Scoliosis is characterized by the sideway curvature of the spine, leading to an ‘S’ or ‘C’ curve. Most scoliosis cases are idiopathic or of unknown origin. However, congenital defects that affect normal spine development, infection of or injury to the spine, as well as neuromuscular conditions can lead to scoliosis.
While most cases are mild and do not progress to require invasive treatment, people with scoliosis can sometimes suffer from back pain. Scoliosis treatment without surgery can be done through physiotherapy exercises.
Here are four exercises to consider to alleviate back pain and prevent curve progression.
Scoliosis exercise #1: Spine release
- On a mat, lie on your back with your arms extending on shoulder height, thus you are in a ‘T’ position.
- Bring your knees to your chest and lower them to one side. It’s important to only lower your knees to where they are comfortable and to keep your shoulders flat.
- Move you head to the opposite direction and hold this position for about 5 seconds.
- Slowly return to your starting position and repeat for the other side. Repeat 10 times on each side.
Scoliosis exercise #2: Planking
The plank strengthens the core muscles and thus help with scoliosis treatment without surgery.
- There are several variations of planking but you can start off with the most basic: forearms and knees on the floors with your elbows below the shoulders.
- Now lift and straighten up one knee and hold the position for about 5 seconds.
- Do the same on the other side. Repeat 10 times. Stop or adjust if you feel pain on your back.
Scoliosis exercise #3: Step down, one arm reach
- If you have uneven hips, one leg maybe longer than the other. Use that leg to step on a small box then lower the opposite leg to the floor as you bend your knee.
- As you straighten up, raise your arm on the same side of your lowered leg to as high as you can. If you lowered your right leg, then raise your right arm.
- Repeat two to three sets of 10 repetitions on that side only. Do not perform on the other side.
Scoliosis exercise #4: Split stance, arm reach
- With your longer leg, step forward in a (slightly) exaggerated stride.
- Make sure to keep your body upright then begin shifting weight back and forth while allowing the forward knee to bend as you shift your weight to it.
- As you are bending your knee, raise your arm opposite your forward leg to as high as you can. So if you have your right leg forward, raise your left arm.
- While you are raising your arm, the other one is reaching downward as far as it can go with palm facing up. This will cause the spine and the torso to rotate to the side of the forward leg.
- Repeat two to three sets of 10 repetitions on that side only. Do not perform on the other side.
It’s very important to keep a healthy lifestyle if you have scoliosis and while these exercises can help, they are not one-size-fits-all. You must first visit a healthcare professional to assess your condition and provide treatment recommendations. Our service providers can assist you with your non-invasive options for scoliosis treatment St Albert.
