 100 years ago by a German physiotherapist, Katharina Schroth, a woman with scoliosis herself. Schroth wanted to find a way to treat her own scoliosis through exercise and, amazingly, she did! Check out these photos to see what she was able to do!
Nowadays there are many variations of scoliosis-specific exercises and multiple different schools around the world, each providing their own “twist” to the method (pardon the pun). Despite the different schools of thought and though the method has evolved over the years, many of the overall concepts have remained the same. A trained provider will be able to assess your scoliosis - which is unique to you - and give you corrective exercises using a combination of the following principles:
Breathing & pressure management - because scoliosis impacts the alignment of the spine bones, it also frequently alters the position of the rib cage and the muscles that connect the ribs.
Muscular activation & endurance - we tend to have muscle imbalances where some muscles are lengthened, others may be shortened, some are overactive and others may be “sleepy” and harder to activate. The beauty of the scoliosis exercises is they provide a way to challenge the muscles in a way to help create more balance and symmetry!
Postural awareness - those of us with scoliosis can have decreased awareness of our body and its tendencies to lean or “collapse” certain ways. A big component of the journey learning one’s specific scoliosis exercise is learning how to identify when we may be compensating - and how to prevent it or correct for it.
Personally, I wish I would have learned my scoliosis corrections decades ago - but it’s never too early or too late to learn! I work with people as young as 4 and as old as 93 who all benefit from learning how to strengthen and stabilize their specific spine. After all, your spine is as unique as your fingerprint, and your exercises must reflect that to be as effective as they can be.
If you’re looking as a physiotherapist or PT certified in scoliosis:
My first recommendation for online learning is the Scoliosis & Spine Online Learning website, where you can find multiple online courses that relate to scoliosis. If you're looking into specializing, I highly recommend the Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School (BSPTS). Their certification program is incredibly comprehensive and was designed by Dr. Manuel Rigo, who is one of the top names in orthopedic management of scoliosis. I've done coursework within their school as well as the Italian scoliosis school and have found the BSPTS program to be foundational in helping me understand the complex 3 dimensional nature of scoliosis.
The Italian Scientific Spine Institute offers a training program called SEAS, which brought me a lot more context and different tools to serve kids and adults learning how to self-correct their scoliosis. I’ve also taken courses in this school and recommend them
If you're on Instagram, feel free to follow me @laura.g.dpt. I offer a lot of free content on scoliosis to help your understanding and frequently post about excellent learning opportunities that I come across!
If you’re looking as a patient (or as a PT, for a patient):
I strongly suggest you seek out a scoliosis-specific PT if you’ve been diagnosed with scoliosis, particularly if you’re at risk of it worsening (i.e, you’re still growing) or you’re having pain. Check this directory for certified therapists. If you're interested in research, it's incredibly easy to search for PSSE or scoliosis specific exercise in Google Scholar, but my clinic website has a few sources listed as well.
Would still recommend following me @laura.g.dpt for accessible, bite-sized content about scoliosis and modifying your exercises to feel your best and most balanced despite your scoliosis.
And if you’re having a hard time finding a local specialist, you can work with me virtually to begin your own scoliosis strength adventure, wherever you are!
Let me know any questions you have in the comments below, or shoot me an email!
