I Have Scoliosis
How to own your scoliosis
If you have scoliosis and you’re tired of feeling helpless, this is the place to start. I’ve devoted my professional career to studying Pilates, scoliosis, and the benefits of movement. Not only can I help you understand your scoli, but I also can help you proactively manage it. Let’s start your journey to own your scoliosis.
1. START Moving
Movement is important to a healthy body, especially one with scoliosis. Your diagnosis doesn’t mean you sit still for the rest of your life. You no longer need to live in fear that movement will hurt you and make your scoli worse. I’ll teach you how to move so you can return to whatever form of movement brings you joy.
2. WATCH the Starting Point Series
These short videos will introduce you to my method and start you on the journey to owning and understanding your scoliosis. They will also help prepare you to use scoli-specific movement strategies.
3. READ "How do you help a scoli client? Movement!"
While this blog post is aimed at Pilates instructors, you’ll learn why movement is so important for your spine.
4. READ "Scoliometer Tracking"
This blog post will help you understand the importance of regular scoliometer use.
5. DOWNLOAD the Scoliometer by Spiral Spine App
A scoliometer helps measure vertebral rotation. It is useful to track regular measurements before and after exercise. A decrease in rotation is correlated with movement that is good for your body and helps untwist your spiral spine. Learn how to use the scoliometer app and then teach someone else to use it. They will need to check your back before and after exercise because you can’t check your own back.
6. DOWNLOAD the Scoliometer Tracking Chart
This chart will help you easily track your scoliometer measurements, and also has a place for notes. Things that have affected you that week (illness, long car rides, lots of lifting, etc.) are good to put down in the notes column. You’ll begin to see patterns as to what helps your body feel its best.
7. READ The Beautiful Scoliotic Back
This book will teach you what owning your scoliosis looks like and why you need to do it. You’ll read inspirational stories from people who’ve learned to own their scoliosis, which has given them much emotional and physical freedom.
8. GATHER Props
To start, whatever you have around your house that you can work out with is great. Some ideas are yoga mats, towels, balls, shelf liner (for padding), foam rollers, and yoga blocks. Put them in a specific area so when you’re working out you can grab them quickly.
If you don't own any props and don't know where to purchase them, you can click the image to the right to access Balanced Body's website, a favorite distributor of mine.
9. EXERCISE at home using the Hard Core Scoli workout video
This workout can be done at home. It contains movements specifically designed to help untwist your spine and get you moving.
10. FIND a practitioner and take a lesson
Now that you’ve started moving, you won’t want to stop. Look for someone in your town that will listen to you and that you feel comfortable working with. Share your scoliometer app and the Starting Point Series with them. Ask them to use these to help you feel better. If you are having trouble finding someone locally, I offer virtual lessons. Feel free to contact my studio to get set up.
11. ASSEMBLE your dream team
This team will help keep you feeling your best. Ideally it includes a movement practitioner (Pilates instructor, fitness coach, etc.) and a trained body worker. While movement is important, it is not the only key to living a pain-free life. A skilled body worker will help relax tight muscles you may not even know you have. Again, you’ll want to look for someone who works with scoliosis patients or who is open to listening to you and learning how to care for your unique body. If you need more information on different kinds of body workers, watch video 5 in the Starting Point Series.
12. KEEP it up
Owning your scoli means constant, daily work, but regular movement and release will help you live your best, pain-free life. You and your spine are worth it, I promise.